L00951 FIELD DIVISION TAN/WATER PATTERN CAMOUFLAGE JACKET. (Tarnjacke) The Luftwaffe field divisions were rapidly mobilized from Luftwaffe ground personnel in late 1942 and early 1943, to replace the massive loses of men on the Eastern front. Due to the lack of training and poor performance in the field, of the twenty-two divisions formed, seventeen were either destroyed or disbanded before the end of the war. When the Luftwaffe field divisions were being formed the need for proper camouflage garments was raised and a design for an inexpensive, easy to manufacture field jacket, suitable for ground combat, was proposed and accepted in late 1942. Three quarter length, non-reversible, waterproofed cotton duck construction jacket with printed, tan/water pattern, camouflage design in shades of tans, brown and greens to the exterior and a tan interior. The jacket features a five button front closure with a single metal hook and eye at the neck. The right breast has a second pattern, machine embroidered Luftwaffe eagle in silver/grey threads on a cut-out woven reed green HBT base. The eagle is machine stitched to the jacket in the typical zig-zag fashion but appears to be a replacement as evidenced by additional visible stitch holes to the interior. The forward tail skirt has two horizontal slash hip pockets with straight edged button down flaps. The waistline side panels each have five, vertically aligned, stitched eyelets for the belt support hooks. The belt support hooks are absent. The armpits each have a horizontal slash opening for ventilation. The sleeves have numerous small tapering darts at the horizontal cuff bands and a small vertical slash to the outside seams at the cuffs. The horizontal cuffs each have a stitched button eyelet with dual corresponding fit adjustment buttons. The jacket has had the shoulder board/strap retaining loops and buttons removed leaving small scars as evidence. The jacket has a large lay down collar with the typical zig-zag reinforcement stitching to the reverse. The reverse of the left collar side has a dual button holed, horizontally extended fabric tab with two corresponding buttons to the reverse of the right side collar for secure closure in inclement weather. The unlined interior has a patch pocket to the left breast with a single button closure. Both of the exterior hip pockets and the interior breast pocket all have tan cotton twill pocket bags. The interior breast pocket is well marked with black inkstamped sizing and an RB number. Of Note: The RB numbers, Reichsbetriebnummer, (National factory code numbers), were introduced in late 1942 and were intended to replace the manufacturers marks on garments and equipment to conceal the manufactures name and location from the allies, to prevent bombing raids on German industrial factories. The jacket is in overall very good condition with minimal age toning. The front closure and cuff buttons are the field-grey painted, alloy dish type buttons while the pocket and collar closure buttons are the molded tan glass type and all appear to have their original stitching. Nice example. These jackets were cut large enough to fit over the standard uniform and this example is roughly size 44" chest. Excellent example.

GRADE ****                             PRICE $ SOLD 

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