Original Item: One-of-a-kind. This is a fantastic choice example of an officer battle field tunic or Summer tunic. It is cotton construction with WW2 German Army Oberleutnant (1st Lieutenant) rank shoulder boards. Officers had to supply their own uniforms, and they were usually obtained from private tailors. This beautiful tunic is no exception and bears a tailor label to the interior neck that reads H. Kestges, Dortmund. It is untouched, and in excellent overall condition. The tunic itself is made of a gray/green cotton. The front closes with five aluminum pebbled buttons with anchor rings to the reverse. The attractive Army breast eagle is hand stitched to the chest. The collar tabs are wonderful high quality thick with central bullion wire decoration and then machine stitched applied to the tunic. There is a medal ribbon bar with Iron Cross 2nd Class and Italian-German African Campaign Medal.

The officer shoulder boards each have a gold colored rank pip, indicating the rank of Oberleutnant and are neatly and tightly applied. The exterior of this officer tunic is clean and showing only very minor imperfections.

Approximate Measurements:
Collar to shoulder: 10"
Shoulder to sleeve: 25"
Shoulder to shoulder: 17.5"
Chest width: 20.5"
Waist width: 19"
Hip width: 23"
Front length: 30"

Since the heavy wool feldgrau uniform proved to be oppressively hot in summer weather, especially in southerly latitudes, soldiers took to wearing their lightweight green fatigue uniforms in the heat. In about 1942 the Army regularized the practice: depots began issuing an official hot-weather four-pocket field uniform of feldbluse cut but made of the same reed-green HBT material.

From 1935 and for the following 10 years, the German Military wore a wide selection of  German Army (Heer) Uniforms. Enlisted men generally wore Army (Heer) Uniforms issued from military depots. Most enlisted soldiers wore wool trousers and a tunic with four external pockets, known as a Feldbluse (field blouse). Before the war, soldiers also were issued a walking-out tunic, with flashy insignia, called the Waffenrock. Officers wore the same general uniform styles, but as officers had to supply their own uniforms, they usually wore tailor made versions. There were also myriad varieties of specialized uniforms worn by certain units or in specific situations, from the stylish black wool “wraps” worn by crews of armored fighting vehicles, to the drab HBT work uniforms. There were tropical and summer Army (Heer) Uniforms, and camouflage smocks for combat troops. For troops operating in winter climates, there were long wool overcoats, fur clothing articles, and padded jacket and trousers sets. In 1944, a new uniform was introduced, featuring a short jacket with only two external pockets. Most but not all German Army uniform jackets bore the Heer emblem of an eagle holding a swas.