German WWII Topical Belt & Buckle, Afrika Korp
Price: Sold
Description: Standard issue, 1940 pattern, olive drab painted, die stamped steel construction, combat box buckle features a smooth outer field with a high relief, embossed Wehrmacht style eagle with down swept wings. The reverse of the buckle is a mirror image of the obverse. The reverse has the brazed buckle catch, prong bar and prongs all intact. Appears as unmarked; The buckle comes complete on a 45mm wide, 110cm (ink stamped) long, woven, khaki/olive canvas web construction waist belt with a steel buckle catch and early full web retaining tongue with seven pairs of parallel eyelets. Both buckle and belt show very little if any actual use.
Background: Originally all EM/NCO’s belts were produced in a blackened leather until late 1940, with the impending German entrance into the North African campaign, tropical uniforms and equipment were quickly developed and issued in time for DAK, Deutsches Afrika Korps, personnel’s arrival in Tripoli in February 1941 and included a canvas web constructed waist belt. Due to the extreme climate in North Africa the OKW, Oberkommando der Wehrmacht, decided to replace the standard continental leather equipment items with canvas web construction items in the belief that they would be better able to withstand the climate. Eventually, due to leather shortages, many of the tropical uniform and equipment items would be issued to personnel serving in southern areas of continental Europe and other Mediterranean theatres of battle. Another later war expedient type was the production of preßstoff, (Pressed Cardboard), and other ersatz material belts. The ersatz construction belts were only issued in limited quantities.
