This Model 1943 (M 43) field blouse for an SS-Unterscharführer (junior non-commissioned officer) of the Panzerjäger (tank destroyer) branch represents a significant artifact documenting the evolution of German military uniform production during the critical middle period of the Second World War. It illustrates the intersection of wartime austerity, improvised material sourcing, and the distinctive organizational identity of the Waffen-SS.
Introduction and Development of the M 43 Field Blouse
The M 43 field blouse was originally introduced by the German Army during the autumn of 1942 and was adopted by the Waffen-SS approximately one year later, in October 1943. The M 43 represented a decisive turning point toward simplified, more production-efficient uniforms. Compared to earlier models, the M 43 saw the removal of all pleats from the breast pockets as well as the scalloped flaps. Pockets began to be cut straight rather than with rounded edges. These simplifications reflected the demands of the wartime economy and the need for more rationalized manufacturing processes.
The SS version of the field blouse differed from the Army’s in key structural details. SS jackets featured a five-button front closure, as opposed to six buttons on Army tunics. Additionally, the SS version had two belt hook eyelets on each side, whereas Army tunics had three. These construction differences allow for unambiguous attribution to the Waffen-SS.
Material and Production
One of the most telling features of this field blouse is the use of Italian captured cloth and a herringbone-pattern lining made from Italian rayon. The background for this material choice is directly linked to the military events of 1943. Following the Italian armistice on September 3, 1943, German forces seized massive quantities of Italian military equipment and raw materials. The SS was quick to dispatch these materials to their clothing manufacturing center located at Dachau. The use of this captured Italian fabric fundamentally changed the appearance of Waffen-SS uniforms in 1944 and 1945. The predominant uniform color in 1944 was a dark field-gray, also known as “Italian grey.”
By this stage of the war, fabric quality had degraded considerably: 70 percent of the wool blend consisted of artificial wool made from cellulose fibers. This change in material was accompanied by a new field-gray shade that contained less green than earlier uniforms. The characteristic herringbone lining was a standard feature of these uniforms and provided additional durability. The lining was usually shiny 100% rayon “silk,” though many examples exist with twill lining.
Regarding the production structure of Waffen-SS uniforms, even at the height of production, the SS death camp clothing factories provided only 30 percent of the Waffen-SS uniform requirements, with the majority coming from private SS clothing contractors. The SS-BW acceptance stamp (Bekleidungswerk — clothing factory) found inside the jacket documents quality control by the SS’s own clothing factories.
The Role of the Reichszeugmeisterei
The Reichszeugmeisterei (RZM), formally located in Munich, served as the first and eventually the primary quartermaster’s office, as well as the national material control office of Nazi Germany. The RZM office defined design, manufacturing, and quality standards for all party organizations. Starting in late 1934, items manufactured for the SS came under the quality control of the RZM and were marked with RZM/SS approval and acceptance tags. However, in 1943, the Waffen-SS assumed full control over their uniform item production and no longer fell under the authority of the RZM. The RZM machine-embroidered collar tabs and RZM machine-embroidered sleeve eagle present on this tunic were typical of uniforms produced during the middle war period.
Rank and Branch
The rank of SS-Unterscharführer was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party used by the Schutzstaffel between 1934 and 1945. Within the Waffen-SS, an Unterscharführer served as a junior squad commander, one of several attached to company and platoon-sized formations. It was the most junior and most common non-commissioned officer rank of the SS, equivalent to an Unteroffizier in the German Wehrmacht. On this tunic, the rank is indicated by the matte silver NCO braid piping (Tresse) running around the collar edge.
The rose-pink Waffenfarbe (branch color) on the shoulder straps identifies the wearer as a member of the Panzerjäger (anti-tank/tank destroyer) branch. The sleeve eagle on the left upper arm was mandatory for all SS uniforms from 1936 onward and was produced in various versions. The machine-embroidered RZM version seen here was typical for uniforms of the middle war period.
The M 43 in the Context of the Waffen-SS
The SS M 43 tunic started appearing from mid-1943 onward, and by 1944 it was serving as a replacement tunic for veteran soldiers — the so-called “Alte Hasen” (old hands) — as well as for new recruits. The M 43 was essentially the same as the M 42 tunic, except the scalloped pocket flaps had been removed and different materials were used in production.
The Waffen-SS developed from the SS-Verfügungstruppe and grew during the war into an organization comprising multiple divisions. Uniforms and their insignia were subject to strict regulations and were continuously adapted to wartime requirements. Notable personnel who served in Panzerjäger units of the Waffen-SS include SS-Unterscharführer Richard Fuchs of SS-Panzerjäger-Abteilung 5 “Wiking” and Knight’s Cross recipient SS-Unterscharführer Gerhard Fischer, platoon leader of the 3rd Company, SS-Panzerjäger-Abteilung 5 of the 5th SS Panzer Division “Wiking.”
