Afrikakorps Heer Service Belt Strap
CATEGORY: Version
SKU: 23.GOR.02.02.01.003.000
Estimated market value:
Estimated market value:
A DAK belt; crafted in thick tan webbed cotton; stamped in black ink “95” on the underside of the belt at the right end; reinforced stitching on both ends of the belt; leather tab with finished brown upper, stitched in place on the underside on the right end; the tab with seven rows of two vertical holes each for length adjustment; marked “74” with black ink; magnetic olive drab-coloured receiving clip on the left end; without sliders; measuring a total of 950 mm x 46 mm; stains and some soiling near where the buckle was from use and age, otherwise better than fine condition.
During the Second World War, German troops stationed in northern Africa are generally referred to as the Afrikakorps. Technically, this is not entirely correct, since some German units operating in Africa were not actually part of the DAK (Deutsches Afrikakorps), and some units of it were, in fact, Italian ones. However, for the purpose of collecting so-called “tropical” uniforms and insignia, collectors have simplified the meaning of the term.
The first German troops were sent to northern Africa in February of 1941, to support their Italian allies against the British. The climate of the African continent made it necessary to wear specialised uniforms and gear that not only supported the soldiers in serving in a hot and arid environment, but also helped them in blending in with the landscape, which, in general, presented itself as brown, olive, khaki, or sand/tan in colour. Worn over long periods of time under the blistering desert sun, some uniforms were eventually bleached to white or off-white. Uniforms and insignia in these colours are often referred to as “tropical”, and it is worth noting that they weren’t just worn by members of units stationed in Africa, but in the entire Mediterranean theatre of war, including southern France, Italy, the Balkans, and Greece, as well as in southern Russia during the summer months. Tropical uniforms were worn by members of all three branches of the Wehrmacht: the Heer (army), the Kriegsmarine (navy), and the Luftwaffe (air force). Members of the Waffen-SS stationed in southerly regions also wore tropical-style uniforms, and even though they technically have no connection to the DAK, all tropical uniforms and insignia of all branches of the German military are listed here.
In general in the German military, belt buckles were worn on a brown or black leather belt. However, with the introduction of the tropical belt buckles in 1941, a canvas web belt was used, presumably because leather would not be suitable for the hot and dry conditions.
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