Original Item. Only One Available. This is a very nice original German WWII Luftwaffe enlisted man’s or NCO’s equipment belt assembled with a painted steel Luftwaffe buckle and two original triple ammunition pouches for the Karabiner 98k rifle. The set combines a 37” leather belt, a 1940 dated buckle tab, and two service used ammunition pouches of differing smooth and pebbled leather construction.

The die stamped steel buckle features the wartime Luftwaffe straight tail eagle within a pebbled central field, surrounded by a wreath. This pattern was introduced around 1940 as a field service replacement for the earlier aluminum buckle.

Approximately 70% of the original dark blue painted finish remains, with the strongest retention on the reverse. The raised details and exposed areas of the obverse show expected finish loss from use.

The leather support tab is marked:

SCHMOLE & COMP.
1940
MENDEN

The maker is generally identified as Schmöle & Comp. of Menden, a known producer of German military belt buckles and related equipment.

The reverse of the steel buckle also bears a very faint maker or date stamp. The complete marking is too worn to transcribe reliably, although the first two visible characters appear to be 43. This may represent a 1943 date, but the reading cannot be confirmed from the worn impression.

The accompanying leather belt measures approximately 37” when fully extended. No size marking is visible. The interior is black, while the exterior is brown. The leather exhibits heavy cracking and crazing from age and use and should be handled carefully when adjusting the belt.

Two original German WWII triple ammunition pouches for the Karabiner 98k rifle are fitted to the belt. One is constructed from smooth brown leather, while the other has a brown pebble grain surface. Each pouch consists of three compartments designed to hold rifle ammunition in five-round stripper clips. The internal dividers remain present, and the rivets, fastening studs, and principal stitching are sound. One of the two belt loops on the smooth pouch appears to be a period depot replacement.

Both pouches remain in good condition. Their exterior finishes show wear and age, but there are no major leather or stitching failures. The metal fittings on the reverse exhibit areas of rust. The pebble grain pouch is unmarked. The smooth leather pouch bears a boxed Reichsbetriebsnummer marking:

RBN
0/0850/0189

The Reichsbetriebsnummer, commonly abbreviated RBNr., was a coded wartime factory identification system that increasingly replaced openly stated manufacturer names and locations. The complete identity represented by this particular number has not been confirmed.

The Karabiner 98k triple ammunition pouch was standard German infantry equipment during WWII. Each of the three compartments normally held two five-round stripper clips, giving each pouch a total capacity of 30 cartridges. A pair of pouches therefore provided the wearer with 60 rounds of readily accessible rifle ammunition.

Although Luftwaffe personnel are often associated primarily with aviation duties, the service also contained extensive ground organizations, including antiaircraft artillery, signals, construction, security, and field formations. Luftwaffe enlisted personnel wore the service eagle buckle with the standard leather equipment belt and could be equipped with K98k ammunition pouches when armed with the rifle.

The 1940 dated Schmöle & Comp. leather tab, retained dark blue buckle finish, mixed smooth and pebbled ammunition pouches, complete internal separators, and boxed RBNr marking preserve several distinct aspects of German wartime equipment production. The heavily crazed belt, worn pouch finishes, rusted rear fittings, and uncertain buckle stamp are important condition factors, but the assembled set remains representative of the field equipment worn by an armed Luftwaffe enlisted man or NCO.

The Luftwaffe, the air force of the German military during the Third Reich, was established in 1935. Over the next 10 years, Luftwaffe troops wore a huge variety of uniforms. Enlisted men generally wore uniforms issued from military depots. Most enlisted soldiers had wool trousers and a short jacket with two internal lower pockets, called a Fliegerbluse, as well as a dressier 4-pocket tunic, the Tuchrock. 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 tuxedo-style “gala” formal wear uniform of the pre-war period, to the plain coveralls worn by crews of anti-aircraft cannons. There were work uniforms, tropical and summer uniforms, and camouflage clothing for airborne troops and other Luftwaffe soldiers in ground combat. Flight crews had their own specialized gear, including leather jackets and warm, electrically heated suits. Most but not all Luftwaffe uniform jackets bore the Luftwaffe emblem of a flying eagle holding a swas.