Item Description
Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very rare totally genuine excellent condition WWII Deutsches Afrikakorps (DAK) tropical waist belt, fitted with a rare Kriegsmarine Coastal Artillery EM/NCO's Steel Painted Belt Buckle (Koppelschloß). The Navy used the standard Wehrmacht pattern buckles, but instead of the Field Gray color used by the Heer, they usually painted them a gold color. However, this was deemed not the best color to use in Küstenartillerie (Coastal artillery) emplacements, so in 1937 they began to issue these dark blue belt buckles instead.
The buckle a nice 1940 pattern Navy Blue painted steel construction box buckle with a smooth background. The Buckle design features a smooth outer field with central, high relief, embossed Wehrmacht eagle with down swept wings to slightly domed center, encompassed by an oak-leaf cluster to bottom and bears the Wehrmacht motto GOTT MIT UNS, (God with us), on the top. The oak-leaf cluster and script are on a ribbed background and encircled by an inner and outer simulated twisted rope border.
The buckle is in great condition, with almost all of the original paint, and just some oxidation on the back and wear from storage. It does not appear to have been used on a belt for any significant amount of time. The inside of the buckle is marked with B&N - 43, indicating manufacture by the firm of Berg und Nolte of Lüdenscheid and was made in 1943. As this is a post 1941 manufactured buckle, it does not feature a leather pull tab.
The DAK tan colored web belt has a brown leather tab with the usual seven double vertically holes for length adjustment. The end is covered with a stitched on tan cover, and features tan stitching on the clip end. The belt measures about 41” when fully extended and is also marked 105 on the underside of the leather tab, for 105cm (41.33in). There is also a partial maker mark stamped on the clip end, though all we can make out is "Berlin". The belt is in very good condition, and looks to be almost unissued, however the leather has gotten stiff over the years, and there is some oxidation and paint loss on the clip end.
Overall a fantastic example of a very rare belt and buckle from the Kriegsmarine Costal Artillery division of the Deutsches Afrikakorps, DAK!
History of the German Africa Korps
The Afrika Korps or German Africa Corps (German: Deutsches Afrikakorps, DAK was the German expeditionary force in Africa during the North African Campaign of World War II. First sent as a holding force to shore up the Italian defense of their African colonies, the formation fought on in Africa, under various appellations, from March 1941 until its surrender in May 1943. The term "Afrika Korps" is pseudo-German (so-called "cod-German"), deriving from an incomplete German title. The German term referred solely to the initial formation, the Deutsches Afrikakorps (DAK), which formed part of the Axis command of the German and Italian forces in North Africa. The name stuck, with both news media and Allied soldiers, as the name for all subsequent German units in North Africa. The unit is known for having been commanded by Field Marshal Erwin Rommel.
The dry climate of Africa proved to be an issue with much of the standard leather field gear that the German Army usually used. It would dry out and crack quickly, and become unusable. To deal with this, the standard field gear such as belts, Y-straps, A-frames, bayonet frogs, and other items, were issued in special tropical web versions.
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