Soviet M43 officers tunic

**Asjemenou** · 12-02-2014, 11:27 PM

What can be said about this M43 tunic? It is for sale as being a wartime M43 officers tunic but it does not give me a good feeling.
The Lieutenant shoulder boards look OK to me but what about the tunic itself? If it should be an officers tunic why does it has no red piping on the sleeves? Unfortunately it has no stamps. I even could not find anything about this model.

**Espenlaub Militaria** · 12-02-2014 11:27 PM

We also buy and trade your items and full collections!

**RichieC** · 12-02-2014, 11:40 PM

Kitel tunics in general usually had no markings. Summer whites were not piped. It may not be truly wartime, but it is early. The shoulder boards seem 100% legitimate also.

I like it.

**Asjemenou** · 12-02-2014, 11:46 PM

Do you mean this tunic is early post war?

**RichieC** · 12-03-2014, 01:16 AM

Could be. Could be wartime.

Does it have to surely be wartime to be desirable?

This type of linen was used well into the 1950s. The shoulder boards are 1943-46 regulation, but were accepted for use well into the early 50s.

Still a nice thing in my opinion.

If you decide to pass on this offering, kindly contact me via PM. I would be glad to have another one of these in my collection.

**Asjemenou** · 12-03-2014, 09:29 PM

Thanks for your explanation Richie. I already have an appointment with the seller. What is a reasonable price for a Kitel tunic like this?

**RichieC** · 12-03-2014, 10:06 PM

What price is he asking?

**Wesley's Dad** · 12-05-2014, 06:16 PM

by RichieC

Could be. Could be wartime. Does it have to surely be wartime to be desirable?

This type of linen was used well into the 1950s. The shoulder boards are 1943-46 regulation, but were accepted for use well into the early 50s.

Still a nice thing in my opinion.

To further the point that Richie hints at here... So many things from the 1943 regulation period simply cannot be pinned down so conveniently as to wartime or not. This is a sticking point for many who enter into the genre of Red Army militaria collecting, particularly those who venture in after years of collection German items. Unlike the Germans, the Soviet Union did not stop making these things in May 1945... nor was there any reason to differentiate items made before the end of the war and those made after. The uniforms, equipment, and insignia remained, for the large part, unchanged. Collectors who have been at this a while can learn a few things that can help one feel more comfortable with certain items being of probable wartime manufacture.

For example, once the the urgency of the wartime economy and supply situation in the USSR was relaxed, you can see a higher degree of standardization on certain items that was not so on those made wartime. 1943 regulation enlisted ranks shoulder boards would fall into this category in my opinion. However in the end, on many things such as this Kitel, you can never really know for sure. Personally, I like this one just at Richie does. The new collector just needs to learn to be open to "close enough"

**Asjemenou** · 12-06-2014, 12:44 AM

Hello Mike,

Thanks for your advice. I am collecting Soviet WWII militaria for about 10 years. Almost every day I learn something new about it. I know that in many cases it is hard to say or it is war or post war production. Especially when stamps are missing.
When I got the offer to buy this Kitel tunic I did not recognize it instantly. Also thanks to this forum I know something more about it. This knowledge can be useful in negotiating the price.