BACKGROUND: With the development of poisonous gasses used as offensive weapons in WWI appropriate defensive gasmasks also had to be developed. The German WWI M1915 and M1917 gasmasks evolved into the Weimar, Reichswehr, (National Defence Force, Circa 1919-1933), era M24 gasmask and eventually into the M30 and M38 gasmasks used in WWII. All German Army personnel were issued with a gasmask, carrying canister and accessories and were required to have it readily available at all times. Although the use of chemical warfare agents was considered by the German OKW, Oberkommando der Wehrmacht, (High Command of the Armed Forces), fear of Allied retribution forced them to reconsider and shelf the idea. Fear of the potential use of chemical warfare agents made the gasmask and canister a constant companion of the German soldier through-out the war. Along with the gasmasks, new decontamination tablets, specialized eye glasses and a protective gas cape were also developed. The protective gas capes were issued in a carrying pouch that was to be secured to the shoulder strap of the gasmask canister. The anti-case cape pouch came in six slightly different versions of the model "A", pattern with assorted manufacturing materials and colorations and a later simplified model "B" pattern.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Roughly, 24cm tall, 20cm wide, grey viscose construction model "A" gas cape pouch with machine stitched seams, sheet metal and fabric fittings. The pouch features a fold over top flap with dual, grey painted, magnetic sheet metal, closure snaps. The closure snaps each have a woven, field-grey, viscose pull tab with an HBT, (Herring Bone Twill), weave, stitched to the interior of the top flap. The reverse of the pouch has two horizontal, stitched on, woven, field-grey viscose attachment loops, with an HBT weave, with one positioned near the top and the other near the bottom. The loops on the reverse were designed to slide on to the gasmask canisters shoulder strap.