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 Reichswehr 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 the Allies 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. An essential component of the issued gasmask’s was the breathing filter which was screwed onto the alloy snout of the masks to filter out any contaminating agents. The filters came in at least four, slightly different assorted models.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Early issue, stamped, multi-piece, magnetic sheet metal, Filter Einsatz 39, (Filter Insert 1939). The original, molded, brown bakelite screw cap cover is intact. The bottom edge of the filter has twelve embossed reinforcement ribs and a central, opened, circular air port with an inserted, protective rubber cap intact. The top edge of the filter is well marked with a faint, black inkstamped waffen-amt, the manufacturing date, "1940" and the designation, "COFE 39". Also included is the original factory cardboard packaging. Stone cold mint & nice!