Military Accessories - Good Karma Productions

Military Accessories
for
Russian Motorcycles
Part XII: Gas Masks
and Canisters
Ernie Franke
eafranke@tampabay.rr.com
03/2011
Pricing & Availability of WW-II Gas Masks / Canisters
• Inventor of the First Effective Coal Gas Mask Was Russian Scientist
Nikolay Dimitrievich Zelinskiy in WW-I (in 1915) against German Gas
Attacks
–In 1916 His Gas Masks Were Accepted by the Triple Entente
–Zelinskiy Gas Mask Are the Most Popular in the World
• Most Gas Mask / Canisters on Internet Are German
• Original Gas Mask Outfits Are Expensive
–Original WW-II Containers go for $50 to $150, in Reasonable Condition
–Combination Original Mask/Containers Go for $150 to $250
• Repros (reproductions) Go for Much Less
–Repro WW-II Containers Go for $60 to $120, in New Condition
–Repro Canister Is All That You Really Need, Unless You Have a WW-II
Vintage Bike
• Soldiers Used to Throw Away the Masks and Use the Canisters for
Personal Items
• Limit Our Search to Canister Contained German/Russian Gas Masks
• Fits Military Versions of Ural / Dnepr / BMW / ZUND
• Prices Given in Year 2011 United States Dollars (USD)
• Internet Contains Numerous Original and Replica Items
We will examine the mounting of the gas mask, the combination
gas mask and canister, the canister alone, the filters. We will
also dwell on the WW-II canister reproductions.
Safety of Old Gas Masks (wikipedia.org)
• Many Scare Stories Have Originated from Various Russian Gas Masks
and Their Filters
• World War-II (WW-II) Gas Masks Contained Blue Asbestos in Their Filters
–This Material Continued to Be Used until at Least 1956
–Breathing Blue Asbestos in Factories Resulted In:
• Death from Mesothelioma of 10% of Workers
• Between 2.5 and 3.2 Times Normal Incidence of Lung or Respiratory
Cancers
• Old Gas Masks Can Be Dangerous to Your Health
–May Contain Asbestos, Chromium 5, Mold, Fungus and Possibly
Residual Agents Left Over from Tests or Training
–Masks Are of Historical Value Only
–Not for Halloween
Caution: Never wear any gas mask of uncertain military origin.
Canister Attachment to Motorcycle (www.ww2talk.com)
German Sleeping soldier on
BMW R75 in Russia
Early BMW R71
(pnwriders.com)
Sleeping soldiers on BMW with
Sidecar, North Africa, 1941
Most gas mask canisters were simply latched to existing
loops or projections of the sidecar or front-fender.
German BMW R-71
Some folks mount them in the rear, instead of the first-aid kit.
German BMW R12 with Sidecar
Most gas mask canisters were simply latched to existing
loops or projections of the sidecar or front-fender.
2006 Ural Gear-Up (sovietsteeds.com)
Most gas mask canisters were simply latched
to the luggage rack.
Ready for War (sovietsteeds.com)
The gas mask canister may just contain other valuables.
Overall Dimensions are 13" x 5 1/2"
for the First-Aid Kit (sovietsteeds.com)
The gas mask canister can b turned into a first-aid container.
Gas Mask Canister Mounted on Front Fork
(sovietsteeds.com)
The canister may be strapped to the front fork or to the rear luggage rack.
DKW NZ 350-1 Gas Mask Holder, Mounted on Tank
(www.oldtimergarage.szn.pl)
• Item: 001.351
• Price: €45.37
Old Timer Garage offers a bracket to mount a canister on the gas tank.
Most Canisters Are Worn Over-the-Shoulder
(www.ww2talk.com)
German Motorcycle Unit and
Russian T-26 Tank, 1939
Possibly a K500 Zundapp,
Poland, 1939
Most gas mask canisters were thrown over the neck or shoulder.
Method of Wearing the Gas Mask Case (www.mp44.nl)
The gasmask case has a webbed shoulder strap attached to
two metal eyes near the lid. The adjustable strap forms a loop which
goes over the left shoulder. The short webbed strap with
hook attaches to the metal eye at bottom of the case, and
is secured to the belt so that the case almost hangs horizontal.
Original WW-II German Gas Mask and Canister
(cgi.ebay.com)
Most recover gas mask kits contain corrosion on the canister and filter,
and dry-rot on the rubber and leather.
Original WW-II German Gas Mask with Canister
(cgi.ebay.com)
Gas Mask
Canister
Filter
Model M 30 (1937)
made of rubberized cloth
Price: $1,200 USD
Price: $350 USD
(www.ioffer.com)
Model M 38
made entirely of rubber
Price: $360 USD
Some combination “gas mask and canisters” are
way over-priced.
Original WW-II German Gas Mask with Canister
(cgi.ebay.com)
Blue painted parts indicate the use of iron. These gas masks were used
by troops without sensitive magnetic compasses.
Original WW-II German Gas Mask M30 (luftschutzmanner.tripod.com)
German WW-II items were destroyed at on a large scale after the war
by all participating countries.
Original WW-II M30 German Gas Mask,
Canister and Reserve Lenses (cgi.ebay.com)
Mint condition gas mask kits will always draw top dollar.
Original WW-II German Luftwaffe Gas Mask
with Canister, 1936 (cgi.ebay.com)
Excellent condition gas mask kits will also draw top dollar.
Original WW-II Bulgarian Gas Mask with Canister
(cgi.ebay.com)
• Year: 1939
• Condition: Mint
• Price: $220 USD
The Bulgarian gas mask canister lacks the “garbage can” ridges
of the German canisters.
Original WW-II French Gas Mask with Canister
(cgi.ebay.co.uk)
1939
Canvas Gas Mask and Case
Price: £30.00
1938
French canisters lack the “garbage can” ridges of the German canister.
Original WW-II German Anti-Aircraft Defense Forces
• 1943
Gas Mask (cgi.ebay.com)
• Price: $150 USD
Excellent condition gas mask kits will also draw top dollar.
Original WW-II German Gas Mask and Canister
1941 Wehrmacht Gas Mask and Tin
(cgi.ebay.co.uk)
M30 Gas Mask with Filter
and Canister
(www.shopwiki.com)
Sometimes the canister is painted to agree with the vehicle.
Original WW-II German M30 Gas Mask and Canister
(www.bellsaviation.com)
$150
(www.bellsaviation.com)
$165
The designation M30 or M38 refers to the mask itself,
and not to the cases.
Original WW-II German M38 Gas Mask and Canister
• Condition: Used
• Price: $170 USD
(cgi.ebay.com)
The spare lens covers are often mistaken for spare filters.
WW-II Original German Gas Mask and Canister
(cgi.ebay.com)
Protected from the environment, the inside and contents
of the canister remained preserved.
German Gas Mask Canisters
(www.mp44.nl)
• Left-to-Right:
–Early Reichswehr model case (1930-1935)
–Early Wehrmacht model case (1935-1936)
–Short Wehrmacht model case (1936-1938)
–Long Wehrmacht model case (1938-1945)
–Long Wehrmacht model case variation (1942-1945)
Gas masks were carried in cylindrical corrugated metal cans
with hinged covers. Early cans were 25 cm tall, but in 1941
the height was increased to 27.5 cm. Each mask comes with its
detachable filter and both are stored in the canister.
Reichswehr / Wehrmacht Model Canisters (www.mp44.nl)
• Early Reichswehr
• 1930 – 1935
• Height: ~ 26 cm
• Diameter: ~ 12 cm
Opened spare glass
compartment shows
package of spare
glasses
• Early Reichswehr
• 1935 - 1936
• Height: ~ 25 cm
• Diameter: ~ 12 cm
• Short Wehrmacht
• 1936 – 1938
• Height: ~ 25 cm
• Diameter: ~ 12 cm
Opened compartment
shows spare lenses,
packed in paper and held in
place by a spring
• Long Wehrmacht
• 1938 - 1945
• Height: ~ 25 cm
• Diameter: ~ 12 cm
Opened compartment shows
spare glasses (normally two
pairs, but after 1942, four pair
of spare glasses were issued)
The Long Wehrmacht canister was introduced in 1938,
probably because of the stiffer model M38 gas mask, which was
entirely made of rubber.
Original WW-II German Gas Mask Tin Canister
(cgi.ebay.com)
• Dimensions:
–Height: About 28 cm
–Width: About 13 cm Diameter
• Price: $150 USD
The canister held the gas mask, filter, and spare lenses.
Original WW-II German Gas Mask Tin Canister
(cgi.ebay.com)
• Price: $155 USD
If you look around, you might find a canister in decent condition
at a reasonable price
Original WW-II German Gas Mask Canister (cgi.ebay.com)
• Price: $53
Quite often the canister comes without leather straps,
which have rotted away over the last seventy years.
Original WW-II German Gas Mask Canisters
cgi.ebay.co.uk
Price: $55 USD
(cgi.ebay.com)
Price: $51 USD
(gasmaskedlestat.com)
M38 Gas mask case, 1942
(cgi.ebay.co.uk)
If you look around, you might find a canister in decent condition
at a reasonable price
Original WW-II German Gas Mask Tin Canister
(cgi.ebay.com)
• Price: $149 USD
Restoration requires sand-blasting, priming and spray painting.
Replica of WW-II German Gas Mask Canister (cgi.ebay.com)
Replicas really look great, at a fraction of the cost.
Replica of WW-II German Gas Mask Canister (cgi.ebay.com)
• Color: Dark Green
• Price: $72 USD
Replicas really look great, at a fraction of the cost.
Replica of WW-II German Gas Mask Canister
• Color: Army Green
• Price: $60 USD
(cgi.ebay.com)
• Color: Dark Green
• Product Code: SKU178E
• Price: £57.95
(www.epicmilitaria.com)
Replicas really look great, at a fraction of the cost.
Replica of WW-II German Gas Mask Canister (cgi.ebay.com)
• Color: Sand Yellow
• Price: $60 USD
The pouch is used to store a “gas cape.”
Gas Mask M30 / M38 (www.mp44.nl)
M30
M38
Basically there are two type of masks; the M30 and M38. The M30
was made of rubberized cloth with a frame of soft leather, while the M38
was made entirely of rubber. Also the straps and eye pieces are different.
German M30 Gas Mask (www.mp44.nl)
The M30 Model was made from rubberized cloth
with a tightening frame of soft leather.
German M38 Gas Mask (www.mp44.nl)
In 1938 the M38 mask was adopted using rubber
for both mask and frame.
Gas Mask Size Indication (www.mp44.nl)
Left-to-right: M30 size 1, M30 size 2 and M38 size 3
Gas masks came in three different sizes: #1, #2 and #3.
#1 was the largest size and 3 the smallest. The size indication
can be seen between the eye pieces (on older M30 masks the size
markings are only on the inside of the maskand readable on the snout)
Gas Mask Filters (www.mp44.nl)
From left-to-right FE37R, FE41 and FE 42 Filter
From left-to-right FE37(R), FE37R(Tp), FE41 and FE42 Filter
Basically there were 4 type of filters also called Filter Einsatz (FE).
Blue Painted Parts for Magnetic Gasmasks (www.mp44.nl)
M30
with Blue Painted Parts
(www.mp44.nl)
Black M38
with Blue Painted Parts
(www.mp44.nl)
M30
(www.shopwiki.com)
The magnetic gas mask was provided for units not equipped
with magnetic compass needles. Eye pieces and other metal parts
were made out of iron instead of non-ferrous metals, and were
painted in a dark blue color.