Product Overview
SIZE 48R
New, Arctic M41 Jacket. These were a heavier version of the "olive drab field jacket" (M41), lengthened to cover the hips, made from heavier cotton twill and the same lining as Tankers and Mackinaw coats. Initially these were intended for issue in arctic climates such as Alaska, Iceland and Scandinavia- they were used by the 1 Special Service Force due to their use in the Aleutian campaign. A number of other soldiers acquired them, by various means, as they were prized second only the the tanker jackets due to their better thermal qualities. Command indecision and turf wars amongst the American senior officers led to a shortage of new M43 field jackets in the Fall of '44 which led to a mass issue of any remaining stocks of M41's, Arctic M41's and Mackinaws in October of that year. So, by the Battle of the Bulge, these jackets were very common in the ETO.
