III–A–12

GM 44

This facepiece is a new German Army issue supplanting the "GM 38" model (III–A–6) used to give the soldier respiratory and facial protection against war gases; it is used in conjunction with a military canister.

There are no markings of identification value except for the size number 1, 2, 3 .... stencilled in black at the top-center of the facepiece.

This facepiece is somewhat similar in construction to the "M --" facepiece (III–A–11) but made of much better quality materials. The head-harness of the two facepieces are identical with the single exception of a buttonhole at the end of the top tape on the "GM 44" model. The material of the facepiece is rubberized fabric, gray-green fabric being on the outside and the black rubber on the inside. The three seams on the facepiece, to the left and right of the eyepiece and underneath the chin section, are stitched and sealed on the inside with rubber cement and on the outside with green rubber taps.

The fitting band on the inside of the facepiece consists of rubberized fabric, the rub-ber side fitting against the face of the wearer. The band overlaps the edge of the face-piece where it is sewed and sealed with rubber cement. The chin support taps is sewed across the bottom of the fitting band and the fabric carrying strap is sewed to the edge of the facepiece near the ends of the chin straps.

The connecting pieces and inlet valves of the "M 44" and "GM --" facepieces are iden-tical; the outlet valves are also identical with the single exception that some of the "GM 44" outlet valves have brass wire guards on the inside. The wire guards fit very loosely and may be lost easily.

The plastic eyepiece are 2.4 inches in diameter and are fitted to the facepiece with white metal rings. The eyepieces rings project on the inside of the facepiece 0.2 inches to support the anti-dim disc retaining rings; these latter rings are black iron flexible split circles.

III–A–12