reissued Austrian Cavalry tunic of a Hauptmann 1

A reissued Austrian tunic refers to a uniform originally manufactured for the Austrian Army (Bundesheer) prior to the March 1938 Anschluss (annexation) with Germany, which was subsequently taken over, modified, and used by the German Wehrmacht during World War II. Following the annexation, the Wehrmacht immediately absorbed Austrian divisions and, due to shortages of German uniforms, repurposed existing Austrian stocks for active duty. The basic garment was often made in the pre-1938 Austrian style, characterized by field-grey or oatmeal-colored wool, scalloped pocket flaps, and sometimes a dark green collar. The key defining feature is the removal of original Austrian insignia and the replacement with German insignia, such as the Wehrmacht breast eagle and shoulder boards. In some cases, the tunics were modified to conform closer to German standards, such as changing the number of buttons, although many retained their distinctive original Austrian cut. These tunics were widely used, particularly in the early stages of the war, by both regular army (Heer) troops and mountain troops (Gebirgsjäger).

This item:
This sale consists of the Feldbluse and the Schirmmutze. An example of a beautiful reissued cavalry uniform of a Hauptmann. The jacket is in magnificent mint condition. Originally manufactured for the Austrian army, but after the annexation by Germany, these uniforms were reused and fitted with German insignia. There is not a single moth hole in the jacket; it has been worn little to none. The bird is of beautiful quality and workmanship. All insignia and buttons are original; this jacket has never been tampered with and comes from an old collection in the U.S.A. It came together with the Schirmmutze, which has a beautiful saddle shape. It is slightly moth-eaten on the dark green band but looks very neat overall, featuring a hand-woven cockade and aluminum bird. The inner lining is in nice, worn condition. The leather sweatband is supple and completely intact. Behind the leather on the front there is some folded newspaper; I did not remove this. My general impression is that this is a rare and beautiful ensemble.