M15 Gummimaske

[trenchraider1918]

Hello everyone! I'm new here and this is my first posting. I collect AEF infantry mostly and have been collecting for about a year. I am now beginning to dabble in the German items, although not as enthusiastically as for the US stuff. Anyway, I recently got a hold of an early model German gas mask and I was wondering if you would take a look and give some advice. Thanks, Carl.

First, here is my German grouping

 

[trenchraider1918]

Now here are some details on my M15 Gummimaske, I was just combing Ebay one day and some person had a listing for a "Canvas and Metal Gas Mask" The person didn't know anything about it, I knew what it was and I bought it without hesitation!

The Mask itself is a little stiff, but not so much as to where is cannot mold it around. Any ideas on softening it? It's lined similar to the British SBR.

No cannister, but it came with a paper tag attached saying "Capt C.E. Pell, Boche Gas Mask" Neat.

Anyone have any idea what the little Xs marked on the lens are? The eyepieces don't seem to be installed correctly and its loose around some edges.

 

[joerookery]

Welcome to the forum!

There is an entire thread on these gas mask's called gas warfare

http://pickelhaubes.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3111

While I know nothing about these the thread was quite long. There is a really good chance that the guys who know about these are on their way to SOS. So be patient details may be a while in coming. Cool stuff!

 

[zipperheads9]

Those are very nice mask's .The mask you seem more interested in is a 3rd model Gumi , it has the similar strapping as the leahter versio you have. This was the last Gummi pattern and was used in 1916 and late in the war as well.
The trhead shown above listed by Joe is very good info , but reading all the info is what you might be after.
Nice collection.Welcome to the forum .
Mark

 

[Gustaf]

Mark is right, I am sorry to not have responded earlier, but I was unable to see the photos as my internet service was in the 4.4k range before I left home last week. As for the xs in the lenses, I do not know, but I have seen the before. It is very common for the lenses to shrink with age, they are also very brittle, I have been clumsey enough to damage a lens by allowing the strap to snap off a maniquin head and strike the lens breaking it. Nice masks.
Best wishes
Gus

 

[Stahlhelm]

Nice collection Carl. As Mark said, your Gummimaske is the 3rd version and was called the Rahmenmaske. It's different from the earlier versions in that it had an extra set of straps fixed to the forehead area and a cloth reinforcement strip sewn around the inside perimeter. The diameter of the mask's filter attachment plate was also reduced on the Rahmenmaske. The earlier M15 masks seem to be extraordinarily scarce.

Below are 2 of my Rahmenmasken. The one on the left has the earlier elastic straps, while the other one has the Spiralbaender straps introduced sometime in the first half of 1916.

Both of these masks also have a green X, in each case on both lenses. I think it's possible that these marks had something to do with the final acceptance/testing stage.

Here's an instruction disc mentioning the Rahmenmaske and Spiralbaender. The instructions make a distinction between how this mask and the earlier one should be worn.

I hope this was helpful.
Hans