United States Army Uniform in World War II

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Known as a "transitional period" in military history, World War II sees the convergence between Great War-era attempts and experimentation with modern technology and modern examples of a new type of combat, characterized by the individual soldier rather than the military unit.

Regarding World War II, it is important to realize that it is impossible to create a one-stop comprehensive source regarding all of its uniforms and equipment; even if this were attempted only for one nation, let alone only the major nations (Great Britain, Germany, Italy, the United States, the Soviet Union, and Japan). It is important to remember that because the war was fought around the world, variations in uniforms and equipment exist and are simply unpredictable.

1 Uniform

[edit] Uniform

As a result of the US Army being cut back during the inter-war period, the period uniform consisted of both the basic dress uniform and the basic field uniform combined. By combining the uniforms, it was thought that time and money could be saved with the attitude that the Great War was the "war to end all wars". The “Class A” or dress uniform consisted of an olive-drab wool garrison cap, olive-drab wool trousers, an olive-drab wool shirt with a khaki cotton tie, a wool olive-drab four button tunic, and russet brown Type I service shoes. The “Class B” or garrison uniform consisted of the above, minus the tunic.

The basic field uniform consisted of the basic wool uniform, without a tie, and with a field jacket. Footwear consisted of a basic low quarter tanned leather shoe used with heavy canvas leggings. Soon after the start of the war these shoes, which were also used as part of the Class A dress uniform, were replaced with a similar "roughout" version made from leather with a suede finish. Later in the war these shoes were in turn replaced by a higher boot with a buckled ankle flap that served to replace the use of the unpopular canvas leggings. Although other uniform parts were in use, the basic wool uniform saw the most use and functionality, being able to keep the soldier warm in the winter with its insulation and cool in the summer with its breathability.

A second and less common uniform, the Herringbone Twill (HBT) uniform was made up of heavy cotton weave. Initially it was meant to be worn over the basic wool uniform as a way of providing greater warmth, but it proved to be better suited for hot weather climates than the wools and was more often than not used by itself under these conditions. It was also issued in training as “work fatigues”.

[edit] Field Jackets

As a result of the dual dress and field nature of the army's basic wool uniform, a comprehensive field jacket was not developed until 1940 with the advent of the Parson's Jacket; named after Major General J.K. Parsons. Known as the "Jacket, Field, OD" by its official nomenclature, the "Parson's Jacket" included an olive drab or brown wool lined interior with an outer khaki cotton/poplin shell. By 1941, it had taken some design changes and had eventually become the M-1941 Field Jacket.

Like most items produced by the army, the M-1941 Field Jacket was adequate for most situations and well suited for none. It was too lightweight for use in the cold and too heavy for the summer months. At the same time, it was found that it frayed easily when washed.

By 1943, the US Army had begun researching a new uniform partially based off of the M-1942 Paratrooper uniform. It was first fielded during the invasion of Italy and proved popular for its combination of durability and usability. The uniform consisted of a jacket, cotton sateen trousers to wear over the usual wool trousers, and a new buckled combat boot. A much more successful endeavor, this uniform was designated the M-1943, and its design can be seen in today's modern military uniform.

[edit] Combat Uniform

Because combat was unpredictable, supply and circulation in all theaters of the war created an interesting scenario giving some soldiers (usually in the rear) more than enough amenities while giving men near the front barely any. As a result of this, it is impossible to declare a basic combat uniform for World War II. Variations of all types exist, and can be seen in the European Theater of Operations. By D-Day, the M-1941 Field Jacket was predominantly seen, along with the full wool uniform (see above) and/or a mix match (Depending on the unit and how it was supplied) with Herringbone Twill (HBT) parts of clothing.

As the allies pushed eastward, photographs show evidence of more M-1943 jackets being worn, due to the high rate of replacements cycling in to replace dead and wounded soldiers. For example, browsing through photographs of the Battle of the Bulge, one finds photographs of soldiers wearing only the M-1941 Field Jacket, the M-1941 Field Jacket with the heavy wool overcoat, and the M-1943 Field Jacket. Officers can be seen wearing the M-1941 or M-1943 with the officer's overcoat, a khaki and lighter version of the enlisted heavy wool OD overcoat.

[edit] Dress Uniform

As earlier mentioned, the United States Army had been making cutbacks in the inter-war period, partially due to military philosophy of politicians after the Great War and the economic situation during the years of the Great Depression. The dress uniform can be dated to different periods and places during the war, as well as become an indication of a soldier's rank and status in the military. Earlier in the war, virtually all soldiers (officers and enlisted men) wore a four pocket tunic modeled after the Royal Air Force tunic worn by the British RAF. While officers had a darker, finer made tunic with cut pocket flaps, the enlisted men wore general issue tunics with square pocket flaps; partially due to the fact that enlisted men generally did not have access to custom made uniforms. The "earlier" uniform also included a leather belt to be worn across the right shoulder and over the chest, linking with a belt worn in between the pockets (see illustration for a reference of the pockets). The shirt and trousers of the "earlier" uniform consisted of the basic mustard wool uniform (as mentioned earlier). The uniform also included polished russet brown shoes (Type I), and an overseas cap.

The "later" uniform (focusing on the European Theater of Operations) consisted of the infamous Ike jacket with the above mentioned uniform parts. In some cases (generally in the case of an officer), trousers were substituted with a chocolate brown colored trouser. Also, as GI's were issued "combat" boots later in the war, it became the fashion to wear the boots polished with the trousers bloused, or tucked, into the boots.