WW2 Submariners

[1911A1US]

Did captains of sub`s in ww2 wear g1 jackets? or A2`s?

 

[SuinBruin]

Not that I've ever seen or read. The U.S. submarine war in the Pacific was very different from the U-Boat operations in the Battle of the Atlantic. It's possible the captain of a boat operating out of Dutch Harbor, Alaska might have had a leather jacket, but most subs were operating out of bases in Hawaii, Midway, and Australia against Japanese targets in tropical or subtropical waters. No need for a leather flight jacket under those conditions.

 

[Dr H]

Excellent biography of Otto Kretschmer (U99) 'The Golden Horsehoe' by Terence Robertson and the autobiographical U Boat Commander: Fortunes of War by Guenther Prien (U47) both mention the awful toll exacted by damp, humid conditions with U Boats on leather clothing, which quickly fell victim to mildew.

It wasn't considered the most practical clothing in the North Atlantic.

 

[SuinBruin]

Excellent biography of Otto Kretschmer (U99) 'The Golden Horsehoe' by Terence Robertson and the autobiographical U Boat Commander: Fortunes of War by Guenther Prien (U47) both mention the awful toll exacted by damp, humid conditions with U Boats on leather clothing, which quickly fell victim to mildew.

It wasn't considered the most practical clothing in the North Atlantic.

I assumed the OP was referring to U.S. submariners b/c of the reference to G1s and A2s, but you're right -- U-Boat personnel did have leather jackets. They were much longer than flight jackets, however -- more like leather rain coats.

Coincidentally I just finished Iron Coffins by Herbert Werner. It's hard to have too much sympathy for a story in which the narrator's goal is to blow up Allied shipping, but it's a great read and fascinating look into the Battle of the Atlantic from the other side. The things the U-Boat sailors went through were unbelievable. It's amazing that Werner survived.

 

[rich]

This is fiction I know, but I saw Torpeo Run a couple of weeks ago. When Glenn Ford and Ernest Borgnine are up top, Ernest is clearly wearing an A-1 - someone in the costume dept must have thought it looked the part.

I really rate Wolfgang Hirschfeld's 'Secret Diary of a U-Boat', it's the best personal account I've read about life in the U-Boat arm -
very very interesting.

 

[m444uk]

Excellent biography of Otto Kretschmer (U99) 'The Golden Horsehoe' by Terence Robertson and the autobiographical U Boat Commander: Fortunes of War by Guenther Prien (U47) both mention the awful toll exacted by damp, humid conditions with U Boats on leather clothing, which quickly fell victim to mildew.

It wasn't considered the most practical clothing in the North Atlantic.

I assumed the OP was referring to U.S. submariners b/c of the reference to G1s and A2s, but you're right -- U-Boat personnel did have leather jackets. They were much longer than flight jackets, however -- more like leather rain coats.

Short waisted leather jackets were also issued.

 

[SuinBruin]

Short waisted leather jackets were also issued.

I stand corrected. Danke schoen!

 

[Peter Graham]

Both of the above mentioned books are great reads. I have a lot of respect for the U-Boat crews. They fought an honourable war (google "The Laconia incident") in the face of overwelming odds and suffered an horrendous casualty rate. Never having had a ship torpedoed out from under me, this may seem a glib sentiment but having read a lot of U-Boat history and dived on the wreck of a U-Boat that the entire crew perished on, I feel so sorry for all the young men who died in their "iron coffins" for such a misguided cause.

 

[Andrew]

Someone posted some shots of US Submariners excorting POW's off a Sub who appeared to be wearing short leather jackets. I can't locate it but i'm sure Deeb will.

I know an ex Crewman off the USS Bream, i'll try asking him about it.

 

[asiamiles]

This is fiction I know, but I saw Torpeo Run a couple of weeks ago. When Glenn Ford and Ernest Borgnine are up top, Ernest is clearly wearing an A-1 - someone in the costume dept must have thought it looked the part.

Did Glenn Ford wear a Tanker? I recall him wearing one in more than one film, suggesting perhaps it was a jacket he had a personal liking for?

 

[deeb7]

I can't locate it but i'm sure Deeb will.

Thanks for the confidence, Andrew, but you may need to give a few more clues. I guess this isn't what you were looking for ....

 

[rich]

This is fiction I know, but I saw Torpeo Run a couple of weeks ago. When Glenn Ford and Ernest Borgnine are up top, Ernest is clearly wearing an A-1 - someone in the costume dept must have thought it looked the part.

Did Glenn Ford wear a Tanker? I recall him wearing one in more than one film, suggesting perhaps it was a jacket he had a personal liking for?

Not sure Miles, sorry. I haven't deleted it yet, I'll try and do some grabs when I can..........

 

[SuinBruin]

I can't locate it but i'm sure Deeb will.

Thanks for the confidence, Andrew, but you may need to give a few more clues. I guess this isn't what you were looking for ....

If the pic is supposed to show U.S. submariners in leather jackets, the POWs would almost certainly have to be Japanese....

 

[rich]

Did Glenn Ford wear a Tanker? I recall him wearing one in more than one film, suggesting perhaps it was a jacket he had a personal liking for?

Looking at these again, now as freeze frames, I wouldn't like to guess what they may be ......... sorry for the poor quality.

 

[Peter Graham]

That's a tanker alright but what's going on with the A-1. Is that a fur collar ?

 

[asiamiles]

That's a tanker alright but what's going on with the A-1. Is that a fur collar ?

Peter, you've been warned before about posting on here after visiting the local! Fur collar?!? Just shadows, mate.

Thanks for those screen grabs. It's very rare to see colour shots of an original A-1, if indeed it is an original, which it would appear to be, clearly seeming to be capeskin rather than a heavier leather such as horsehide. If those were from a contemporary film, you'd swear he was wearing an Eastman repro...they really do seem to have been spot on with their A-1.

 

[Peter Graham]

Peter, you've been warned before about posting on here after visiting the local! Fur collar?!? Just shadows, mate.

Oops, I see that now that the beer goggles are off !

 

[unclegrumpy]

I think you may be wrong with the conclusion that Glenn Ford is wearing an Army Tanker Jacket in these photos. He may well be, because this is a post war movie and the picture is a bit fuzzy, but the Navy did have a flight jacket just before WW II that looked almost identical to a Tanker.

I don't know the model number, but the jacket is part of a medium weight pre war flight set that included a flight suit and helmet, all in matching green cotton. The material is different than a Tanker, it is more ribbed, thicker and has sort of a corduroy feel to it. Early WW II Navy deck jackets have a similar material, but tend to be a little darker green. There is also a blue Navy deck jacket is very close in style to a tanker jacket too.

Before this "tanker" style flight jacket in the mid to later 1930's, the Navy had a similar jacket made from the same material, but with patch pockets almost like a G-1. Unlike a G-1, they were pleated. This jacket has the look of an Army A-1, but again is different.

This movie shot could go either way, but I think could just as easily be the earlier Navy flight jacket.

 

[SuinBruin]

There's the "deck zip" jacket, which looks a lot like the first model tanker...
http://translate.google.com/transla...prev=/search?q=37j1+jacket+buzz+rickson&hl=en

And then there's the 37J1, which is more like a cloth A-1 (I would LOVE one of these without a nametag or stencil)...
http://translate.google.com/transla...7gEwAA&prev=/search?q=buzz+rickson+37J1&hl=en

 

[deeb7]

I
Before this "tanker" style flight jacket in the mid to later 1930's, the Navy had a similar jacket made from the same material, but with patch pockets almost like a G-1. Unlike a G-1, they were pleated. This jacket has the look of an Army A-1, but again is different.

Yep, sounds like the 37J1 .... bedford cord (jungle cloth), pleated patch pockets, knitted collar, cuffs, and waistband.

Replaced the buttoned leather 37J1, or Navy A-1, as the forum likes to call it.