Fall 2026 Militaria and Aviation Auction
Lot 394:
Description
Scarce WWII Luftwaffe Kapok Schwimmweste 10-76 B-1. WWII German Luftwaffe Kapok-Schwimmweste, Geraet-Nr. 10-76 B-1, Anforderung Fl. 30156 – ribbed canvas aircrew flotation vest with printed specification label. Offered here is an original example of the Luftwaffe’s non-inflatable kapok flotation vest, identified by its sewn-in blue fabric label bearing the Kapok-Schwimmweste title, the Geraet-Nr. 10-76 B-1 pattern designation, and the Anforderung Fl. 30156 equipment code. Unlike the pneumatic, CO2-inflatable Schwimmwesten of the 10-30 series associated with single-seat fighter pilots, this passive-buoyancy design relied entirely on natural kapok fiber packed into ribbed, tubular canvas compartments, with no rubber bladder or gas cartridge to fail. The Werk-Nr. serial stamped beneath the model designation is present but has faded with age and is no longer fully legible, as is typical of these printed labels. Vests of this pattern were issued to Luftwaffe transport, maritime patrol, and bomber crews operating over the North Sea, the Mediterranean, and the Atlantic approaches, where extended over-water flight times made flotation equipment a practical necessity in the event of a ditching or bailout. The label’s printed care instructions advise the user to avoid stacking the vests, to air-dry them, and to hang them in the sun whenever possible.
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