East German DDR early Blumentarn Canteen and MPiK (AK47) 3 cell Magazine Pouch

These two East German (DDR) army field gear items represent the most common and least common pieces I have in my collection of early DDR National Volks Armee (NVA) and Volspolizie (VoPo) field gear.  The 3 cell magazine pouch for the Machinepistole Kalashnikov (MPiK) is probably the most common piece of early DDR NVA Blumentarn (flower camo) gear available to American collectors today.  Plus they hold AK magazines, which is always useful.  The canteen is far less common but I might stop short of saying it is "rare."

The camo pattern was officially known as the M58 "Flachtarnenmuster" or flat camouflage pattern.  It was issued to NVA and "Ministerium des Innern" (MdI) Interior Ministry troops between 1956 and 1967.  It was also known as "Kartoffelmuster" or potato pattern.  Collectors began picking these pieces up in the 1990s rather inexpensively.  Prior to the fall of the wall, DDR gear commanded a premium price among collectors of commie gear.

Gear and field uniforms in this pattern were shared around the world with communist and communist supported militaries, terrorists and "freedom fighters."  The communist fomented struggle in South West Africa, now Namibia, included the SWAPO, South West African People's Organization, a communist guerilla movement that received military aid from the DDR and Cuba.  SWAPO terrorists were equipped with Blumentarn equipment.

VoPo border guard wearing the Blumentarn camo uniform.

Here a VoPo border guard wear the 3 cell Blumentarn MPiK magazine pouch.  The man being carried is being brought back to the DDR after an unsuccessful escape attempt.

 This magazine pouch has three cells for AK magazines.  On the back of the pouch are two heavy, webbed belt loops and a steel "D" ring to accept the fastener from the combat suspenders.  The loops and ring fasteners are sewed and riveted.  Even the stress points at the tops of the magazine cells were rivited.  With three magazines inserted, the flap is tight when secured with the small metal studs, as you can see in the photo below of the pouch along side an MPiKM with a folding stock.

The interior of the magazine cells is lined with heavy grey colored canvas and separated by walls between each cell.  The two steel fastening studs were secured in heavy canvas circles.  After 50 to 60 plus years, these studs were still secure and strong.  Durability was built into this simple magazine pouch.

The least common piece of NVA Blumentarn gear I have is the Feldflasche or canteen. The canteen is the first in a series of three plastic water bottles that followed the M31 style Feldflasche adopted by the NVA and MdI.  The earliest bottles, the M31s, were very nearly identical to the WW2 issued canteens.  Between 1958 and 1961 a Blumentarn Feldflasche was issued that had a crossed stitching on the clothe cover.  That model also had a grey/green colored strap and a chromed snap link.  This style rivets holding the strap loop of the cup was continued into the next version, below.  It is important to note that this cup does not have the folding handles seen in following versions.

 The style shown here were issued between 1962 and 1970.  They included an aluminum cup with folding handles.  This cup is similar to the M31 cup in that it has two rivets holding the strap loop in place.  The cup is painted field grey like the M31 cup as well.  At the bottom of this post you will see another Blumentarn Feldflasche that has a welded strap loop like the next version that uses the Strichtarn or rain pattern camo cover.

 Blumentarn camo covered DDR NVA Feldflasche with canteen cup, front and rear.  The cup has folding loop handles.  When compared with the later Strichtarn Feldflasche, the paint on the aluminum cup of this canteen has a greener hue to it, the later being more grey in appearance. 

 This is a good view of the snap link that holds the Feldflasche to the bread bag or Brotbeutel.  You can also see the steel stud that holds the loop to the canteen cover.  The black plastic, pig skin leather texture embossed strap has anthoer layer beneath it that is whitish plastic.

 These images clearly show the rivets in the strap loop and the handle bracket.  The later versions are spot welded and the strap loop is considerably closer to the buckle than on this version. 

The top of the cup is marked with a maker's emblem which is a little difficult to make out.  I'm not an expert on DDR canteen makers, so any input my readers have info I am hoping you will share it.

 Here you can see the graduation marks on the cup that are hidden under the strap.  Below you can see the rivets from the inside of the cup.

The bottom of the Blumentarn cover is a separate, oval shaped piece that is reinforced with an "X" in stitching.  Later models do not have this feature.  Below you can clearly see the four snaps on this cover.  Strichtarn models have only three snaps.  The snaps are painted black. 

The snaps are reinforced with a "pleather" disk.  The inside of the top female snaps on this Feldflasche are marked "OL55."  I do not know if 55 indicates 1955.  These covers were introduced in 1958.

 The inside of the bottom male snaps are marked with a pattern that resembles a snowflake.  The inside of the Feldflasche cover is a white felt material.  In the pic below you can just make out a small purple colored marking that I cannot determine.  In the center you can see the rivets that hold the strap.  You can see the pleather reinforcements.

 The water bottle itself is plastic with a plastic, screw on cap and a thin steel chain.  This is the first plastic water bottle introduced to the NVA.  The model previous to this one (M31 style) had an aluminum water bottle.  This bottle has a 0.65 liter capacity.  That is pretty small by US standards.  The standard US military canteen is 1 quart, which is 0.95 liters. 

 The cap is sealed with a red/brown colored seal.  My Feldflasche still smells a little musty after all these years.

This is a photo of a Blumentarn Feldflasche that I found on the internet.  The cup on this version is spot welded and not riveted.  Based on the placement of the strap loop and the spot welds, I think this Feldflasche has a later version cup like those on the Strichtarn Feldflaschen.