US NAVY WINTER WOOLEN SUBMARINER COAT

Today's post will feature what's safe to call the most elusive piece of US Navy militaria :The "Submariner Jacket" aka "Coat, Winter Woolen" as seen in the US Navy's 1941 uniform regulations catalog.The submariner coat was replaced the same year by the zipped blue deck jacket and in 1944 by the now famous N1. A black double Cloth herringbone wool ,was used instead of the usual blue melton seen on pea coats.The fabric widely used in the 30's for mackinaw coats and other woolen coats, is known for its lighter weight and water repellent capacities.

first produced in the mid 30's ,the coat was produced in small quantities for submarine's crew only,so,it's safe to say that entering the war effort, it made no sense to the Navy to keep its production going strong instead of reinforcing standardization on every branch of the service.Examples from the 30's have a plain unmarked or sometimes stenciled back ,with the owner's or boat's name on it . In 41 a factory stenciled US NAVY  was added to it .....