Replica Item: Only One Available. The Assault Vest was developed quickly for the D-Day invasion. It was modeled after an assault Jerkin used by British commando units. The American vest had a number of pockets to allow a soldier to carry all of his equipment without having to carry a separate pack and multiple equipment bags. On D-Day it was issued to some of the initial assault units and to some men of the 2nd and 5thRangers. Only about 14,000 vests were ever manufactured. The Army did not adopt them as standard equipment for ongoing use after D-Day.

The vest met with mixed reviews on the part of users. Many found the vest fit poorly and was too hot and heavy with poor weight distribution. The lower pockets of the vest below the waist hampered movement. Most soldiers preferred the M-1928 pack and individual special equipment bags worn independently or attached to their web belts. Most vests were discarded as quickly as possible or cut off at the waistband. In general the assault vest was unsuccessful and not issued again. It is, however, a unique part of the D-Day story.

The vest is in great condition as this is not an original item. There is no significant damage present, however, it does show signs of wear and use more than likely by a reenactor.

A wonderful item of one of the rarest pieces of American equipment from WWII. Comes more than ready for display.