Original German WWII Luftwaffe Air Force “Ersatz” 3.7cm Flak 43 Cartridge Fiber Ammunition Box – Dated 1944 Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. Ersatz can be traced back in English to the 1870s, but it really came into prominence during World War I. Borrowed from German, where Ersatz is a noun meaning “substitute,” the word was frequently applied as an adjective in English to modify terms like coffee (made from acorns) and flour (made from potatoes)—ersatz products resulting from the privations of war. By the time World War II came around, bringing with it a resurgence of the word along with more substitute products, ersatz was wholly entrenched in the language. Today, ersatz can be applied to almost anything that seems like an artificial imitation.

This lovely late war ersatz fiber ammunition crate was used by the German Luftwaffe for the 3.7cm Flak 43. The 3.7 cm Flak 43 was a light anti-aircraft (AA) gun used by Germany during World War II. It was derived from the 3.7-centimeter (1.5 in) Flak 18/36/37 series of AA guns. It was provided with single- and twin-gun mounts, the latter being designated as the 3.7 cm Flak 43 Zwilling and was in service from 1944 to 1945. In addition to versions used by the Kriegsmarine (German Navy), it served as the main armament of the Ostwind and Möbelwagen and was proposed for use in the Flakpanzer Coelian self-propelled AA guns.

The ammo crate is in really good condition with the expected deformation and bowed appearance from use and age. The handle side of the box still retains nearly perfect stenciling:

Luftwaffe-Munition
Gesamfgew
Nicht hochkant öffnen
und nicht kanten

Direct Translation:

Luftwaffe ammunition
total weight
Do not open upright
and not edges

To the right of the latch bears the German 3 letter code bdq 44 for manufacture by Ehrhardt u. Kirsten, Koffer- u. Lederwarenfabrik, Leipzig in 1944, a well known and popular manufacturer of various leather goods including the P.08 Luger holsters.

Comes more than ready for display.