WWII Cartridge Belt M1923 (\"H.S.CO. 1943\") 10-Pocket. MINT For Sale

WWII M1923 Cartridge Belt, 10-Pocket, Light Shade OD#3
H. S. CO.1943Harian Stitching Co., Haverhill, Mass.(for the M1 Garand and M1903A1 Springfield .30 cal. Service Rifles)+ This handsome example of a mid-war contract M1923 Cartridge Belt came off the Harian Stitching Co. factory\'s assembly line prior to or contemporary with ALL of the Army\'s North African (Operation TORCH) and Mediterranean/Anzio campaigns (Operations HUSKY andSHINGLE) and theMarine Corps\' bitter amphibious operations in the Pacific beginning in 1943. Although this is an Army contract item, these belts with \"U.S.\" surcharge did enter the USMC supply system with the expansion of the Corps to six divisions.
The end of the Guadalcanal Campaign (through Feb. \'43)., New Guinea and Solomon Islands Campaigns (\'43), the Battles of Tarawa and Makin (Nov. \'43) the Marshall Islands (Feb. \'44), Bougainville Japanese counter-offensive (Mar. \'44), Hollandia, New Guinea (Apr. \'44), Biak (May \'44), Saipan in the Marianas (June \'44), Guam and Tinian in the Marianas (Jul. \'44), Peleliu (Sept. \'44), Ryukyis (Oct. \'44), Okinawa (Apr. - Jun. \'45).
+ This is last of the Light Shade OD#3 Cartridge Belts before Dark Shade OD#7 was authorized and introduced at the close of the 1943 production year.+ The M1923 Cartridge Belt was the mainstay of a combat infantryman\'s gear. He might shed his Haversack, but he would retain ammunition, water, and a wound dressing!
+ This Belt is SUPERIOR condition!Other than several minute, almost microscopic spots on the underside of two pocket Flaps, there are ZERO cuts, frays, grease stains, A.S.N. number, personalized markings, creases, loose stitching, mildew stains, sun fading, or signs of appreciable wear! It is boldly and legibly stamped on the right front pocket with \"U.S.\" surcharge in SERIF FONT and lightly but legibly marked on the interior of the right section with the iconic initials of the Haverhill, Massachusetts contractor, Harian Stitching Company, and the year of manufacture, 1943.U.S.---H. S. CO.1943+ Virtually no wear on the Buckle\'s black paint finish! This M1923 Cartridge Belt was issued along with the two.30 cal. Army Service Rifles used during the war. The 10 pockets could accommodate twenty of the 5-round clips for the M1903 Springfield...or ten of the 8-round \"en bloc\" magazines for the M1 Garand. Occasionally a Marine or soldier would dedicate one of the pockets to carry a small can of Bore Cleaner.+ This example has all ten of the narrow 3/4\" web tape Retention Straps, secured by a blackened brass Glove Snap for securing the individual 5-round clips for those troops armed with the M1903 Springfield service rifle. These narrow Retention Straps were later discontinued by most contractors later in the war.ZERO wear to the Retention Straps with the Glove Snaps.
+ ZERO corrosion or wear to the ten blackened brass \"Lift-the-Dot\" Fasteners from the Scovill Fastener Co.. Each isand stamped with a single indented \'dot.\'
+ ZERO wear to their finish blackened brass Eyelets. Each is still securely anchored in the canvas web.+ This Belt as the correctArmy-specific black painted steel \"open\" Guide Loops for the Connector Strap.
+ ZERO corrosion to the two bare steel Adjustable Ladder Buckles for the Connector Strap.
+ ZERO corrosion to the blackened steel End Tips on the Connector Strap.
+ The largeBuckle is a perfect example of a mid-war mix of hardware, typical of mid-war production practice of \"complete utilization\" of existing materials: the BLACKENED BRASS \'male\' side has been paired with a BLACK PAINTED STEEL web-reinforced \'female\' side!
*****Harian Stitching Co.Harian Stitching Co. produced vital web gear and canvas equipment for the War Department\'s Army Quartermaster Corps during World War II.WWII ManufacturingDuring the war, the city of Haverhill was a major hub for military supply production. Harian Stitching Co. was awarded numerous defense contracts to manufacture a variety of heavy-duty webbed equipment, including:

• Cartridge belts, M1923
• Canteen covers, M1910
• Field cargo packs, M1945
• Magazine pouches and cases
• M1 carbine scabbards
• Assault Vests (for Normandy Invasion)

Historical Context & LegacyHaverhill—historically known as the \"Queen Slipper City\" because of its massive footwear industry—pivoted much of its manufacturing capacity toward the war effort. The stitching and garment companies in town were so prolific in outfitting the military that the city earned the nickname \"Assault Jacket City\" among military historians and collectors.