10th Mountain Division WW2 Jacket + Trousers Set

Rare uniform worn by a soldier of the 10th Mountain Division. This uniform consists of the mountain troops' jacket and its matching pants. Same patina, same "vintage," mannequin size, labels present but illegible, functional zippers and Talon branding on both items, the jacket's interior support straps are present, as is the hood that folds into a pocket under the collar. Note that the jacket's collar has been repaired at the interior contact with the neck, not visible when worn. It is very rare to see such a beautiful uniform ensemble worn. The flash photo of the back reveals color marbling that does not exist in reality. Measurements: shoulder width 50cm, sleeve length: 65cm, pants size: 44, inside leg: 80cm. Payment in installments is possible.

The 10th Mountain Division was first activated on July 15, 1943, at Camp Hale, Colorado. It was then named the 10th Light Division (Alpine). On November 6, 1944, it was renamed the 10th Mountain Division. The 10th Mountain Division was first engaged on January 28, 1945, during the Italian Campaign in the Apennine Mountains. It was the first unit to permanently conquer Mount Belvedere, held by the Wehrmacht, and then served as an advance unit for the U.S. Fifth Army during its advance across the Po Valley. By January 20, all three regiments of the 10th were on or near the front line between the Serchio Valley and Mount Belvedere. Colonel Raymond C. Barlow commanded the 85th Regiment, Colonel Clarence M. Tomlinson the 86th, and Colonel David M. Fowler the 87th. The preliminary defensive actions in mid-February were followed by Operation Encore, a series of attacks in conjunction with troops of the 1st Brazilian Infantry Division to dislodge the Germans from their artillery positions in the Northern Apennines on the border between the regions of Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna, in order to facilitate the Allied advance on the Po Valley. While the Brazilian Division was tasked with capturing Monte Castello and Castelnuovo di Vergato, the 10th Mountain Division was responsible for the Mount Belvedere region, climbing Riva Ridge on the night of February 18 and attacking Monte Della Torraccia on February 20. These peaks were obliterated after four days of fierce fighting, with Axis troops launching several counterattacks on these positions. In early March, the division fought its way north of Canolle and moved to within 15 miles of Bologna. On March 5, while Brazilian units captured Castelnuovo, the 85th and 87th Infantry captured Mound Della Spe and Castel D'Aiano, respectively, cutting Axis supply and communication routes in the Po Valley and preparing the ground for the upcoming Fifth Army offensive. The division maintained defensive positions in this area for three weeks, anticipating a counteroffensive by German forces. The division advanced into Italy in April 1945. The division resumed its attack on April 14, attacking Torre Iussi and Rocca Roffeno north of Mount Della Spe. On April 17, it broke through the German defenses, allowing it to advance into the Po Valley region. It captured Mongiorgio on April 20 and entered the valley, seizing the strategic points of Pradalbino and Bomporto. The 10th crossed the Po on April 23, reaching Verona on April 25, and encountered strong opposition at Torbole and Nago. After an amphibious crossing of Lake Garda, it secured Gargnano and Porto di Tremosine on April 30, at the end of German resistance in Italy. In 114 days of fighting, the 10th Mountain Division is credited with destroying 5 elite Wehrmacht divisions. It lost 992 men and had 4,154 wounded. The division's soldiers received a total of one Medal of Honor, three Distinguished Service Crosses, one Distinguished Service Medal, 449 Silver Stars, seven Legion of Merit, 15 Soldier's Medals, and 7,729 Bronze Star Medals. As one of the last units to see action, it was listed as part of the invasion of Japan. The Japanese surrender changed the plans of the General Staff, which assigned it the role of occupation force in Italy. It did not remain there long; it was returned to Camp Carson, Colorado, in August 1945, where it was disbanded on November 30, 1945.