The M30 Field Service Uniform was the standard uniform of the Regio Esercito's (Royal Italian Army) Continental Army during World War II. The variation designed for use in hotter climates off of the Italian mainland was known as the Tropical M40 Field Service Uniform.
Uniform[]
The basic M30 uniform made for both officers and enlisted ranks consisted of either the M35 Bustina (field cap) or the Elmetto M33 steel helmet for headgear, standard grey-green M40 Overcoat, a grey-green shirt with similarly colored necktie, black leather M1912 Boots, puttees, grey-green breeches, the M33 Giubba (tunic), and finally the M1929 Tenda Telo (tent cloth). Notably, this tent cloth could be combined with others or simply tied together to serve as a camouflaged poncho, something that was an important feature considering that the average Italian soldier had no other rain gear.[1] It should also be noted that the Italian Army was noticeably lax in its uniform regulation, allowing for many variations of the same uniform to suit the personal needs of the soldier or unit.[2] The manufacturing styles of these uniforms varied similarly.