It was developed after a great deal of study, and was influenced by the German uniform design. It also included the M1943 boots with the integral ankle cuff with two buckles. The mottled appearance of the jacket is caused by the finish; these early M1943 jackets had a "sateen" (semi-gloss or satin) shine to them because of the fabric used. Later jackets were matt finish. The pants originally had the same sheen, but these seem to be the later matt finish trousers. This uniform was introduced in Italy in 1943, but did not see widespread use in NW Europe until late summer/early fall 1944. The boots were not entirely successful. They were made flesh side out (rough side out) and were very difficult to seal against water intrusion in wet weather. The result was a serious increase in the incidence of trench foot. Post-war, boots if this type were made smooth side out and were more successful in repelling water.
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