and production costs, the Wehrmacht introduced the M44 pattern uniform. Similar in appearance to the British Battledress or the related US "Ike" jacket, the M44 was unlike any other German pattern uniform, and the first major deviation in uniform design since 1936. The tunic skirt was shortened to waist length, an internal belt was added, and the tunic could be worn with an open or closed collar. The color was the new "Feldgrau 44", a drab greenish-brown. The rarely used and complicated internal suspension system was finally dropped. German insignia was still worn (breast eagle, collar Litzen and shoulder boards). Except for the elite Panzer-Lehr-Division, which field-tested the new uniform in summer 1944 before its approval for general issue, the M44 was usually seen at the front only in the war's last months and generally on the greenest of troops: new replacements, teenage Flakhelfer, and Hitlerjugend and Volkssturm militia. Greatcoat General's greatcoat, it was made in Mannheim in 1943. Belongs to general Erich Schneider. M36 Field grey double-breasted great coat with dark green collar and shoulder-strap. It was worn by all ranks below general officers. Generals and field marshals wore a variant with scarlet (hochrot) turnback lapels and gold buttons. Trousers M22 (M36) Originally the M1936 tunic was worn with the same stone gray (steingrau) trousers that the Reichswehr had introduced in 1922. These were high-waisted, straight legged, button-fly trousers with suspenders (braces) and three internal pockets plus a watch-pocket; in the field they were worn tucked into jackboots. M40 In 1940 contractors were ordered to discontinue the manufacture of steingrau fabric and instead produce trousers from the same feldgrau cloth as the tunic; however Army depots continued to issue existing stocks and the older dark trousers were still frequently seen until around 1942. M42 A new design of field trousers was introduced in 1942, replacing the old World War I style straight legged "Langhosen". These were based on the gebirgsjäger model of trousers, designed to be worn with low boots and gaiters, which began replacing Jackboots in 1941. New features included tapered ankles, reinforced seat, and a straight-cut waist, which included belt loops and two tabs for optional suspender use, as opposed to the fishtail design of the m36 model. HBT models often were straight legged, and featured a tab and buttons to taper the ankles, for optional use without gaiters. M43 In the late war, lower quality, often