parachute gear for sale Original U.S. WWII Army Airborne T-5 Parachute and T-5 Reserve Parachu – International Military Antiques

parachute gear for sale Original U.S. WWII Army Airborne T-5 Parachute and T-5 Reserve Parachu – International Military AntiquesOriginal Item: Only One Available. The T 5 parachute was standardized in June 1941 and many of these first pattern chutes were heavily employed in all theaters of action. They saw extensive use in training, the early airborne operations in North Africa & Sicily, as well as the daylight drop of Operation Dragoon in Southern France. White T 5's remained standard throughout the war in the Pacific theater of operations such as Nadzab, Noemfoor, and

Original Item: Only One Available. The T-5 parachute was standardized in June 1941 and many of these first pattern chutes were heavily employed in all theaters of action. They saw extensive use in training, the early airborne operations in North Africa & Sicily, as well as the daylight drop of Operation Dragoon in Southern France. White T-5's remained standard throughout the war in the Pacific theater of operations such as Nadzab, Noemfoor, and Corrigador.
 
First pattern harnesses were equipped with cadmium plated hardware and 2,500 lb V-rings for reserve attachment. By 1943 white harnesses were manufactured with the larger 5,000 lb D-rings, but this was short-lived as the camouflaged units were introduced in the 2nd quarter 1943. The simple snap hook with the locking pin was common on the earliest rigs, but by early 1942 had been replaced by the large sliding gate "humpback" fastener.
 
This example of the T-5 Parachute is not white and appears to be the 1st Foliage Pattern camouflage used. The foliage pattern was composed of dark green and olive colored shapes arrayed on a khaki backdrop. The short-lived original pattern was composed of irregular shapes in a pattern repeating approximately every 18 inches along the length of the material. In late 1943, a simplified pattern based on the standard five-color camouflage printed Army/Marine HBT pattern was adopted. The brown splotches were switched to dark green, and the light brown, olive, and green splotches were all combined into a mid-olive green shade. ​
 
The camouflage pattern soldiered on for nearly a decade until it was phased out during the Korean War. At that time, the general trend was away from specialized camouflage patterns and towards a solid OD color applied to all equipment. This would save approximately $4 per parachute canopy. The utility of such a pattern also came into question. The primary benefit of the foliage pattern over a solid OD pattern was in the bushy or forested terrain specifically avoided for parachute drop zones. Furthermore, colorful cargo parachutes accompanying the troops clearly demarcated the DZ regardless of the camouflaged personnel chutes. Approval for terminating the foliage pattern was granted in October 1952, although camouflage canopies were still being produced as late as 1954 in a ripstop pattern.
 
Today, many of the "WWII camo parachute scarves" sold online  are in reality cut from postwar camouflage cargo parachutes.  If the camo print is the first pattern, it is certainly wartime. However, the second pattern has the possibility of being postwar.  Most WWII canopies will be sewn with khaki or OD thread, while postwar canopies tend to be assembled with white thread.  When in doubt, secure a camouflage section of the first pattern camouflage print. This canopy has the correct war time khaki thread.
 
There are markings still present on the parachute bag such as maker information and numbers, the packing/inspector data booklet is also still present inside the pocket on the back.

The information on the side of the bag are as follows:

 The first reserve employed on the T-5 system was a small 22' diameter  chest pack. Adopted in  June 1941, it was standard equipment for training jumps and the North Africa jumps. It was  heavily employed in the Sicily/Salerno  drops and issued in limited quantities during the August 1944 Southern France "Dragoon."  It was also extensively used throughout the Pacific Theater operations.
 
Instead of carry handles, the pack had two characteristic "grip" extensions on the side.  First pattern packs retained the early style rectangular ripcord handle,  but this was changed to the standard cloverleaf design by mid 1942. Originally mated with the lightweight V-rings, the reserve hooks used the standard  small harness hook; these were updated in late 1942 with the large 5,000 lb snap fasteners.
 
This T-5 still has the early “grip” extensions on the side as well as the early rectangular ripcord handle. The lightweight V-rings were updated in late 1942 to the larger, stronger 5,000 lb snap fasteners. The reserve chute is not the camouflaged pattern as the main parachute but is the standard white chute. The chest pack itself appears to be in great condition without any major damage or noticeable tearing or fraying. The bungee style straps present still retain their elasticity as well. Stamping is still present and easily readable.
 
The main information printed on the chest pack is as follows:

TYPE T-5 CHEST PACK
DRAWING NO. 41J10142
Mfg. By RELIANCE MFG. CO.
 
Both parachute packs have no damage as far as we can tell. As for the canopies in both T-5 systems we are unsure nor have we tested them. From what we can see of the actual canopies, they appear lovely and without damage. We do not recommend actually employing these systems as a lifesaving device or recreational and sporting device. These are intended for display only.
 
This lovely set comes ready to add your finishing touches to your WWII Airborne displays!
 
THE EVOLUTION OF U.S. ARMY PARATROOPERS PARACHUTES
Even though the U.S. Army had plans to implement sky soldiers as early as World War I, American paratroopers may have arrived late to the airborne scene — Soviet engineers had innovated parachute designs and German Fallschirmjägers had completed airborne operations over Norway at the beginning of World War II.
 
The U.S. Army’s 29th Infantry Regiment formed a test platoon and conducted their first ever training jump in August 1940. Two years later, the 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment completed their first major implementation of airborne combat troops during Operation Torch in support of the amphibious invasion in North Africa.
 
World War II was the battlefield that tested the capabilities of static-line parachutes. They continue to be a presence on modern day battlefields, but they have seen several renditions and undergone modifications to advance the functionalities that many paratroopers are familiar with today.
 
T-5 & T-7 PARACHUTES
Three prototypes for the T-5 parachute were tested to solve the problems of the T-4, but not all of them were successful. In February 1942, Snap hook closures from Hook 42B3232 improved the risk of accidentally unhooking from the static-line cord. It had a vertical sliding gate and spring-loaded button that allowed for jumpers to slide along at their own controlled pace before exiting the aircraft. The initial training T-5 rigs had all white canopies, but since they are easy to spot in the air, they were replaced with camouflage chutes for later airborne operations.
The pre-deployment of the parachute before the rig couldn’t be resolved. More than 13,000 paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne Division and 101st Airborne Division — along with British, Canadian, and other Allied paratroopers — parachuted into Normandy on D-Day and lost equipment, including hand grenades that flew from their pockets.

The T-5 parachute rigs also had an Irving quick-release mechanism box, sometimes called the “bang box,” which allowed paratroopers to release themselves from their harness without delay once they were on the ground. Their reserve chutes had hesitator loops and pilot chute flaps that deployed when the original red ripcords were pulled. T-5’s were the most widely used parachutes during World War II and were used during Operation Market Garden, which saw more than 20,000 Allied troops dropped by parachute via airplanes. Toward the end of the war, more than 16,000 paratroopers participated in Operation Varsity, the last and largest one-day airdrop of the war.

The T-5 was phased out before the Korean War, and the Army emphasized the inclusion of the T-7 parachute. The T-7 had a serious issue in malfunctions caused by the increased speeds with which airplanes traveled. The wind speeds caused wear and tear on the chutes, and from June 30, 1951, to June 30, 1952, investigations reported that 12 fatalities were caused by these malfunctions.
A 1944 report found the average speed a plane was traveling during an airborne training operation was just 100 mph, and even then the opening of the parachutes caused canteens, holsters, and helmets to be ripped from paratroopers’ gear. The C-119s that were used post-World War II averaged speeds of 145 mph and called for an innovation of the T-7 design to prevent catastrophic injuries from occurring even before landing on the ground.