Kriegsmarine Inflatable Life Jacket (Schwimmweste). Life jackets and vests were not personal issued items but were considered part of a ship's equipment and were distributed to crew members as required. This is a rare original 2-piece life jacket from the famous 'Bismarck' battleship. Rubberized, yellow canvas construction Inflatable life jacket and neck. The front slash has a rubber manual inflation tube. The manual inflation tube is held in place by a canvas loop. The life jacket is nicely maker marked by the company 'Wetzell Gummi' and dated 1940. The inflatable neck is nicely 'Bismarck' marked in red ink, see photos. The Bismarck and her sister ship Tirpitz were the largest battleships ever built by Germany. Rare and unique set from a famous battleship!