U.S. Navy Men's Jackets
Utility Jacket Type N-3
Specification 55-J-9A (1943)
Stock No. 37-J-157
The N-3 jacket was part of a 4-piece utility uniform issued to U.S. Navy ground personnel. Recipients of the N-3 utility uniform included shore parties, construction battalions, amphibious units, combat, and security units. Utility jackets were an individual allowance for personnel serving at overseas bases. Two utility jackets were issued to eligible personnel assigned to bases located in temperate, tropical, or cold climates.
| Key Visual ID | Primary Materials | Fasteners | Color | Labeling |
| Dark Olive Drab Shade 7 color. "USN" ink stamp present on breast pocket. Tack type buttons of the star and wreath design. | 8.5 ounce cotton herringbone twill  8.5 Ounce, Olive Drab Shade 7, Cotton Herringbone Twill - HBT is a variation of the twill weave in which the normal elongated diagonal ridges formed by the weave switch direction creating a zigzag pattern resembling the skeleton of a herring fish. In the spring of 1943 cotton HBT material was darkened to provide better camouflage properties to ground troops in the jungle environment of the south pacific. This material was used extensively through the end of the war by the Army and Navy to produce fatigue and utility uniforms. | The jacket had 8 tack type buttons. Four were utilized for the front closure and two buttons at each sleeve cuff. Button composition was either copper, brass, or steel. | Olive drab shade 7. | Contract and size information was ink stamped to the inside nape of the neck. |
| Treatments | Approx. Contract Run | Preceded By | Replaced By | Companion Garments |
| Prior to assembling uniforms, cotton HBT material was Sanforized as part of the manufacturing process to prevent shrinkage of the finished product. | July 1943 to January 1945. | Herringbone Twill Jacket, U.S. Army Specification 45B (Modified). | Unknown. | N-3 Utility Trousers. N-3 Utility Shirt. N-3 Utility Cap. N-1 Field Shoes. |
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By the spring of 1943 the Navy had developed a new and improved line of special and protective clothing. Items were given an alpha numeric nomenclature of N-1, N-2, or N-3. The new issues included wool and wool lined winter wear, protective rain wear, and warm weather utilities. Special and protective clothing types were to be issued according to job function and weather conditions. Sizing was roomy allowing garments to be layered over one another in order to provide warmth, create a wind and water-proof "barrier", and at the same time allow flexibility of movement. New colors were introduced to provide better camouflage protection to forces deployed in combat zones. Instead of blue, black, white, and gray colors used in previous issues, the new garments would be either khaki, olive drab shade 7, or light green for items made of jungle cloth. Standard lists of outfits consisting of various "N" designated items were developed for issue to Navy ground personnel serving overseas in tropical, temperate, cold, and arctic regions. There was also a standard outfit list and allowance recommendations for personnel serving afloat. The utility jacket was included in the list of items assigned the N-3 nomenclature. A list of N-3 articles and corresponding specification numbers follow:
Specialized and protective clothing could be issued either as an individual allowance or unit allowance. Unit allowances were calculated as a percentage of the compliment of a particular base. For example, at an aviation base it was generally recommended that enough "N" class articles be ordered to outfit 30% of the personnel. Utility uniforms were issued as an individual allowance to naval personnel serving ashore at overseas bases. The various components of the utility uniform were issued to the individual in the following quantities:
Utilities were issued in cold, temperate, and tropical climates. Some examples of units that received N-3 utility uniforms include Construction Battalions, Amphibious Forces, and Beach Parties. Prior to developing improved versions of its special and protective clothing, the Bureau of Yards and Docks was outfitting its ground personnel with Army herringbone twill designs. One-piece Army work suits and slightly modified Army two-piece suits were issued for chore work and hot weather field use. In 1943, the Navy approved a new multi-piece utility uniform to replace the Army types it was using. This time, instead of an Army design, the Navy patterned the new utility jacket and trousers on the Marine Corps' M-1941 utility uniform then in use. In addition to the jacket and trousers, both a lightweight broadcloth shirt and a baseball-style herringbone twill cap were developed to complete the new outfit. The Army's and Marine Corps' early HBT uniforms were, out of necessity, pushed into the combat role by the sudden onset of war. Evaluations of the early HBT uniforms led to improvements in subsequent issues. |
One area identified for immediate improvement was the need for better camouflage concealment in the jungle terrain of the South Pacific. In response, the Marine Corps opted to issue camouflage patterned utilities in 1942. After experimenting with a camouflage one-piece jungle suit in 1942, the Army approved the use of a darker shade of material in its standard HBT uniforms in the spring of 1943 . Though the Army continued to develop different types of camouflage uniforms, the darkened 2-piece HBT uniform would remain its standard issue hot weather combat field uniform throughout the war. At this time, the Navy also chose to produce their new utility uniform in the dark green olive drab shade 7 color. Army testing and reports from the field eventually revealed that a single dark shade of olive drab offered better overall camouflage properties in jungle environments than did various patterned designs. As a result, in the fall of 1944, 8.5 ounce, olive drab shade 7, herringbone twill material was standardized for use in Army and Navy utility uniforms (See joint Army-Navy specification JAN-C-154, Cloth, Herringbone Twill, dated 30 November 1944). The Navy utility jacket was essentially the same design as the Marine Corps utility coat from which it was spawned. The jacket was a loose fitting sack coat patterned after denim work and chore coats of the period. Made of sturdy herringbone twill, it featured three open patch pockets, a convertible collar, and adjustable sleeves. The collar and sleeves could be worn open or closed, offering protection when needed. The Jacket could be worn in or out of trousers or in stifling conditions it could be removed altogether in favor of the utility shirt. These features made the jacket a good, versatile field uniform for both work and combat duties.
The Navy utility jacket was, however, different from its Marine Corps cousin in a couple of ways. The Navy used 8.5 ounce herringbone twill material dyed in the darker olive drab shade 7 instead of the 9 ounce, light shade material used by the Marines for their utility uniforms. Navy utilities had an identifying "USN" ink stamp applied to the top right rear pocket of the trousers and to the breast pocket of the jacket, whereas the Marines only placed their identifying mark on the chest pocket of the coat. Variations of the Navy ink stamping exist due to the use of different font types and the on and off again use of periods separating the letters.
A couple of variations have been noted in the Navy N-3 Jacket. Some early examples of the jacket were made up using surplus light shade HBT material. The practice of using up materials on hand after new specifications had been issued was a necessary practice during war time in order to overcome resource shortages and meet pressing uniform demands. Jackets also appear with very faint or nonexistent "USN" stampings on the breast pocket. The ink stamping was often applied very lightly in contrast to the much clearer result generally produced by the heat transfer method utilized by the USMC in the application of its markings. Button variations existed in both composition and design. Copper, brass, and steel were used to produce buttons to which a black finish was applied. The use of steel as a substitute material in tack button manufacturing began in 1943 to help conserve copper for the production of ammunition and other items. A wreath and star design was used on the face of the button that had been in use before the war in the commercial production of civilian work and chore clothing . The design often varied in the number of stars that appeared above the wreath. Other variations found in Navy and USMC utility coats that are likely manufacturer variations include single versus double stitching in the application of the patch pockets and one versus two button holes on the sleeve opening. |
