9mm for Tropical Use
 

Here is a German 9mm box you don't see every day.
It was produced and packaged for use in tropical conditions. The iron core bullet recieved an extra protective laquer seal around the base of the bullet and the case material is brass, rather than steel.

The label reads 'Pistolenpatronen 08 m. E. (Tp)'.

Headstamps are dnf * 3 43.

The joker on the photo probably carried these in his P38.

Interesting...I was on a surplus site a few days ago looking for Mauser stocks...And saw a canvas Luger holster, supposedly for Afrika Korps troops...I thought it was a 'fantasy' reproduction... :p

Gerben, the pic says the soldier (with one sock) wears an Italian helmet; supposedly he is one of the Ethiopian troops in 1935 (can we call that the beginning of WW II?)...

I was curious as to why the Germans would produce 'Tropical' ammunition in 1942 (or 1943?)...

I leeched a map off Wikipedia showing the tropics...I don't see any areas of German interest that I can think of...

Where would you suppose the German military would think that 'Tropical' ammunition would be used??? I originally thought that maybe the Middle East would qualify, but they are farther North (and mostly desert)...

(There was a Johnny Weissmuller/Tarzan movie about Nazis in the Congo, but I don't think that qualifies either)... :p

The P38 was not in service until 1940, so the photo was made after 1940 ;)
The German soldier is wearing an Italian helmet for the photo / fun.

The African Continent was deemed 'Tropen'. Not entirely correct from a weatherman's perspective, but that's what they used.

I suppose there were a lot of them lying on the ground after 1940...Along with Italian rifles... :p

Is there any evidence that the conditions in which the Germans fought in the 'tropen' zones had a deteriorating effect on ammunition??? I have read that the Libyan desert is so dry and arid that WW II artifacts are still being found remarkably preserved...