The E-IV (mostly known as KÕ Gaasitorbik) was the last civilian mask produced in Estonia before the Soviet occupation.
Mask overview[]
The mask resemblances to the Czechoslovak FM-3 as the moulded rubber facepiece and the eyepieces are nearly the same, the exhale valve on the later models is also similar. However, it is not known whether the manufacturing had any connections with Czechoslovakia.
The facepiece can be either dark gray or lighter gray coloured moulded rubber (Põhjala-made masks are darker). The eyepieces are in painted aluminium assemblies. The 42mm intake is on the mouth part which is painted as well (Põhjala-made masks is dark green while on the Delta-made ones is bluish gray). The exhale valve is under the left eyepiece. The early masks (before the Soviet occupation) had unpainted metal exhale valve housings and the exhale valve was "glimmer type", this metal part sported the company logo too. After the Soviet occupation, the exhale valve housings were changed on most of the masks to a black bakelite one with "tulip type" valve by Arsenal (the same as on the ShM series). The 6-pointed head harness is very Germany like, every strap contains two springs to make it elastic.
Sizes should be V -Väike (Small) K-Keskmine (Medium) S-Suur (Large).
Filter[]
o/ü Delta[]
Gray painted short cylindrical filter with metal shell. After the Soviet occupation, this filter but without any marking replaced any other used with this mask.
ETK[]
Dark green painted short cylindrical filter with metal shell. ETK only produced filters and carrying canisters, mostly Põhjala made masks came with these filters.
Arsenal[]
During the Soviet occupation only Arsenal made the filters which were similar to the Dräger 455.
Dräger[]
Just like every other Estonian mask, it could be issued with a Dräger 455 filter but it required a thread converter.
Carriers[]
Bag[]
Just like the K-II, it could come with a basic canvas bag which is similar to the Italian bags from this era, but this was not common.
Canister[]
Usually a canister came with the kit, made either by Delta or ETK. It features a short manual on the lid and a clip which can hold the anti-fogging cloth. Delta made canisters are light gray while ETK ones are dark green.
External information[]
Developement[]
The E-IV was developed to be an all-around good mask for both public and industrial use. It was meant to be an improvement on the available E-I (for which production ended in 1938) and the K-II, which were both rather outdated. Development for the mask stared in late 1937 and ended late 1938. After this the government spent time in negotiations with some local companies. This mask was to be produced by public industry and not the government, which up to this point had been making pretty much all the masks (the only exceptions being the few hundred ÕGL-G1 masks that were made in 1934-35 by the Vabatahtlik Kodanlik Õhukaitse - Estonian air and gas defence union). The initial production was undertaken by o/ü Delta, which was a large Estonian metalwork company. Production started in early 1939 but by the autumn of the same year the company Eesti Kummitööstus Põhjala (Estonian rubber-industry Põhjala) also started making E-IV masks. Later in the year ETK also started producing the canisters and filters for the E-IV kit.
User organisations[]
Vabatahtlik Kodanlik Õhukaitse (pre-Civil Defence)
- Civilians
- Industry
Designation[]
Like with other Estonian masks it is hard to tell what is the official designation form, it can be either EIV, E IV and E.IV but the most common for is E-IV.
Photos[]
.png "E IV(9).png (70 KB)")
.png "E IV(3).png (413 KB)")