S.I.P. 3

S.I.P. 3
Società italiana Pirelli 3
Late type S.I.P. 3 from Andrea Poletti's collection
Preceded by	S.I.P. 2
Succeeded by	S.I.P. 4
Filter	Dirin Dirzepo Pir. 35 filter 34M filter
Filter connection	30mm 40mm DIN
Made in	Italy
Issued to	Civilians Industry Légoltalmi liga (pre-Civil Defence)
Manufacturer	Pirelli

The S.I.P. 3 is a panoramic and helmet-style mask. It was created for civilian and industrial use.

The S.I.P. 3 became the 6^th gas mask approved by the S.C.M. (Servizio Chimico Militare, chemical military service) on 31 august 1934.

Mask overview

The S.I.P. 3 was composed of 3 main parts:

• A thin sheet of rubber that formed the hood (either white or black)
• A cellulose visor that would be attached to the hood
• An inlet-outlet piece at the front

The connection between the hood and the visor sported a peripheral seal, made either of sponge or rubber, depending on the variant.

The inlet-outlet piece sported an exhale valve in a housing in the front, which could be opened and inspected. The inlet valve was placed over the thread, which could be either 30mm or 40mm. The inlet sports a gasket, allowing the use of filters that don't have gaskets on them, an unusual feature that is redundant in most cases.

Side of a black S.I.P. 3

Front

Inside

Disassembled exhale assembly

Gasket

Variants

White 30mm type

The first variant of the S.I.P. 3 was made of white rubber, had a sponge peripheral seal and used a 30mm thread with a 30mm Dirin filter and an early kit.

30mm S.I.P. 3. Note the assembly, different from the later ones

30mm S.I.P. 3

White 30mm S.I.P. 3 on a reference book

S.I.P. 3 with white rubber and a 30mm thread represented in a box in a game of snakes and ladders

Child with a 30mm S.I.P. 3 (may also be 40mm, it's unclear from the picture)

White 40mm type

This variant is essentially identical to the previous one, save for the 40mm thread. This mask could be issued with the early kit or an S.C.M. kit, in which case it'd have an S.C.M. marking on the side. It may have also been used with an industrial kit as a recovery mask after the War. The only samples found of this type of mask have heavily rotted hoods, which tend to look gray or black instead of white due to oxidation (the natural colour can be seen after carefully washing the rubber, but it'll become dark again few minutes after it gets out of the water).

White 40mm S.I.P. 3 with an industrial filter

Mothers with infant respirators, the on eon the left is wearing a white 40mm S.I.P. 3, while the one on the right has a S.I.P. 2

A white 40mm S.I.P. 3 with its hood removed due to heavy rotting

Sponge peripheral seal

Gasket

Marking from a heavily damaged sample. There's another S.C.M. marking printed over it vertically

Remains of the white rubber. Note that due to the lower quality of this early rubber, the conditions tend not to be good

Connection between the inlet-outlet assembly and the visor. Note the gasket in between

Black 40mm type

This variant of the S.I.P. 3 sported black rubber, a rubber peripheral seal instead of a sponge one and a 40mm thread. This variant was issued with an S.C.M. kit and had an S.C.M. marking. Some were repurposed after the War for industrial use.

Side

S.C.M. marking on a black S.I.P. 3

Gasket

Inside. Note the peripheral seal

Unusual SIP 2 marking under the peripheral seal, it implies that during production there were multiple shared parts

Kits

Early kit (civilian and industrial)

The early kit included a white mask (30mm or 40mm), a Dirin filter (either meant for civilians or industry), a tube carrier and occasionally a manual, a spare exhale valve and anti-fogging soap, depending on the needs of the buyer.

S.I.P. 3 with an industrial filter

A 30mm S.I.P. 3 with a Dirin filter

S.C.M. kit

This kit, by far the most common, included the following:

• Mask, either a white or a black S.I.P. 3 with a 40mm thread
• Filter, most of the times a Dirzepo
• Tube carrier marked Pirelli, particularly wide to fit the visor without bending it
• Manual
• Spare exhale valve
• Anti-fogging soap (very rarely seen)

Heavily damaged white S.I.P. 3 with S.C.M. kit

Typical S.C.M. S.I.P. 3 kit

Woman selling mask, including a S.I.P. 3

Post-War Industrial kit

Industrial kits can vary a lot, usually, the essentials are a 40mm S.I.P. 3 and the filter, which can be either threat-specific or a recycled one (a Dirzepo or something similar). The rest of the kit is optional.

Hungarian use

Unlike other Italian masks in Hungary, the S.I.P 3 saw very limited service. Officially it wasn't even going into service by Légoltalmi Liga (Civil Defence). However, some photos and videos prove that it was indeed used around 1937-38. Just like other Italian masks, all S.I.P 3's were imported by Légoltalmi Kft. (Air defence Co.). Photos made for advertising purposes from the Légoltali Kft. headquarters proves this. The kit with the mask was used in Hungary is rather strange, all photos which were made when the mask was used show 34M filters attached to the mask, however, the advertisement photos show Dirzepest filters. The carrier issued with the mask is unknown but it is very possible that T.35 bags were used with it, like with every other Italian mask in Hungary.

Hungarian Red Cross nurses wearing S.I.P. 3 masks, the man on the right is wearing a 34M in Budapest 1937.

The right Civil Defence worker is wearing a S.I.P. 3, while the left is a 34M. Gas detecting presentation, Hungary.

Dr. István Krepuska otorhinolaryngologist, the son of the famous Dr. Géza Kerpuska performs an operation in the mask while patient is wearing a T.33 to demonstrate that operations can be done in gas masks.

Manual