The Rifugio T.U.O./M.N. is the 26th gas mask approved by the S.C.M. (Servizio Chimico Militare, chemical military service) on 6 March 1939. It was a successor to the Rifugio T.U.O., which lasted less than a month.
After a short pause of unknown length, the mask started getting sold again on the 9th of July 1940. After that, it also saw some use with the UNPA as a replacement for other more competent territorial masks.
Mask overview[]
The Rifugio T.U.O./M.N. was designed to be as cheap as possible while still using a removable filter. The faceblank is made of a thin sheet of beige stamped rubber, seamed at the bottom, to which the following are attached:
- Inlet-outlet assembly
- Eyepieces
- Head-harness
The inlet-outlet assembly is made of aluminium and is connected to the mask with wire and rubberized tape. It has two threads, one for the cap that keeps the exhale valve in place and the other for the filter. The latter has a metal tab that keeps the inlet valve in place.
The lenses, made of cellulose acetate, are inserted each in a circular pocket and secured with aluminium frames.
The head harness has two straps, one that connects the end of the rubber appendages on the side of the faceblank and one that connects to the front and has a loop at the end to link the other strap so that a pseudo-three-straps-harness is made.
Kit[]
The Rifugio T.U.O./M.N. came with the following kit:
- Cardboard box, which contained all of the rest of the kit. Sometimes it was discarded after the mask was purchased and unboxed. There are two slightly different variants of boxes.
- Pirec38 filter, made by Pirelli for passive use
- Anti-fogging soap, contained in a tube wrapped in cloth and inserted in a small box
- Cloth bag, made by Lenci (doll company), with two straps, a string and a button to close it and an internal pocket
- Pseudo-filter, a red assembly with a female and a male thread that mimic filter respiratory resistance made to allow training with the filter without actually opening it
- Manual, which could be either a dedicated one or a redacted Rifugio T.U.O. one
Export[]
AG 9: Sacic licensed copy of the Rifugio T.U.O./M.N. It has an almost identical construction but it has a 25 mm thread and a different kit.
Rifugio T.U.O./M.N. manual[]
Redacted Rifugio T.U.O. manual[]
