Type: Spade
Designation: M-1943 Entrenching Tool
Place of origin: USA
Produced: 1943-???
Manufacturer(s): Unknown
Material(s): Unknown
Evolved from: Klappspaten
Evolved into: Unknown
Used by: US army
Soldiers did a lot of digging during World War II, since a good foxhole could mean the difference between life or death, so having a good entrenching tool was extremely important. Many soldiers carried their shovels religiously — even when they would ditch their packs and other gear to travel, they would attach their shovels to their belt or tuck it into their suspender so they could have it with them just in case. This meant that in addition to being good at digging, the shovels needed to be as compact and portable as possible. This M43 shovel had a folding head which was inspired by a similar german design, it may seem like a small change but this was a luxury for frontline troops, because it made the shovel a bit more compact and far easier to carry. The folding head made the shovel better equipped for digging as well — the head could be tightened down at a right angle to use as a pick or a hoe if needed. The fact that these World War II era shovels remained in use well into the 1970s is a testament to their great design.
