Tropical Kriegsmarine Field Cap

Product Description: This tropical Kriegsmarine Field Cap is a beautiful, pristine example of a harder to find cap. The exterior is made of a typical tropical fabric, tan cotton twill, with a visible diagonal weave. This fabric is extremely fresh and clean with no damage or staining. The front boasts a complete set of insignia. Both the gold on tan Kriegsmarine tropical eagle and the tropical Reich colors cockade are Bevo machine woven, and both are originally factory applied to the cap with straight machine stitching. The ventilation eyelets are unpainted which is correct for this period of manufacture. Inside, this tropical Kriegsmarine Field Cap is lined with green fabric. It’s well marked in white ink with the size “56,” the maker code “RB-Nr. 0/0520/0017,” and the date “1943.” This cap does not appear ever to have been issued or worn, and remains as it was when it left the factory. It would likely be impossible to upgrade this choice and untouched cap. The condition is outstanding and rates as near mint.

Historical Description: Even before the outbreak of WWII, the designers of German military equipment had begun tests to engineer uniform items for wear in tropical climates. In 1940, with the German invasion of North Africa imminent, the German military quickly instituted a wide variety of tropical uniform and equipment items. Tropical uniforms were used in Africa, as well as other parts of the “Southern Front” including Italy and the Mediterranean, the Baltics, and southern Russia. The soft headgear used in the tropics took various forms. There was a tropical version of the M34 “overseas”-type cap, which lacked a visor, but the cap which came to be most widely associated with the Afrikakorps was the billed M40 type field cap, which was based on the cap issued to German Army mountain troops. The German Army M40 tropical cap was made of a lightweight fabric, in shades that ranged from tan, to brown, to olive. The interior of this cap was lined with a red fabric which German engineers believed would help the interior of the cap stay cool. Other branches of the German military, including the Kriegsmarine, utilized this same pattern of cap for their tropical uniforms. Early on in the Afrika campaign, some Luftwaffe troops were issued the M40 caps from Army stocks, but by 1941 the Luftwaffe had its own tropical cap, known as the M41. The insignia used on these caps featured the national eagle specific to each military branch, manufactured in special tropical colors, as well as the national cockade. Army caps were additionally adorned with a branch of service soutache, over the cockade, though this was deleted and ordered to be removed in 1942.

We are the leading team of military antique specialists. We have specialized in military antiques for over 25 years.

Epic Artifacts offers the highest prices available for your collectibles.

We purchase single items, entire collections, or family estates. https://epicartifacts.com/sell-to-us/

Feel free to email us directly: info@epicartifacts.com