SEE BELOW FOR DESCRIPTION

H006363 PANZER OFFICER’S "CRUSHER STYLE" VISOR CAP. (Schirmmütze für Offizier)

BACKGROUND: Visor caps were a standard item for all Wehrmacht, (Armed Forces), personnel during the Third Reich period, (Circa 1933-1945), and regulations dictated the form of dress they were to be worn with based on the individual’s rank. Originally the insignia worn on the visor caps consisted of the Weimar Reichswehr, (National Defence Force, Circa 1919-1933), era, pattern oak-leaf wreath and cockade and a blackened leather chinstrap for all ranks. In February 1927 new chin cords for Officer’s ranks were introduced with silver cords for the company and field grade officer’s ranks of Leutnant to Oberst and gilt cords for the ranks of Generalmajor to Generalfeldmarschall. On March 14TH 1933 the Reichswehr’s oval black, red and gold cockade was replaced with a circular cockade in black, white, and red and on February 17TH 1934 the Third Reich pattern national eagle for the army was officially introduced for wear on the visor cap. In March 1935 a new, more detailed, pattern wreath and cockade and a second, larger pattern national eagle were also introduced for wear and in late 1935 regulations altered the Reichswehr era field-grey colored centerband to a dark blue/green coloration which was utilized until the end of the war. Further regulations of February 26TH 1936 also permitted senior NCO’s who were Officer Candidates to wear the Officer’s twisted, silver/aluminum chin cord on their visor caps as opposed to the standard EM/NCO’s leather chinstrap. The different branches of service within the army were allocated a specific, identifying, waffenfarbe, (Branch of Service Color), with pink being chosen for Panzer, (Armored), personnel which was displayed as piping on the visor cap for EM/NCO’s and Company and Field grade officers. Officers and certain senior NCO ranks were responsible for purchasing their own caps and as a result were allotted a clothing allowance through the army’s Kleiderkasse, (Clothing Account), system. The Officers and certain senior NCO’s could choose to purchase their caps from the armed forces clothing depots or to privately purchase visor caps of higher quality. Although enlisted personnel were issued their caps from government supplies they were also permitted to purchase privately tailored caps although the price may have been restrictive. Of Note: The "Crusher" style visor caps were introduced as a field cap for Officers in March 1934. In 1938 the Crusher style visor caps were to be replaced with the new, M38, Officer’s overseas style cap, with the wear-out period determined as April 1942. The Crusher style visor cap mimicked the standard style visor cap, with the exclusion of the internal top stiffening wire and the sweat diamond/rhomboid and the external chincord and the usual vulcanfiber visor was generally replaced with a leather visor, leaving the cap very flexible, and giving the owner’s the ability to fold it and place it in a pocket if so desired. Due to its relaxed appearance and convenience the Crusher style visor cap proved very popular with the Officers. This particular example has some of the "Crusher" cap characteristics, but is not a true "crusher" style cap.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Nice quality, private purchase, visor cap with a slightly mottled, field-grey doeskin wool body and crown and a blue/green badge cloth centerband with pink wool waffenfarbe piping to the crown edge and both the top and bottom edges of the centerband. The internal crown stiffening wire has been removed but an internal padding and a vertical stiffener to the interior front are all still intact and retains the caps oval, "Sattelform", crown shape with a high, central, forward peak. The front center of the cap features a second pattern, (circa 1935-1945), silver washed, stamped alloy, national eagle with out-stretched wings, clutching a wreathed, canted, swastika in it’s talons. The eagle is secured to the cap by three, bent over prongs on the reverse and is slightly convexed to fit the contours of the cap. The eagle retains about 95% of it’s age and usage dulled, silver washed finish. The front center of the centerband has a nice quality, hand embroidered, oak-leaf wreath in bright, silver/aluminum wire threads with bullion wire accent threads, encompassing a separate, high vaunted, three piece, stamped alloy, national tri-color cockade all on a cut-out, padded, blue/green badge cloth base. The national tri-color cockade consists of a black fluted alloy base, a bright silver washed alloy, roundel and an inserted red wool center dot. Both the wreath and cockade stand out in nice relief and the blue/green badge cloth base appears to be neatly handstitched to the cap. The cap has no chincord or chincord securing buttons, but there is evidence that they where one it at one time. You can see small holes where the buttons where once attached and you can see where the chincord was sitting on the visor for a long period of time. The cap has an extended, forward, black leather visor intact. The interior of the cap is fully lined in silvery/grey rayon. The interior crown lining has a clear celluloid sweat diamond fully intact. The sweat diamond is well marked with the gilt printed manufacturer’s logo, name and location consisting of a pair of tailor’s scissors and stylized initials, "WW", and the name and location, "Wilhelm Welhausen Hannover-Kassel". The interior of the cap also has a wide, pale grey, leather sweatband, with ventilation perforations to the front forehead section with remnants of an inserted strip of orange foam rubber padding to the reverse. The sweatband is well marked with the impressed manufacturer’s name and location, "Wilh. Welhausen Hannover", and the faint, pencil, handwritten name that appears to be, "Schramm". Of Note: Schramm is not an uncommon German surname and there was a Hauptmann Fridolin Schramm that served with the 1ST Company of the 6TH Panzer Regiment which was a component of the 3RD Panzer Division and had been awarded a German Cross in Gold on March 30TH 1945, although we have no concrete evidence that he was the owner of this cap. The sweatband is in overall very good condition with some light moisture staining. The cap has no visible size markings. The cap is in overall very good condition with light age and usage toning and some light nap wear and moth grazing resulting in about a half dozen small holes. The cap is roughly size 54cm. Nice quality Panzer officer's visor.

GRADE ****                                                 PRICE $4,284.00

To Order this item, please use one of the two e-mail addresses below to contact us. Please make sure to quote the item number in your e-mail

MILITARIA WANTED!  If you have items for sale, please contact us. We specialize in selling single pieces and entire collections. Over 3 decades in the business and we do all the work for you. Get the best return for your investment.

-E-Mail Address pawmac@nbnet.nb.ca  Or  guild@nb.aibn.com

To return to the main page please CLICK below

HOME (CLICK HERE)