BACKGROUND: German Naval uniforms and headgear were based on traditional designs that date back to the creation of the Prussian Navy in 1848, and although uniforms and headgear did evolve during the interim years many items used during the Third Reich would still have been quite recognizable to the Imperial sailor. The Kriegsmarine clothing regulations differed from the army and Luftwaffe in that enlisted personnel did not wear visor caps although all ranks from senior NCO’s upward did and regulations dictated the form of dress they were to be worn with based on the individuals rank. Officers and certain senior NCO ranks were responsible for purchasing their own caps and as a result were allotted a clothing allowance through the OKK, Offizier Kleiderkasse der Kriegsmarine, (Officer’s Clothing Account of the Navy), system. The Officers and senior NCO’s could choose to purchase their caps directly from the armed forces clothing depots or to privately purchase visor caps of higher quality. Originally the Reichsmarine era visor caps were worn until a new slightly modified version was introduced in 1933. Originally Kriegsmarine personnel wore the Weimar Reichsmarine era oval, black, Weimar eagle "cockade" on a gold background encompassed by a gold oak-leaf wreath on their visor caps until March 14^TH 1933 when the Weimar era cockade was replaced with a circular black, white, and red cockade, followed by the new, NSDAP style, national eagle on March 24^TH 1934 and a new, more detailed, pattern wreath on April 2^ND 1935. Kriegsmarine officer’s visor cap also differed from their counterparts in the army and Luftwaffe in that they did not utilize the twisted chincords to denote rank as they proved impractical for actual usage and the leather chinstraps were worn instead. As a result of the use of the leather chinstraps there was no way to determine Officer’s from NCO’s until regulations of May 13^TH 1936 introduced new identifying visor trim for officers ranks to distinguish them from the NCO’s. The new visor trim came in three different patterns with one pattern for Company Grade Officers, one for Field Grade Officers and the third for Flag Officers. Of Note: Kriegsmarine Administrative officials visor caps were distinguished from other Kriegsmarine personnel’s visor caps by the use of silver insignia and the twisted chincords.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Nice quality, post-May 1936 pattern, dark navy blue, doeskin wool construction cap with a black, horizontally ribbed mohair centerband and a non-removable top. The top crown edge and both the top and bottom edges of the centerband are piped in the same dark navy blue doeskin wool as the balance of the cap. The internal wire crown stiffener has been removed but an internal, vertical, stiffener to the front center is intact and gives the cap a nice relaxed shape with a high, central, forward peak. The front center of the cap has a hand embroidered national eagle in bright golden yellow celleon threads with golden yellow cotton accent threads, mounted on a cut-out, navy blue wool base. The front center of the centerband has a hand embroidered oak-leaf wreath in gilt wire threads encompassing a national tri-color cockade in black and silver wire threads with an inserted red felt centerpiece. The wreath and cockade are mounted on a cut-out, padded, high relief, navy blue wool base. Both the eagle and wreath are neatly handstitched to the cap. The cap has a black, patent leather chinstrap with two sliding, leather length adjustment loops and a magnetic sheet metal snap retainer all intact. The chinstrap is secured to the cap by two, small, fire gilted, alloy buttons. The chinstrap retaining buttons have a horizontally ribbed background field with an embossed fouled anchor and a simulated twisted rope outer edge. The cap has an extended, forward, black lacquered, vulcanfiber visor with a navy blue wool covering to the top edge with a row of hand embroidered oak-leaves in gilt wire threads near the forward edge. The forward edge of the visor is trimmed in simulated black leather. The visor embroidery signifies the owner held the one of the Field Grade Officers ranks of Korvettenkapitän, Fregattenkapitän or Kapitän zur See. The bottom edge of the visor is in a subtly textured black cardboard. The interior of the cap is fully lined in two grades of mid-blue rayon with a ribbed finish to the body lining and a smooth finish to the crown lining. The interior crown lining has a clear celluloid sweat rhomboid fully intact. The lining beneath the sweat rhomboid is well marked with the faint, impressed manufacturer’s manufacturer’s acronym/logo, "Erel", within a diamond shaped cartouche, indicating manufacture by the Robert Lubstein firm of Berlin. The lining also has additional faint, impressed script that includes, "Sonderklasse", (Special Class), and, "O.K.K.", indicating, Offizier Kleiderkasse der Kriegsmarine, (Officer’s Clothing Account of the Navy). The celluloid sweat rhomboid has a small, open ended, pocket with an inserted piece of paper with the handwritten, owners name with a rank prefix, "Korv. Kapt. Ernst". The interior of the cap also has a forest green leather sweatband with ventilation perforations to the front forehead section. The sweatband appears to have a glued seam to each and both have opened. The cap is in overall very good condition and retains almost all of its original nap with light age and usage toning and light to moderate age tarnish to the gilt wire embroidery. The cap has no visible size markings but is roughly size 55.

GRADE ****                             PRICE $2,695.00