History

The headgear and uniforms worn by members of the Kriegsmarine were based upon the designs utilized by the Kaiserliche Marine and the Reichsmarine. The official regulations governing the uniforms of the Reichsmarine were issued on April 5, 1921, and they were embraced, with a few alterations, as the Kriegsmarine uniforms in 1935. New guidelines concerning rank insignia were issued in 1936.

This visor cap was worn by Kriegsmarine Officers, Administrative Officials with the rank of Officer, and Senior Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs) who were serving in tropical regions.

The visor cap is composed of several main elements, including the brown tropical cloth, cap band, and piping, the visor, the chin strap/chin cord, and the chin strap/chin cords anchor buttons. In the cap interior, the main elements include the inside lining, the sweat band, the celluloid moisture shield, and the manufacturer's logo and associated information. The visor and chip strap could be made from brown lacquered leather, as well as artificial leather. Chin cords were worn for Officers and Administrative Officials, with the rank of Officer, instead of the leather chin strap worn by Senior Non-Commissioned Officers. The cords worn by Officers were gold-coloured (celleon), while those worn by Administrative Officials were silver-coloured (aluminum).

Each cap was also adorned with an oak leaf wreath, a cockade, and a national emblem along the front of the cap. These insignia were generally hand-embroidered or machine-woven (BeVo) on brown/khaki backing with golden yellow artificial silk thread or gilt thread for Officers and NCOs, and silver-coloured thread for Officials. There are also examples of the insignia that are composed of gilt metals.

There are two main models of the visor cap, they deviate in the manner through which the top is attached. Some caps were manufactured with a non-removable, khaki-coloured top and body. Other caps were manufactured with a removable khaki-coloured top. In the case of the removable models, the top cover could be switched to a white top by Officers.