History

The headgear, uniforms, and insignia 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.

These armbands were worn by personnel within all branches of the Third Reich Armed Forces, and they were meant to indicate the wearer’s duty specific position or function. The official regulations stated that the armbands should be worn on the upper left sleeve of outer garment layers, but there are many documented instances of personnel wearing the armband on the right sleeve.

While the majority of armbands were machine-woven, they were also produced via machine-embroidery, hand-sewing, or printing. The armbands were often stamped on the reverse with the issuing office's or unit's seal.

The Combatants Armbands were introduced by the Mobilization Order of the Navy in 1938, and they were worn by personnel within the Armed Forces who did not wear a uniform, such as local protection forces. Without a uniform, these personnel required an armband to classify them as protected by the Geneva Convention.

The armbands worn by combatants who were not members of the Armed Forces feature a yellow armband, and a Reich eagle in black, machine-woven (BeVo) thread.