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 Supplementary Personnel Armbands were introduced by the Mobilization Order of the Navy in 1938, and they were worn by reservist personnel within the Third Reich Armed Forces who were conditionally uniformed.

This armband was worn on the civilian dress of the supplementary personnel (Ergänzungsmannschaften), and it features the company and battalion numbers of the unit to which the wearer was associated. The battalion numbers were placed above the unit numbers, and both types of numbers are composed of gold-coloured stamped metal.