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.

The personnel within the Transport Fleet Speer were given an official uniform in 1943. Their uniform copied the blue service uniform of the Kriegsmarine.

Within the Transport Fleet, the personnel who held ranks equivalent to Kriegsmarine enlisted personnel and Non-Commissioned Officers wore collar tabs. The tabs denoted the wearer’s career, and also demonstrated their rank in combination with chevrons, or the national emblem for ranks above Schiffsführer, on the left sleeve.

These tabs were manufactured from black badge cloth, and gold-coloured pips according to rank.

Specifically, the collar tabs that were worn by the equivalent of Non-Commissioned Officers within the Transport Fleet, from Unterbootsmann to Haupbootsmann, feature a border of silver-coloured tress.

Next, the collar tabs worn by the equivalent of Officers within the Transport Fleet, from Schiffsführer to Kapitän, have three embroidered, silver-coloured stripes in the centre, and a silver (aluminum) cord border.

Lastly, the collar tabs worn by Leader ranks, from Stabskapitän to Grosskapitän, feature a “caterpillar” litzen braided pattern on the tab known as raupenlitzen. These Leader collar tabs also have a border of piping and pips whose colour changes according to rank.

The Schiffsführer Collar Tabs feature three embroidered stripes, a cord border, and no pips.