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.

From 1933-1945, the uniforms worn by personnel in the German Navy were produced and disseminated by the Navy Clothing Depot and private manufacturers. The cloth was of a high quality prior the Second World War, but during the war, it became increasingly synthetic. Similarly, the cloth used in the uniforms of Officers and Admirals was of a higher quality than the cloth used in the uniforms of lower ranking personnel, such as Non-Commissioned Officers. The cloth utilized in garments of the blue uniform is of an overall better quality that the cloth utilized in the field-grey uniform. For the field-grey uniform specifically, the cloth is more grey-coloured in pre-Second World War uniforms, while the cloth is more green/olive-coloured in Second World War uniforms.

The buttons worn on Kriegsmarine trousers are generally composed of metal or plastic.

The garments may have proof stamps, serial and unit stamps, and manufacturer marks denoting the legitimacy and origin of the item. They also tend to feature sewn name tabs (namensläppchen) on all clothing items associated with the blue and field-grey uniforms. The blue uniform garments all have a serial number stamp (stammrollennummernstempel), while the field-grey uniform garments have a unit stamp.

The proof stamp is present on all garments produced by the Navy Clothing Depot, and it includes the size of the item, if needed, with the year of manufacture above the size, and a surmounting script that reads “B.A.K.” or “B.A.W.” This stamp information is framed, and written in white ink on blue or black garments and in black ink on all other colour garments.

The serial stamp is composed of letters and numbers, and it is present on blue uniform garments from the Depot. The stamp is either printed in red ink or sewn in red thread. The numbers are preceded by a letter that denotes the area in which the wearer served, with an “N” for Navy Station or an “O” for Navy Station Baltic. The stamp ends in a letter associated with the wearer’s career group, with an “S” for deck personnel and a “T” for technical professionals. Below the serial number is the year in which the wearer entered the navy, surmounted by a horizontal line.

The unit stamp is present on field-grey uniforms. It includes the framed, shortened unit name of the wearer in red ink.

The marks of private manufacturers vary widely, ranging from codes to full names, and even abbreviated letters, as well as the year of manufacture. After 1942, Reich numbers (Reichsbetriebsnummer) were also used as manufacturer marks (RB-).

The Long Trousers were worn by all ranks of Kriegsmarine personnel and they were produced for wear in all Kriegsmarine uniforms; in blue and white for the blue uniform, in grey for the field-grey uniform, and in tan/brown for the tropical uniform.

While the basic design of the long trousers does not change between Kriegsmarine ranks, the quality of the fabric does vary.

The navy blue trousers worn by Officer ranks are generally made from fine quality fabrics, such as worsted wool and doeskin, while the trousers worn by Other Ranks, including Junior Non-Commissioned Officers, Privates, and Cadets, are made from a lower quality cloth known as “private‘s cloth.” Conversely, Privates had their trousers privately made with fine quality cloth.

The white trousers are made from washable, cotton fabrics.

The field-grey trousers are made from the same grey cloth utilized by the navy, either new grey (neugrau) or stone grey (steingrau). After 1940, the field-grey long trousers were produced in the same fabric which was used to make the field-grey field blouse.

The tropical trousers are composed of sturdy and long-lasting brown fabrics.

All these trousers are composed of several main elements, including the panels, the fly/front flap, the adjusting strap, the buttons, and the pockets.

The long trousers for all Kriegsmarine uniforms are produced with two front panels and two back panels.

The blue and white trousers for Officer ranks have a vertical trouser fly with buttons along the right seam and corresponding buttonholes along with left seam; the blue trousers have four buttons and the white trousers have five buttons. For Other Ranks, the blue and white trousers were made with a front flap closure. This flap features four buttonholes, and each front panel has two buttons along the reinforced waistband. The tropical and field-grey trousers were only produced with a trouser fly for all ranks; these trouser flies feature five buttons.

The buttons on the long trousers are generally composed of black metal or horn. The blue and white trousers may also have six black buttons placed vertically below the waistline on each front panel, and two black buttons on the back panels, for suspender attachment.

There are two side “slash” pockets, one on each front panel, as well as a rear pocket on the back right panel with a single button; the back left panel may also feature a non-regulation buttoned pocket. The front and back pockets are made with lining fabric. Additionally, in February 1942, another pocket was added to the front left panel of the trousers to hold first-aid field dressing.