Kriegsmarine Wartime Original vs Postwar Sailors Caps

[Gordon Williamson]

Here's a look at some original wartime and postwar Matrosenm?tzen. There were many makers of these caps, issue pieces and private purchase pieces.

This thread is looking at official issue pieces. Private purchase wartime pieces may show different features ( ie sweat diamonds on the lining) which are not found on issue pieces but are found on postwar caps, making the whole issue much more complicated, you can also find mismatches with a wartime private purchase covered married to a private purchase base and vice versa, so bear in mind here we are talking about textbook un-messed with official issue caps - always the safer bet when buying a wartime KM cap.

First a standard blue top

[Gordon Williamson]

The carcass. The former is made from stiff opaque celluloid covered in blue wool, and with a white cloth covered brim support.

[Gordon Williamson]

The celluoid stiffener is clearly seen here. The sweatband is sewn all along its edge then flipped over, no itermediate strip between the sweatband and cap body.

[Gordon Williamson]

Makers details. This is the maker of the sweatband, not the cap itself.

[Gordon Williamson]

View showing the staples joining the ends of the celluloid band together. Not the size mark (G 58) in ink on the white covering of the brim support. Unlike often found in army visor caps, the strip inside this support is not zink or other metal, but thick reddish brown celluloid.

[Gordon Williamson]

The blue top. There is a narrow reinforcing strip of black linen binding around the edge.

[Gordon Williamson]

The top is lined in black cotton, and will usually on issue caps, have store marks in white ink on a "T" shaped frame. In this case BAW = Bekleidungsamt Wilhelmshaven - the alternative that will be found is BAK = Bekleidungsamt Kiel

[Gordon Williamson]

The blue top is only lined on the top panel, not the sides.

[Gordon Williamson]

The White Top.

[Gordon Williamson]

Carcass construction is identical to the blue top.

[Gordon Williamson]

Again, the band stiffener is opaque celluloid

[Gordon Williamson]

Interesting to note that this one is marked on the inside face of the cloth covering to the band, and is only visible because of the opaque nature of the celluloid.

[Gordon Williamson]

Brim support, this one has the same thick reddish brown celluloid strip inside the support

[Gordon Williamson]

White waffle pattern top. Again, like the blue top, with a narrow linen edge binding.

[Gordon Williamson]

The interior of the white top is completely devoid of lining.

[Gordon Williamson]

Now - a postwar blue top. These are actually rather scarce as the German Navy has for some time used white tops all year round.

[Gordon Williamson]

Carcass. Similar construction to wartime, but much wider.

[Gordon Williamson]

Manufacturers details, commonly found on postwar caps.

[Gordon Williamson]

Interior - band stiffener in glossy black card - not celluloid like original wartime pieces.

Note the zig-zag stitching of the sweatband and the use of an intermediate plastic strip to attach it to the body

[Gordon Williamson]

Interior of blue top. Note blue lining, commonly found on postwar tops. Blue lining is of course considered desirable by some for wartime KM Visor caps (though in reality other colours were often used) but for the wartime Matrosenm?tze and Feldm?tze black linings were used.

[Gordon Williamson]

Like the wartime tops, only lined on the top face, not the sides, but with a much wider edge strip.

[Gordon Williamson]

Postwar White top

[Gordon Williamson]

Again similar construction to wartime, but using plastic as a band stiffener, not celluloid

[Gordon Williamson]

The strip connecting the sweatband to the body is not plastic however, but a rexine type cloth.

[Gordon Williamson]

This white top is ribbed twill, unlike the wartime waffle pattern