Prussian officer epaulet changes

[jonv]

I'm looking for a date or year when Prussian officers started to switch from wearing the older epaulets to
those worn during the First World War.  Also interested in the time frame when the army changed from using
General-Lieutenant to Generalleutnant.   Thanks!

 

Edited April 28, 2020 by jonv

[Glenn J]

15 hours ago, jonv said:

Also interested in the time frame when the army changed from using
General-Lieutenant to Generalleutnant. 

Hi Jon,

a series of changes to titles, including the one you mentioned occurred with effect order of 1 January 1899 - "in order to promote the purity of the language in my army etc....."

I am unsure as what you mean by epaulettes. Epaulettes (i.e. the crescent shaped parade dress badges of rank were not worn during the war. If you are referring to the shoulder boards, do you mean those worn by captains and lieutenants of the type introduced in 1888 to replace the previously worn "Feldachselstücke" of flat silver lace? Shoulder boards for general and field officers were considerably reduced in size per order 20 December 1903 from the pattern hitherto worn.

Regards

Glenn

 

[jonv]

Thank you so much, Glenn, for answering both questions. 

On the second one, I guess it is more complex than I'd thought, although I am limiting the question to general officers.

I've considered (mistakenly?) the terms Epauletten and Achselstücken as interchangeable and so have used epaulet
to describe both. 

So the question is if there was a dated order to phase out the older fringed epaullette, seen below with Wilhelm I?  
Images of WW1-era generals seem to only depict tunics with the oblong-shape Achselstück that Moltke is wearing:

Jon

[Glenn J]

Jon,

the war pretty much phased out the Epauletten. As they were only worn on the peacetime parade uniforms, they were no longer used. When the 1915 field grey parade uniform was introduced, these were to fitted with shoulder boards. Paragraph 22 of the introductory order (A.K.O. of 21 September 1915) abolished the Epauletten.

Regards

Glenn

 

[jonv]

OK great, Glenn! ...  that is what I was looking for.  Much appreciated.  Jon

[Utgardloki]

They were long worn side by side ... epaulettes to the Paradeanzug (parade dress), the Gesellschaftsanzug (formal dress?),  Galaanzug (gala dress); Achselstücke to the other dresses.

With the new Friedensuniform 1915 they were abandoned even with the parade dress as mentioned in the posts before

Threre also exists the gestickter Waffenrock (embroidered tunic) that was worn till around 1900(? I am shure another member knows the exact date) that was worn by generals to the parade dress and gala dress, that had its own shoulder parts:

Edited May 1, 2020 by Utgardloki