Hunting the headgear of the German Luftwaffe
By the mid-1930s, Hitler’s Nazi regime pulled back the curtain of secrecy, and despite the Versailles restrictions, let the world know that they were developing a “self-defense.”The Luftwaffe was born.
Manned flight had been both a civil and military objective in many countries since the first powered aircraft took to the skies in the beginning of the 20th century. Germany saw an explosive growth in aeronautical groups across the country leading up to the First World War. Following their humiliating defeat after four years of brutal combat, strict limitations were levied on the German armed forces under the vengeful Allies’ Treaty of Versailles, meant to strip the former empire of its power and possessions. These penalties included provisions that German military pilots and crewmen be permanently grounded and their planes destroyed or transferred as war reparations to other Allied nations.
When such restrictions lessened in the mid-to-late 1920s, civilian and paramilitary organizations, such as the “Deutsche Verkehrsfliegerschule GmbH” (Commercial Flying School), the “Sturmabteilung Flieger-SA” (Nazi Brown Shirt Flying Branch) and the “Sportflug GmbH” (Sport Flying Club) emerged across Germany and became clandestine military training areas. Many members of these groups would later join the “Deutscher Luftsportverband” (DLV), the national organization for pilots, crews and aircraft maintenance workers preparing to join Hitler’s future armed forces gearing up for the conquest of the East.
Chris William
Active DLV members wore a “Schirmmutze” (visor cap) made as a blue-grey wool, “Tellerform” (low peaked, round top) shaped visor with a black mohair band, light blue piping and a short leather bill. The piping color was changed in 1935 to include yellow for “Fliegerschaft” (flying troops), and black for the Reich Aviation Ministry personnel. Chin straps were initially black leather for all members, but later joined by twisted aluminum cords for elevated ranks. Two different front insignias were used designated as type “A” and type “B”. Type “A” was a horizontal silver tiered wing over a centered red enamel ring. On the face of the wing was a vertical propeller and a black enamel canted swastika. These devices were attached to the front visor cap band under a 1929 Nazi “Hoheitszeichen” (National emblem) of a short-winged eagle clutching a round oakleaf circle surrounding a black canted swastika.
Type “A” insignia were worn by members of the DLV who were not members of a flight crew. Type “B” cap badges were worn on the visors of aircrew members. These insignia took the form of a horizontal set of tiered wings on either side of an open topped wreath surrounding a national red, black and white roundel. The “Hoheitszeichen” eagle and swastika emblem attached above it was the same as that used on the type “A” caps. Overseas caps worn by DLV personnel consisted of the same gray-blue material with either a small “Hoheitszeichen” sewn to the front, or no emblem at all. Insignia for both types of caps could be produced in bullion thread for optional wear by elevated ranks.
By the mid-1930s, Hitler and the new Nazi regime pulled back the curtain of secrecy, and despite the Versailles restrictions, let the world know that they were developing a “self-defense force for Germany’s own protection”. Under the supreme command of the World War I flying ace Hermann Goring, the new “Luftwaffe” was built into to a formidable fighting force, proving and honing its abilities with a successful trial run assisting Franco in the Spanish civil war. The beginning of World War II in 1939 brought the advent of the “Blitzkrieg” (lightning war), with aircraft playing a crucial role in the strategy of sudden and punishing attacks during the short battles of the Polish campaign.
Luftwaffe visor caps were initially produced in “Tellerform” styles with round tops and low peaks. These would later change to the more aesthetic “Sattelform” (saddle form) models with an oval shape viewed from the top, and a higher peak that sloped down on either side from the front. The blue/grey bodies with black hat bands were edged by silver piping for officers, and branch of service color coded piping, such as yellow for flight, blue for medical or red for artillery on visors worn by enlisted men. The two unique front emblems were attached to the top and bottom front cap face. The upper device was a silver eagle with outstretched wings in flight, clutching a canted swastika in its talons. The initial eagle design was later changed to include longer wings, and a more swept-back tail. The bottom insignia consisted of a set of horizontally tiered wings on either side of an oakleaf wreath. In the center of this was mounted a national roundel of red, white and black. Insignia was made of either stamped aluminum or bullion thread. Enlisted personnels’ chin straps were black leather with two sliding buckles and black side buttons, while silver braided aluminum cords with silver side buttons were fastened to officers’ caps. General officers had the same cap designs, but with gilded insignia, gold chin straps and side buttons. Depending on the quality of manufacture, visor interiors ranged from basic sturdy oilcloth with ersatz leather sweatbands to deluxe satin-like liners with leather surrounds and clear plastic sweat shields in the crowns. Interior markings could include manufacturers’ names, sizes and the dates of production. The owner’s name, initials or unit markings could be marked on the leather or cloth interiors.
While enlisted men wore issued visors of standard materials and construction, officers’ caps were often privately purchased, made with finer materials and more attention to detail. An attractive white-topped “Sommermutze” (summer cap) could be worn during the summer months by both enlisted men and officers. The same basic design form was followed as the standard visor caps with the exception that many of these had removable tops for easier cleaning.
Overseas caps for Luftwaffe soldiers were typically made of blue-grey wool material with a synthetic satin lining. The front of the caps displayed a cloth Luftwaffe eagle and swastika sewn over a national three-color roundel. Officers’ overseas caps added silver piping on the folded rims with front devices of metal, cloth, silver bullion or a mixture of each. General officers wore gold piping on their caps along with gold toned emblems. Interior markings, if present, typically consisted of size markings only.
In 1937, a new “Feldmutze” (billed field cap) was introduced to a limited number of troops in sporting events and skiing, followed by like caps being issued to flak and signals soldiers in 1939. By 1943, this style became widespread when the Luftwaffe began issuing the “Einheitsmutze” (M43) as its official field cap. The blue/grey wool caps featured two metal or plastic buttoned front flaps and a high peak which supported the Luftwaffe cloth eagle and swastika over a national roundel sewn to the front. As with side caps, M43s were constructed of finer materials for officers, with silver piping along the crowns, bullion cap devices, or gilded ones for general officers. The interiors of M43s were lined in grey cotton, or grey-blue faux silk materials with date of manufacture, issuance number or size markings stamped in the crown.
Uniformed Luftwaffe “Helferin” (female auxiliaries) wore overseas caps similar in design to those worn by their male counterparts. The female caps had cinnamon brown piping along the folded rim and a Luftwaffe eagle and swastika sewn over the front seams, but without the national roundel below.
Flight helmets were imperative for radio communications, lessening aircraft noise, and protection from the wind and freezing temperatures at higher altitudes. The tan-colored summer helmets were made of a linen material with cloth linings, sometimes re-enforced with leather edging and straps, and worn with or without radio equipment. Dark brown winter leather helmets were fleece- lined, and also produced with or without pockets for radio earphones. Both types had adjustable buckled chin straps and snapped back strips to secure the flight goggle bands.
The highly recognizable German “Stahlhelm” (steel helmet) was used among Luftwaffe soldiers in flak installations, ground crews, and in field units when many became armored or infantry combatants in the later stages of the war. The first transitional Luftwaffe helmets were WWI vintage M18 pattern models with the addition of blue-grey paint, updated leather headliners and Luftwaffe decals. The initial helmets soon gave way to the M35 helmet with its seven- to nine-fingered leather liner held in place with two metal rings, leather chin strap with buckle and double decals of a Luftwaffe eagle and national tri-color shield applied to each side. These well-made pieces remained in service until the more simplified M40s were introduced in 1940, to save materials and production time. As the war progressed and needs increased the M42 helmet was issued that further simplified production by eliminating the helmet’s rolled edges. An M44 model followed late in the war with one retainer ring instead of two, with the inner ring secured directly to the shell.
In addition to the standard stahlhelms issued to most Luftwaffe troops, German paratroopers received distinctive blue-grey helmets based on the M35 models. The paratrooper helmets featured shortened visor and neck rims with heavy four-point chin straps and modified rubber padded liners to protect the soldiers when making their jump landings. These models exhibited Luftwaffe eagle and tri-color decals on either side over a flat blue or green finish, though when in actual combat use the helmet exteriors were often camouflaged with covers or paint to match the terrain that the troopers were dropped into.
Climate extremes forced the Luftwaffe to issue special clothing and headgear to its troops in the field. The merciless heat of Southern Europe and Northern Africa saw many Luftwaffe soldiers wearing traditional style pith helmets until their final issuance to troopers in 1942. The standard models were canvas covered, hard, dome-shaped cork forms with elongated side, front and back rims to provide shade for the wearer. An adjustable screw top vent provided some ventilation for an interior of light weight red or green material. A thin leather chin strap was fixed on either side of the liner and could be looped and tightened across the front brim when not in use. National three-color shields and Luftwaffe eagle and swastika emblems made from painted metal were mounted on either side to identify the branch of service.
In extreme cold, the Luftwaffe provided its soldiers with a variety of winter headgear. White mountain style caps with thick fur lining were a standard issued type of head wear. The rough exterior had a short cloth bill with a green underside to prevent snow glare, while the heavy sheepskin lined flaps could be pulled down on either side to protect the soldier’s ears from cold winds and snow. The front contained a cloth or metal Luftwaffe eagle and swastika emblem over a national roundel. Many German troops stationed far from adequate shelters were relieved to have these caps issued during the harsh winter weather they endured in the Eastern and far Northern fronts.
Additions to the standard headgear included black side caps for mechanics, khaki-colored soft visors for desert wear, flak helmets for air crews, forestry headgear (a pet project of Goring’s, with this service controlled by the Luftwaffe) and a host of others issued to individual groups as specific needs surfaced.
While the war raged on, Germany found itself falling to superior forces on two fronts. Even so, the Luftwaffe continued to fight ferociously in the air, and then on the ground, resulting in some victories, but even more losses at the hands of the overwhelming Allied forces. By 1945, with few pilots remaining and supplies virtually exhausted, the survivors of a once powerful Third Reich military air force threw down their arms and began the arduous return to their civilian lives.
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