Uniforms of Nazi Germany Page 2

Hauptmann in the Polizei

in sidecap

Here we see the same officer as above in service dress, with leather service belt and Luger pistol holster.

Decorations are as above.

This officer tends to be a bit of a show-off so he wears a massive, unofficial swastika ring on his right hand.

Hauptmann, Polizei M35 helmet Mauser K98

This is how a police officer would have dressed for duty with a field unit.

Black leather ammunition pouch is the same as would have been worn with his parade uniform (for a long-term field assignment he would have acquired something larger and more utilitarian.

Probably a set of three standard army-issue brown leather ammunition pouches.

He wears a black Police M1935 helmet with party symbol decal on the right and the wreathed police eagle on the left.

His weapon is the K98 Mauser rifle.

And for his efforts in eradicating various opposition elements and other enemies of the Reich, he has earned the Anti-Partisan defense badge in silver, worn on his left breast pocket. As another memento of his time fighting the partisans he wears the Anti-partisan ring on his right hand. This is against regulations but as it was a gift from a high ranking SS Officer a blind eye is turned to it.

Hauptmann in the Luftwaffe

Luftwaffe officers wore either a white or blue shirt under their gray-blue tunic.

This officer's peaked "schirmmutze" cap bears the unpopular early-design "droop-tail" eagle design, which was soon replaced with the version seen over his right breast pocket.

These eagles would have been hand-embroidered of silver-aluminum flat wire, which may explain why this officer has not yet seen fit to lay out the necessary Reich marks to replace the one on his hat.

His tunic features smooth-finished aluminum buttons, as opposed to the low-gloss "pebbled" buttons used on army uniforms.

Instead if the standard square-buckle service belt, he wears a brown leather dress belt with Luftwaffe officer's parade buckle. The square-cut pocket flaps were also unique to Luftwaffe tunics when they were introduced. However many officers and men wore the traditional "scalloped" flaps. Note the collar tabs that indicate rank. In addition to his other awards, this Hauptmann wears the "Blood Order" of the NSDAP.

He wears the ribbon of the Iron Cross 2nd Class in the 2nd buttonhole of his tunic, the Iron Cross 1st Class on the left pocket and the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross at his throat.

Above the ribbons is his gold Short Range Day Fighter clasp, which identifies his flying assignment. The attachment beneath it signifies participation in at least 500 operational flights -- not surprising since on his right pocket he wears the Spanish Cross in gold in recognition of pre-WW2 service in Spain as early as 1936. On his left pocket, closest to the heart, and beside the Wound Badge in black, he wears the gold-and-silver Luftwaffe Pilots Badge, which has been called the most beautiful military badge ever created.

Hermann Goering obviously thought the design OK because he had a version of the Pilots/Observers badge made in solid gold and silver with diamonds to be presented to high officials in Germany and heads of State like Mussolini. As an early member of the Luftwaffe he proudly wears his 1st Model Luftwaffe Ceremonial dagger, with it's stiletto blade, on his left hip.

Hauptmann in the Luftwaffe in flight jacket

The Luftwaffe designed its sleek leather flying jacket both to minimize bulk in the cockpit and to avoid the complications of flaps and buttons when climbing in and out.

Many Luftwaffe pilots removed the rigid framing of their "schirmmutze" caps, as done by Allied airmen whose practical excuse was that it enabled them to fit their radio earphones over their caps when flying.

Specially made, soft "crusher" style caps were also worn by many German tankers and even some infantry officers and NCO's.

His non-official but accepted Luftwaffe ring is worn on his right hand.

Instead of piercing his jacket with metal decorations, this Hauptmann displays cloth versions of his Iron Cross First Class and "Flugzeugführerabzeichen" (Pilots' Badge), as well as the Luftwaffe breast eagle. All are embroidered in the fine aluminum or silver wire bullion authorized for officers.

When he returns to the Officer's Mess after another combat flight he is entitled to (but doesn't) use his Luftwaffe Honour Goblet (Ehrenpokal), a ''non-portable award" that bridged the gap between the Iron Cross 1st Class and the German Cross in Gold or Knight's Cross (which he was later awarded and can be seen at his throat) . Established in February 1940, the Ehrenpokal was awarded by the authority of Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring to Luftwaffe personnel "for special achievement in the air-war". This was an award for aircrew only.

The award of the Honour Goblet automatically enrolled him on the Luftwaffe Honour Roll which is indicated by a clasp (spange) worn on the Ribbon of the Iron Cross. On his left hip is his 2nd Model Luftwaffe Ceremonial Dagger with it's distinctive cross-bar/finger guard.

In the Battle of Britain he flew a Messerschmitt 110 twin engined fighter. These were no match for the Spitfires and Hurricanes of the RAF and only his skill and daring got him through that campaign. Later he was transferred to a Squadron that was equipped with Messerschmitt 109 single engined fighters that were much more attuned to his skills.

A disagreement with a stupid and overbearing superior saw him do a short stint with a Squadron in North Africa flying a Stuka dive bomber in support of Rommel's Afrika Corps but he hated it and soon wangled his way back to fighters and his beloved 109s.