Kriegsmarine M41 tropical cap (unissued)

[PaulW]

Hi all, have this KM tropical M41 for review, I think most likely unissued. It's a "hpc" (Hermann Potthoff of Coesfeld, Westphalia) and has the (I believe) fairly typical features for earlier examples from this maker - eagle flipped at the top and then zig-zag machine sewn, roundel/ cockade zig-zag sewn around, and no reinforcing stitch lines under the bill.

I found 2 worn earlier made examples from this manufacturer on this thread (post #10 - maker ID'd in post#17, and post #15/16):-

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...arine+tropical - "Salty KM tropical M41's from Afrika or Italy"

Later examples of this maker can be found with the RB number 0/0520/0017, or with eagles applied in the triangular form (straight stitched).

I hope you like it!

Regards, Paul

[PaulW]

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[PaulW]

Hoping it will keep this tropical service blouse company!

Some more pictures of this tunic on this thread:-

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/FORU...d.php?t=917541

Also, attached a rechnung from Hermann Potthoff dated December 1943, which shows the RB Nr for this manufacturer in the top right corner - thanks to Stonemint for unearthing that!

Regards, Paul

[Tim O'Keefe]

Very nice HPC cap & tunic too Paul

Here is a thread that goes into some good details on both HPC and Ritter which made tropical caps for the Herr & KM. It discusses that some makers used different insignia application for their Herr M40's vs their KM M40's. Also some caps are dissed in the begining by some members here till others reasoning prevailed....

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...&highlight=hpc

[PaulW]

Hi Tim, thank-you for taking a look and glad you like it, and the tunic too! I realise that you and others have done extensive research in this area and so I appreciate you taking the time to review it.

I will explore that link properly in time!

I've never bought anything KM before, so this uniform type ticks two boxes for me as I quite like the tropical kit. I first noticed KM tropical uniforms when I bought Otto Giese's book "Shooting the war". He served aboard the U-181 which left France destined for the Far East in May 1944 and never returned (both the U-boat and crew survived the war, the U-boat was turned over to the Japanese in May 1945 and the crew returned as POW's after the war). There are pictures in the book of the U-181 pulling in to Penang in 1944 with the crew wearing these caps. Admittedly they are mainly wearing shirts, but in one picture I found on the web (another U-boat) I can see what looks like a tunic too.

Also, from reading around on the WAF I understand that some examples of the KM tropical cap were brought back as souvenirs by Australian and NZ troops from Tobruk when it was recaptured by the Allies in November 1942, and where the KM stationed E-boats, transport vessels and had shore based Flak crews etc. So I suppose you could legitimately call them Afrika Korps related!

Pictures of KM tropical uniforms are quite rare, but I managed to obtain one (on the way from German E-Bay), and I've seen a few others. In the picture shown below (location unknown) shirts are worn over the collar of the tunic, but in another I've seen elsewhere on the WAF here:-

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...arine+tropical - KM award ceremony in tropical uniforms.

(and surmised by others to be in southern France, possibly Marseille, because of the buildings/ architecture), on a more formal occasion the tunics/ caps are being worn with the (tan) shirt and a standard (black) KM tie. It seems that although the tan web belt can be seen occasionally, the black leather belt often with dark (presumably blue-grey painted steel) buckles is by far the most common:-

Incidentally, for those interested, this is an excellent website on the Monsun U-boat group that operated in the Far East:-

http://monsun-uboats.blogspot.co.uk/

When I receive the tunic (it's on the way from Virtual Grenadier) I'll make a torso mannequin up and post some more pictures with the cap, and when I receive the photograph I'll see if I can make a sharper copy and if so post it. Looks like KM cap heaven!

Best regards, Paul

PS - Thanks to Helmut Weitze for the cap, excellent customer service form them and very rapid delivery. I did ask if there was any history with the cap, but as is usually the case, there wasn't any!

[PaulW]

Just adding the torso mannequin pictures. The shirt/ tie are 'fillers'.