Hechtgraue sappeure leutnant

[ccj]

Here's a nice looking tunic for an officer in the Austro-Hungrarian Army. This is an early war tunic for a Sapper (or possibly ir73 german or ir43 hungarain)

What are your opinions. I've love to know others thoughts on construstion, color, etc.

[ccj]

more...

[ccj]

more details...

[ccj]

more

[ccj]

Collar and buttons

[ccj]

inside

[flik]

Hi ccj,

the tunic looks fine. Construction is tipical for a war time tunic (diferent materials etc.). Some things are not 100% "textbook" but this is often the case with war time austrian tunics. This is IMO a nice untuched example.

Considering the unit question. This can not be a IR because the material is welvet. Also the rank is not a star but a rossete so it can not be sappers.
This tunic has a golden rossete so the branch is IMO ither "Militarbauingenieure" of Landwehr or. "Technische Beamte des Technischen Militarkomitees".

[ccj]

Thank you.

I need to do more research.

[ccj]

So, this tunic is not really military but rather a civil servant tunic?

I'm not sure what either of these are... "Militarbauingenieure" of Landwehr or. "Technische Beamte des Technischen Militarkomitees

[ccj]

I'm confused on the topic of rosettes and stars.

Were there actually rosettes or were they stars with rosettes superimposed?

I know stars very well, the tunic has a star with a rosette on it and the image has a simple rosette.

[flik]

Well, my german si very bad but "Militar bauingenieure" would mean something like Military construction engineer (in the Landwer). For "Technische Beamte des Technischen Militarkomitees" look at this link:
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/K.u.k._...%C3%A4rkomitee
This could be called a "civilian" rank but this is still a nice combat tunic and IMO probably manufactured 1914-15.

You have all kinds of rossets ... some more bulky some more elegant. It all depends on manufacture and even the time of manufakture (at least as far as I know). The stars for officers on the other hand have the same design since they were introduced in the mid 19. century and up to second word war (and beyond ...), but they do come in diferent sizes.
The main diference between a officers star and a rossete during ww1 is that the stars always has six circular ornaments near the centre (unless they fell of at some point ). Even without them, the six pointed star is very "clean" and without the extra bullion embroidery between the spokes.

[ccj]

Thanks,

I've been studying on this a bit this weekend and I hope to pinpoint exactly what this tunic is shortly. I think you are correct 'flik'...

Its some sort of Civil Engineer in the Landwehr. I'm now tryingto learn what this sort of person did during the war years. Supervise road or fortificaiton construction; minefield construction; or possibly demolition projects?

[ccj]

Various rank stars

[flik]

Yes, this are examples of diferent typs of rossets. Also, in general, the rank braid for higher ranks of "beamte" has a distinctive vave, very diferent from a straith zig-zag patern of the military ranks. The buttons with a imperial eagle are also seen only on beamte uniforms.

Here is a typical star for "military" ranks.
http://www.mlorenz.at/Bewaffnete_Mac...lt_vs%2001.jpg

[ccj]

Thanks, you are most helpful. I have some knowledge of regular stars from earlier collecting but no knowledge of the rest.

This is from my small collection of KuK