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**pauke** · 08-06-2020, 06:00 PM

You will find although the standard short-billed issue enlisted man's Bergmuetze had a noticeably short bill officers' caps were not necessarily "issue" style and you see a range of bill lengths. Some officers used enlisted men's issue caps, some wore private purchase, some wore M-43 caps with an Edelweiss. The image of an RKT wearing a private purchase cap is about normal since there are several different options. Hope this answers your question.

**AntiqueWW2** · 08-06-2020, 06:47 PM

The traditional Bergmutze has a very short bill and was only worn in this way at the introduction. It looked like that for 70 Years before the Germans took over and as they put up the first Mountain Troops they kept this Tradition. Only later the appearance of the mountain cap got mixed up. Depending on what was available. Some have simply after the M43 Cap was introduced then this was taken and sewn an edelweiss onto it. In addition where the whole privately purchase pieces which are often different in material and also in appearance. With the officers it was mostly a matter of taste. I have in my collection the Dietls Bergmutze, which has neither a golden piping nor a short Bill. Then I have Bergmutzen with an extremely short Bill.I also have Bergmutzen from the Jager troops, also with extremely short bill. Which are much harder to find than the Gebirgsjager Bergmutzen. The most sought-after Bergmutzen are certainly those with very short bill, the traditional ones.

**Ernst60** · 08-06-2020, 07:39 PM

THANKS SO MUCH for the prompt responses!!

**OSS** · 08-07-2020, 10:08 AM

I have long believed that true Bergmuetze ceased to be manufactured after the introduction of the M-43 (Einheitsfeldmutze) and that from that point an Edelweiss was added to the standard cap. I have never seen one dated later than '43.

**BenVK** · 08-07-2020, 04:46 PM

I guess these guys didn't get the memo about that..

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**AntiqueWW2** · 08-07-2020, 05:06 PM

Originally posted by OSS View Post

I have long believed that true Bergmuetze ceased to be manufactured after the introduction of the M-43 (Einheitsfeldmutze) and that from that point an Edelweiss was added to the standard cap. I have never seen one dated later than '43.

The M43 cap had absolutely nothing to do with the Bergmutze. It was produced and worn until the end of the war. There are more than enough pictures to prove this, and I have and had Bergmutzen dated 43 and 44. A Gebirgsjager were proud to wear a Bergmutze....

**OSS** · 08-07-2020, 08:25 PM

I was not suggesting that GJs were required to dispose of their Bergmuetze in 1943 to make way for the M-43, only that Bergmuetze were no longer manufactured after 1943. Naturally you will see Jagers wearing them until the bitter end. If you have a '44 dated Mountain cap, I would love to see it.

**B. N. Singer** · 08-08-2020, 09:25 AM

Originally posted by OSS View Post

...only that Bergmuetze were no longer manufactured after 1943..

I would concur with this general premise.

B. N. Singer

**MarcoPennisi** · 08-08-2020, 10:05 AM

When studying primary sources, you’ll read more often than not that when an item of new pattern was introduced, items of older pattern were directed to be used up “until stocks are exhausted”. No surprise if superseded items of clothing areobserved being worn in late war years. Throwaway society was yet to come and not a choice in war economy. The bill ain’t the only detail to tell a mountain cap from an M43 field cap, incidentally.

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