Lightweight officers M43 Cap for comment

[djpool]

And of course the weirdest of all caps. I posted this once before.Everyone likes it, even though we're not exactly sure what it is.Jim

[BenVK]

Jim, your GD Officer's photo is amazing! I lightened the photo up a bit and it's looks like a one buttoned Bergmutze to me!?

[John Hodgin]

Here are some pics of vented M43?s. 3 of the 4 are from Grossdeutschland.Jim

Hi Jim, I guess we differ on these caps for with their short bills and vents I consider these Berg caps. As I was implying to Ben, if we could time travel and inspect these caps I would bet that they are dated pre or early 1943.
Regards,
John

[BenVK]

You got to love the GD boys, didn't anyone tell this kid that he's got the wrong sized chinstrap?!

[djpool]

Hi Jim, I guess we differ on these caps for with their short bills and vents I consider these Berg caps. As I was implying to Ben, if we could time travel and inspect these caps I would bet that they are dated pre or early 1943.
Regards,
John

Hey John,

I think that private purchase hats just confuse the issue. There seems to be a lot of latitude given especially when it comes to officers. I've seen pics of strange billed caps-no buttons at all, buckles etc.

But your not wrong to categorize the hat I posted as a Bergmutze. I just figured if I called it that, people would ask if there were signs of a Edelweiss. then I would need to explain that Non GJs also wore it. Well we did it anyway. You were just too sharp for me John.

The point of posting the GD Officer was to show that non Gebirgsjagers sometimes wore hats that resembled the gebirgsmutze. They were sharp looking caps!

WR jim

[Colorado]

Simple Ben,

There is no way a cap manufactured in 1942 can be an M43 cap.

All Luftwaffe Bergmütze have vent grommets, Luft. M 43s do not. I've never seen an M 43 cap with vent gromments. IMHO the style of buttons and bill length have no bearing on the model cap. Luft. mountain caps do not have loops under the fold, Luft 43s do. And usually mountain caps have the crown seam double stitched as in the example you posted, 43s do not. Of course this last point gets cloudy when the cap is an officer's and thus has piping around the crown.

Are you going to send me those photos?
Best,
John

Great photos guys. John I agree with you except one point. As far as I know, Luft "single button" M43's do not have loops under the fold where as two button M43's do have the loops.