U Boat Tropical Caps

[BenVK]

I was just watching a documentary about U Boats and it had some outstanding footage of U123 sinking a ship off the coast of Afrika. I managed to get one quick photo with my camera of the crew on the bridge all wearing tropical M41 caps. This is the first time I've seen a U Boat crew wearing this headgear. Does anyone have any other photo evidence?

[aardvark]

Ben, I've seen a few photos of U-boat men wearing the M41. I used to have a photo of Carl Emmermann, U-172 standing next to a crewmember wearing an M41. I'm trying to find the/a photo.

Mark

[aardvark]

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[aardvark]

ok here's some guys wearing pith helmets

[aardvark]

And another M41...U177

[Tim O'Keefe]

Great photos! Is that officer wearing standard KM M41 w/soutache ? sitting next to Rosenbaum? or officers private purchase ?
And in photo with first patern tropenhelms (excellent shot) is the left side shield standard KM shield ? Also where / when was photo taken?

Thanks
Tim

[aardvark]

Tim, I can't tell from the shot whether or not the shield is KM..it's just a blob on the photo...but I'm sure it is KM issue. The photo is taken? The second color photo was taken July 6th 43...right after U177 sank the Canadian steamer "Jasper Park." I guess it's off Africa or the Indian Ocean. These two color photos came from "U-boot Im Focus," a great U-boat magazine. My shot of Rosenbaum shows what I think is an admistrative man wearing an M41..I think I can make out silver piping. Probably a private purchase cap. This photo is in port, Costanza, Romania..on the Black Sea.

Mark

[Tim O'Keefe]

Mark

Thanks alot. Maybe it is gold piping on Officer's M41 ? and is there soutache ?
Tropenhelm left shield perhaps is gold eagle shield. ? I cant tell.

thanks
Tim

[aardvark]

Tim, there is no soutache that I can tell. Maybe the piping is gold..if there even is piping...it's very hard to tell. The man looks to be "older"...he's a Kplt..wish I knew who he was. It's very hard to even ID commanders sometimes. I wish I could help you with the helmet shield...but looking at it, the camera has picked up a light flare so it just looks sort of tan.

Mark

[LeeG]

It looks like he is wearing a standard other-ranks KM tropical field cap like the HPC-made example I posted below.

There is a very good color photo of a blond bearded crewman wearing an other ranks version of this cap on pg 68 (again U-177 in the South Atlantic, probably from the same photo shot) in Gordon Williamson's Torpedo Los.

[billbert]

I m thinking with the slightly larger sized bill and what looks like a slight rake to the front its a french made M41 in the last color foto s Billbert

[BenVK]

Great photos Mark! Rosenbaum looks well cool in his cap and shades!