M43 field cap. The way it was worn.

[TWP]

Hi, how were the M43 field caps worn? What I mean by this is that in period pics, one normally sees them being worn slightly at an angle or on the head. But were they ever worn the way way baseball caps are worn? But worn all the way down tight? What I mean is were they ever worn pulled all the way down unto the head?
I have a size 58 M43 field cap and I wear a size 58, but the M43 field cap I have will be very tight if it is worn pulled all the way down like a baseball cap. Is the cap too small or is my head too big?! Namely, how were they normally worn?
A bit of a stupid question perhaps, but a very curious one for me.
Thanks for your input.

[MartyC]

hat

I asked a German veteran from the 2nd PZ Division about that and he said it was "normal" for soldats to wear the hat cocked toward the right ear, much like a side cap. I have a picture of this vet and he was wearing a "fishing" style cap (for lack of a better term) cocked to the right just like his M43 in the war.

Marty

[TWP]

Hi Marty, so is that why a size 58 M43 field cap will not "completely fit" a size 58 head the way a baseball cap would fit? Pulled all the way down?

[Chris Chalupa]

No, it should fit like normal, but Marty is right, although usually against regs, they caps were worn on a jaunty angle towards the right ear. The peak often had a pinch crease in it, much like an officers schirmutze might have a pinch crease. I have seen examples where the pinch crease was actually sewn into shape from the inside. The same vet Marty (I am assuming Marty) is referring to told me why they wore the schirmutze with a pinch crease, if anyone cares to venture a guess....

[TWP]

Well, I would like to hear why they had a pinched crease as I am none the wiser, Chris.

[Edelweiss]

Aside from the way it was worn on the head, the "chic" was often to pinch the front of the cap around the insigna as Chris said, and to break the visor at an angle. It was especially the case for the Bergmützen, but was also often seen on M43s.
It's the case on a Jäger's M43 I own, and speaking of Jägers, here's a good example (3 M43s here) :

[Edelweiss]

And about the "jaunty angle", here's a clozup of an original pic taken with romanian soldiers :

PS : looks like it was taken from the film "Cross of iron", but it's not James Coburn...

[Chris Chalupa]

This pinch crease was explained by a gentleman who had served as a reservist lieutenant with the panzers on the eastern front, I don't know that this is law, or a hard and fast rule, but he is sharp and doesn't tend to make up details. The pinch crease, according to him, was due to the officer's desire to not have fingerprints on the leather brim of the schirmutze. The cap was picked up and removed by grasping the peak of the hat, eventually forming a crease. He remembered officers losing leave privileges during peacetime for have their brim all smudged up. The crease in M43 was probably a carryover due to the image conciousness of the german soldier to look sharp and like an "old timer". I have seen pinch creases sewn into post war army M43 type caps.

[MartyC]

hat

The tradition lives on! 2nd Panzer vet as seen last year. still wearing his hat tilted over his right ear!!

[TWP]

This has been a great thread full of new information. And now I know about the pinch crease. Thanks for all the information and for the wonderful photos!