Kriegsmarine collar patch question

[John R.]

Why in the first photo does the sailor have plain blue patches on each collar while in the second, the sailor has a horizontal white line across the patch.

Also, does anyone know what the name in German is for these collar patches?

John

[John R.]

second sailor

Horizontal white stripe.

[John R.]

Collars

Perhaps it is just another style of "pea" or "reefer" jacket since in the second there is white piping all the way around the collar.

[Laurens Q-fin]

Normally, a collar tab in German is called Kragenspiegel. I am not aware of any other names...
I am not familiar with Kriegsmarine insignia so forgive me I cannot comment on the meaning of these particular tabs.

Cheers,
Laurens

[david stone]

Its a form of rank. First guy is lower rank. The guy with the stripe is something like a "petty officer", and he is wearing tresse braid just like Army NCOs do, except it is in gold. Not white, but gold metallic (or gold Cellon) braid. Highest NCO ranks wear officer type uniforms. Collar braid is the same for different NCO ranks, the exact grade is shown by various lines of gold braid the collar tabs.
"Kragenspiegel" is the generic word for collar tab, and the Germans called this color of lighter blue "Kornblumenblau", or corn-flower blue.
Be advised the East German navy kept the same system of naval rank for enlisted guys and the older collar tabs are very similar to Third Reich...same with the "career" and specialty badges. Many were unchanged, and the older ones can be hard to tell from WWII ones.

Dave

Perhaps it is just another style of "pea" or "reefer" jacket since in the second there is white piping all the way around the collar.

[pzrwest]

KM patch

The man with no stripe on the patch is a seaman. With one gold stripe he is a Maat with 2 gold stripes on the patch he would be an OberMaat.