Those Plaid or Checkered Kriegsmarine Shirts...

[WWIIBuff]

That is a very nice example Ray, and I recognize it from Torpedo Los. Congratulations and thanks for showing it to us again.

Does is have any type of markings on it?

[pauke]

plaid

The red or blue plaid shirt was a common popular shirt and remained so well into the 1970's or so. I have somewhere a photo of an infantry Gefreiter wearing one under his tunic. He was an acquaintance of mine. So I suspect its widespread usage under or with a uniform in non-dress situations was about as logical as Americans wearing tee shirts.

[-Ray-]

That is a very nice example Ray, and I recognize it from Torpedo Los. Congratulations and thanks for showing it to us again.

Does is have any type of markings on it?

I cant recall any markings. I have it set up on a dummy at the time to look. Thanks for the nice comment.


-Ray-

[helmet841]

One of my favorite war themed movies is the 1959 West German made "Stalingrad: Dogs do you want to live forever”. In the film you can see an infantry officer wearing a plaid shirt underneath his tunic. I know this does not prove anything about what was worn during the war but it seems unlikely they would show an officer wearing that shirt if it was not accepted dress at that time.

See the 13:00 minute area.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Vn5...5b7O5L1tjhEUa7

Steve

[Gran Sasso]

Here is another one (for sale at the moment):

[John R.]

That one photo of the S-Boat crew is interesting but I notice that every one of them is wearing non-standard clothing and they're in very casual poses so perhaps they were just horsing around for a photo?
---Norm

No way Norm. I would say that you are correct in that the larger the vessel, the less likely you would wear a shirt like this. For example, on a cruiser or battleship. Since most KM officers were not serving in those large warships, I would think this shirt was worn extensively throughout the German Navy of the time.

Plus, if it was in the supply system, even if the regulation technically said U-boat crew only, it could be obtained by anybody with a decent supply petty officer.

It is like those US leather fighter pilot and bomber jackets. They got around to all kinds of non-aviation personnel no matter what the regulation said.

My opinion.

The reason we do not see many for sale these days is that the shirt was probably worn long after the war until there was nothing left of it.

John

[Norm F]

Here's an unusual and interesting portrait. A Heer uniform with the Afrika cufftitle and Minesweeper badge combined with the checkered shirt.

So is this an exclusively Navy shirt that was just worn in this case by a KM sailor who was assigned to land troops and brought some of his wardrobe over, or do you think the Heer also wore the checkered shirt?

Best regards,
---Norm

[lucalocatelli]

Here's an unusual and interesting portrait. A Heer uniform with the Afrika cufftitle and Minesweeper badge combined with the checkered shirt.

So is this an exclusively Navy shirt that was just worn in this case by a KM sailor who was assigned to land troops and brought some of his wardrobe over, or do you think the Heer also wore the checkered shirt?

Best regards,
---Norm

Hi Norm, also heer used this kind of shirts.
I saw many pictures of gebirgsjager using them on portrait, during training and in combat too.

Best,
Luca

[Norm F]

Thanks Luca. Could you post more photos in this thread?

Best regards,
---Norm

[lucalocatelli]

A couple of portraits founded on google.

Luca

[Hauptmann109]

Gebirgsjäger were permitted to wear checkered collared shirt under their tunics for all ranks. While mountaineering one changes their short during their breaks a lot to avoid catching a chill as the sweat would then get very cold up in the mountains while on your break. Always change your shirt if it's wet is the rule.

Gebirgsjäger had a lot more leeway to their uniforms, as they were allowed to wear civilian boots, putters, coats and shirts.

[Norm F]

Very interesting. The Gebirgsjäger shirts in those photos are a larger checkered pattern, whereas all the KM shirts we've seen so far in this thread show the small, presumably blue, checkered pattern. So one still wonders if the small blue-checkered patterned shirts were specifically KM issue? I see from Ray's posting they also have cardboard buttons, not unlike the KM blue shirts (but a different colour and 2 holes instead of 4 holes).

Best regards,
---Norm

[48RMC]

I am sure I read somewhere that those shirts were official issued by the KM. Will go trough my books to see where it was.

Regards
Christian

And the answer is Gordon Williamson Torpedo los

[Norm F]

I am sure I read somewhere that those shirts were official issued by the KM. Will go through my books to see where it was.

Regards
Christian

And the answer is Gordon Williamson Torpedo los

Actually Christian had already answered his own question here:

Found it:
Schlicht/Angolia, Kriegsmarine

Rough translation form German:

"16.09.1941 the wear of colored and or plaited shirts is permitted, but with a white collar for officers and senior NCO's....."

than later in the war

"with regulation 14.06.1944 colored shirts could be distributed to senior NCO's instead of white shirts.."
Distributed means officially in my opinion."

Would love to see the regulation in the original German wording to verify.

I saw some pics were soldiers wearing the same shirt color and pattern...which indicates to me that they were shopping together...or the shirts were officially given out.

Regards
Christian

But the more specific question now is whether the small blue-checkered shirt was limited to KM issue while other different varieties of patterned shirts could be seen on other services like the Gebirgsjäger.

(I'll have to dig out my Torpedo Los to see if there was anything else on this topic.)

Best regards,
---Norm

[Hauptmann109]

I can't say anything about the KM shirts, but I can confirm that the GJ shirts were private and in no way issued. However quite often large quantities would be ordered from one shop if the whole unit was granted time to go to town....poor tailor!