German Vice Admiral Günther Lütjens during World War II
Großadmiral Karl Dönitz Official portrait
The Kriegsmarine was the navy of Nazi Germany prior to and during World War II. Kriegsmarine uniform design followed that of the preexisting Reichsmarine, itself based on that of the 1st World War Kaiserliche Marine. Kriegsmarine styles of uniform and insignia had many features in common with those of other European navies, all derived from the British Royal Navy of the 19th century, such as officers' frock coats, sleeve braid, and the "sailor suit" uniform for enlisted personnel and petty officers.
Basic structure[]
The basic structure of Kriegsmarine uniforms and insignia was divided into 5 categories of personnel:
- Matrose (Seaman): Enlisted personnel, usually serving for a short term of enlistment
- Maat: Technical specialist, the equivalent of a Petty Officer
- Feldwebel: Sergeants, sometimes referred to as Matrosenfeldwebel or literally "Sailor Sergeants".
- Marine Offizier: Naval Officers
- Admiral: Flag Officers
Uniform design[]
The uniform for an enlisted sailor consisted of a jacket, a pair of trousers, a white and a blue shirt, matching collars edged with three stripes, a silk neckerchief, grey gloves and a cap with two ribbons. An officer wore a midnight-blue[1] double-breasted jacket with ten brass buttons and a matching peaked cap. U-boat personnel also wore jackets and overtrousers of brown or grey leather. As an unwritten rule, the captain of a U-boat wore a white peaked cap.
When U-boats were at sea, there were few dress restrictions. Full uniforms were typically worn on departure from and return to base, but due to the cramped and humid conditions, U-boat crews wore more comfortable civilian clothing on patrol. These included seaman's jumpers and sleeveless shirts. Lookouts wore oilskins and sou'westers on duty. A grey-brown denim "battle-dress" uniform was also worn on patrol, the original issue being from British uniform stocks abandoned at Dunkirk.[2]
Commissioned Officer ranks[]
| Commissioned Officer Rank Structure of the Kriegsmarine (sleeves and shoulder boards) |
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| Title | Großadmiral Grand Admiral |
Generaladmiral General Admiral |
Admiral Admiral |
Vizeadmiral Vice Admiral |
Konteradmiral Counter Admiral |
Kommodore Commodore |
Kapitän zur See Captain at Sea |
| Shoulder Board Insignia | 
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| Sleeve Insignia | File:Nazi Kriegsmarine Fregattenkapitan.png | 
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| Title | Fregattenkapitän Frigate Captain |
Korvettenkapitän Corvette Captain |
Kapitänleutnant Captain Lieutenant |
Oberleutnant zur See Lieutenant |
Leutnant zur See Lieutenant (junior grade) |
Oberfähnrich zur See Passed Midshipman |
Fähnrich zur See Midshipman |
Ranks of Petty Officers and Seamen[]
Petty Officers and Seaman used a rating system similar to other European navies of the day as well as standard titles of rank. Basic sailors were known as Matrose, while technical specialists were known by the title Maat. Rating badges in the form of a small patch worn on the upper sleeve indicated the particular specialty of the sailor in question.
The enlistment system of the German Navy was designed to differentiate between those sailors wishing to make the Navy a career and those simply completing a standard tour of enlistment. Those who were drafted, or who had no aspirations to become Petty Officers, became Matrosengefreiter (litererally "Seaman Lance Corporals"). Special grades existed for six and eight years of service, denoted by sleeve chevrons.
Steuermann (Petty Officer First Class - Quartermaster)
Obermaat (Petty Officer Second Class)
Bootsmann (Petty Officer First Class) (1) Stabsbootsmann (F) (Petty Officer First Class with 12 years time-in-service) (2) Oberbootsmann (Chief Petty Officer) (3) Stabsoberbootsmann (Chief Petty Officer with 10 years time-in-service, including 3 years time-in-grade.)(4) Fähnrich (Midshipman) (5) Oberfähnrich (Passed midshipman) (6)
Bootsmannsmaat (Petty Officer Third Class - Coxswain) (7) Oberbootsmannsmaat (Petty Officer Second Class - Coxswain) (8) Steuermannsmaat (Petty Officer Third Class - Quartermaster) (9) Obersteuermannsmaat (Petty Officer Second Class - Quartermaster) (10)
Matrosengefreiter (Seaman 2nd class) (1) Matrosenobergefreiter (Seaman 1st class) (2) Matrosenhauptgefreiter (Seaman 1st class with 4 ½ years time-in-service) (3) Matrosengefreiter UA (Seaman after training as Petty Officer) (4) Matrosengefreiter UA (Seaman during training as Petty Officer) (5) Matrosenstabsgefreiter (Seaman 1st class with 6 years time-in-service)( 6) Matrosenoberstabsgefreiter (Seaman 1st class with 8 years time-in-service) (7)
Image Gallery[]
(Seaman Recruit)
(Seaman - Coastal Artillery Gunner)
(Petty Officer Third Class - Yeoman)
(Petty Officer Second Class)
(Petty Officer First Class - Quartermaster)
(Chief Petty Officer - Machinist)
(Lieutenant Commander) (to the left)
Awards and decorations[]
Members of the Kriegsmarine were eligible for all Third Reich military awards as well as certain war badges and medals specific to the Kriegsmarine. The Knights Cross of the Iron Cross was a standard award for highly successful U-boat commanders.
See also[]
- World War II German uniform
- Uniforms and insignia of the Schutzstaffel
- Uniforms and insignia of the Luftwaffe
- Nazi party paramilitary ranks
References[]
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The original article can be found at Uniforms and insignia of the Kriegsmarine and the edit history here.