Caps worn by the motorized (kraftfahr) troops
Hi
One idea that popped into my head about lap 35 on my tuesday morning swim was doing a thread on the history of the motorised troops of the german army through their caps.
Pink piping has always been a premium colour and collected by many people for many reasons but up until the 1935 expansion of their armed forces the Germans had very little in terms of motorised transport.
Indeed at the start of ww1 they only had one battalion (prussian) of Kraftfahr troops and one company in Bavaria. The horse still commanded the main slot in transportation and did so up to 1945.
Uniform wise the prussian kraftfahr battalion wore a cap that was made of black material and was piped in poppy red. The cap band was also black.
This example has the short stubby peak circa 1900 and follows the 1896 regulations for the overhang of the crown. It is for a reservist with the prussian battalion. The owners name is written inside and displays the makers marks clearly. the national cockade is correctly placed on the crown.
This changed in 1907 with the introduction of the new field grey uniform but the
poppy red piping remained as did the black band on the uniform cap. This uniform was confirmed in 1911 and was the same for the telegraph and railway troops. There was also a 1907 issue black leather made cap for drivers with red leather piping.
This example of field cap has a leather peak and the black banding. It is for an NCO and is of the style that would have been worn in the the prussian battalion.
Following WW1 tanks were off the agenda for the army, real ones at any rate but the reichswehr embraced the idea of motorisation and established several motorised battalions for transport within the army. The 1921 regulations instituted the new brach colour of "rosa" for these troops and made the distinction between them and other branches of service that had not occured in the Imperial army.
This example is a cap made about 1934/35 and has been used in the TR era.
The cap band is field grey and the rosa or pink piping still nice and clear.
Finally the panzer divisions come to the fore from 1935 onwards and the mechanisation of certain parts of the army gathers pace. the motorised battalions appear to have been absorbed into these new units and used as cadre
to build up the size of the wehrmacht in the late 1930's.
Two examples for the panzer units. One officer and one NCO.
In conclusion we go from 1900 when anything that was motorised was almost seen as witchcraft and a meanace that startled the horses to 1945 when without tanks in support you were stuffed !
thanks for reading
cheers
tony
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