German north africa Cap

[Yaniv111]

Hello
Any idea what type of cap does he wear?
i added picture
Yaniv.

[Adrian Stevenson]

One of the most famous types of cap worn in WW2 by German soldiers.

Here is one from my collection.

Cheers, Ade.

[Yaniv111]

wow nice cap ade
you got to have a very nice collection.
do the cap called m41?
Thanks again
Yaniv.

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Yaniv, thanks for the kind comment.

These caps were first made in 1940. I prefer not to use these collectors terms like "M40 or M41" as they were not used during the war by the Germans. It is really much beter to call things by their original German names. This cap was known to the German soldiers of the Afrikakorps as the "Afrikamutze". (Literally the "Africa cap".) It was entered into the Soldbuch clothing list as "Feldmutze mit Schirm". (Field cap with peak or visor is US terms.)

Cheers, Ade.

[ErichK]

Every collector needs one!

[SpenceMortlock]

Not being up to speed on these at all, can someone enlighten me on the colour variation? Ade's cap almost appears a chocolate colour and ErichK's cap an olive green, but both Army insignia?

Thanks,

Spence

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Spence, the colour of these varied from maker to maker and exposure to light will vary things even more.

Generally speaking, earlier ones tend to be darker in shade.

Both are Heer (Army) issue.

I should add that it was very fashionable with the troops in North Africa to bleach their caps to a bone white colour. All soldiers want to look like combat hardened Veterans and not the new replacement straight off the boat! They washed them multiple times, sometimes in petrol, left them in the sun as much as possible, etc, etc.

Cheers, Ade.

[Jerry B]

They also used the anti gas tablets to bleach them, or so I have read. Ade, has yours had its soutache removed? Both very good heer tropenmutze or Afrikamutze. Some people call them M40's and others call them M41's, so take your pick, but someone will probably give you grief in either case, so as Ade said, call them an Afrikamutze.

Jerry

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Jerry, yes it has had the soutach removed and guess what colour it was? Panzer pink!

Here is the thread I wrote 2 years ago about my cap which shows it in more detail:

DAK Tropical Feldmutze

Cheers, Ade.

[Yaniv111]

very intresting fact ade
ill definitely add this to my collection in the future
Yaniv.