Michael Wittmann visor cap question, need some help

[1canparaman]

Hi,

Im trying to put together a Michael Wittmann uniform for reenacting at reading airshow, PA USA. I already have the uniform together but then i have a problem. I want this to be as accurate as possible but the hat visor cap is confusing me. At what point would a German soldier be awarded the silver bullion chin cord for the visor cap? As Michael Wittmann obtained the rank of Hauptsturmführer im curious if i would get the cord. In photos i see of him he has the cord on and the cord off. but the majority of photos i see of him are without the cord and with the rank of Obersturmführer. I just want to get this right. Attached is a link to the company i will be purchasing the cap from and the one in the particular link is the one with the cord. If anyone could point me in the right direction with that that would be great!

SS General Officer Visor Cap from Hessen Antique

Not sure if General officer literally means "General" Or it just means a high ranking officer.

Riley

[Walkwolf]

I'm guessing that bullion chinstraps were not worn in the field.
Generals chinstraps are gold.........

[Adrian]

What rank are you having on the uniform?

Look for photos of him with that rank and note the cap he is wearing at the time. If he has cords on and off, you can choose which ever suits.

There are those more qualified than I to comment but I would think the the rank of Untersturmführer would be the point silver cords were worn on the cap. This rank, to the best of my knowledge, is when the silver edges to the collar tabs were worn.

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Riley, the cap from Hessen is for the rank of General. You don't want that cap as it is silver piped.

Adrian is right on the cap cords for Officers.

Wittman can be seen wearing in period photos wearing two patterns of cap. The first is the conventional Waffen SS Officers schirmmütze (In English the peaked cap or in the US known as a Visor cap). This will have Officers cap cords and regulation piping in the universal white of the SS.

He also wore the earlier field cap for Officers. This is known as a "Crusher cap" to US collectors. This has no cap cords and was either piped white or piped in Pink for Panzer troops.

Hope this helps?

Cheers, Ade.

[BenVK]

It's actually a bit more complicated much like everything in the SS and Waffen SS!

The lowest rank I've seen wearing "Officers" silver cap cords is a SS-Standartenoberjunker or an Officer candidate before being commissioned as an Untersturmfuehrer. Much like this young chap standing next to Dietrich.

[BenVK]

Wittmann's final rank was Hauptsturmführer but at the time this famous photo was taken, he was an Obersturmführer yet wears a service cap that looks to me like it has the plain black wool centreband of an NCO cap and obviously no chincords or chinstrap which was pretty common practice amongst members of the WSS.

[BenVK]

If it were me, I'd probably go for an Officers fieldcap with leather peak and velvet band like in this photo.
Looks very dashing!

[spandau]

I agree with ben, go for the crusher look..........now you've got the cap sorted all you need is a Tiger !

[stonemint]

Or you can go for the U-boat leathers/M-43 look:

[Neil Hever]

Good advice above! We see many photos of officers wearing older model NCO/Mannschaften caps or the so called "Crusher" type without cord. Several things may be at play; no time to get a new cap after a rank upgrade, the old cap denotes veteran status, the old cap was comfortable, a desire not to be recognized as an enemy officer in the field, a desire to look more like the enlisted men in pursuit of Kameradschaft or simply a fashion choice. A cap with no cord for a Wittman impression would be fine as far as I'm concerned. NH