Color Code for Mutzen

T

turinetti

New member
I'm writing a book on the Headgear of the Imperial German Army in 1914, and want to include a brief section on the soft cloth hats (Mützen, Kratchen, Tellermützen, and Schirmmützen that the troops wore. Can anyone help me with the color scheme of the various branches? I'd like to list the color of the top (Deckel), the piping (Deckelvorsoß) and the band (Bandvorsöß).
Thanks for any help you can provide.
Jim turinetti
 
Jim,
Do you have the Atlas des Deutsches Reichesheer? Really big fold outs by corps? Laine has the Officer colors, and there is a wonderful one page at pg 25 of the Herrmann book on feldmützen. There is of course the split in post grey and blue. Tony and Chip may have great sources.
 
turinettij said:
I'm writing a book on the Headgear of the Imperial German Army in 1914,
Click to expand...

Jim, I have been asked to author books several times by publishers and I have turned them all down as I feel I cannot submit what I believe to be a work worthy of the subject, although I really think Jürgen Krause did a fine job and is the closest yet to a valuable and useful reference.

In all due respect, if you do not even have the references many of us do, and do not have the information on Mützen, Kratchen, Tellermützen, and Schirmmützen and cannot speak on the subject with some competence should you really be writing a book on the Headgear of the Imperial German Army in 1914?

Tony http://www.kaisersbunker.com
 
Jim,

I take an entirely different approach and can't wait to see your book. I know I will learn something, I always do. I know you're qualified to write a book on helmets but as Tony said, adding the rest of the headgear is a pretty broad area. The entire discussion of references, brings to mind the discussion between Zuber and Holmes on the Schlieffen plan. Seems to me that Zuber would often use his newfound reference as a blunt instrument in academic circles. Even more fascinating is the ability of two authors to read the same passage and come up with two different interpretations. These imperial German writers seem to have made an art out of being vague. A real advantage here is that we can point you in a direction of certain references that you may choose to use. Kraus is very good as Tony said, and his two-volume work in German seems to be the best overall source as it is so well documented. It of course lacks the pictures of his one volume work, which also is tremendous. Many authors do a poor job in documenting their references. Sometimes that's a publisher thing. But look at what Bowman did. And these books were considered gospel for decades, despite the glaring errors.

So I say go for it!
 
My posting above seems a little rude now that I read it during daylight, that was not my intent. I regret that.

Another good book that lists all the colors of the cavalry caps, which is really where the variety (and confusion) lies, is: Reiner, H. (2000) Militaerische kopfbedeckungen der kaiserzeit Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart.

Also, there is the famous and often copied Feldmützen color plate from: Ruhl, M. (1914) Die graue felduniform der deutschen Armee. Verlag Moritz Ruhl, Leipzig.

Tony
 
Jim,

Are you referring to the full color caps, the field caps or both? If you are looking for the full color caps, I would suggest Das Deutsche Heer. It's all in color and it's all there. Another source for the field caps is Major Schmidt's color plates, originally printed by the Ruhl Verlag circa 1912 and reprinted in 1983/84 by Druckerei Nehlsen.

Chip
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top