Original Item: Only One Available. This is an original German WWII Heer Army Artillery EM/NCO Schirmmütze visor cap in approximately size 55cm. It retains its original crown support stiffener, giving the cap a crisp high crown profile rather than the slumped saddle form often seen on heavily worn examples. The cap is constructed from field gray Feldgrau whipcord wool with a dark bottle green Flaschengrün badge cloth band and deep red Hochrot piping associated with Artillery and related branches.

The cap has the traditional high forward crown and retains the internal crown support ring, which has helped preserve its original shape. Deep red Waffenfarbe piping runs around the upper crown and along both edges of the band. On an EM/NCO cap of this type, the color is consistent with Artillery and related units such as Assault Gun and Heavy Flak formations.

The front is fitted with a stamped aluminum Heer eagle above an open aluminum oak leaf wreath surrounding an aluminum tricolor cockade. The insignia remain in excellent condition and retain a bright appearance. The red felt center insert of the cockade is also well preserved and free of noticeable moth damage.

A dual buckle black leather chinstrap, appropriate for EM/NCO wear, is secured by black lacquered side buttons. The leather remains complete but shows age related deterioration to the surface finish, including widespread checking, cracking, and areas where the patent style coating has softened and degraded over time.

The Vulkanfiber visor has a smooth black leather look upper surface with wear along the edge. The top shows fine age related crazing and checking. The underside is checkered beige and remains well defined.

The interior is fully lined in a light brown service cloth type material. The lining remains in very good condition overall but shows staining and wear consistent with extended use.

The original celluloid crown sweatshield is completely missing, along with much of the stitching that once secured it. The leather sweatband remains mostly intact and has aged to a rich chestnut brown color. There is tearing along portions of the edge, and some of the sweatband stitching has pulled loose.

A replacement or grafted section of leather measuring approximately 2" is present on the left side of the sweatband and has been stitched into place along the upper edge. This appears to be an old repair or reinforcement.

Overall condition is very good and clearly service used. The colors show only light fading and remain well balanced throughout. No significant moth damage is visible, and there are no major structural issues to the cap body. The combination of the retained crown stiffener, bright insignia, and naturally worn interior gives the cap a strong period appearance.

The interior measures approximately:

55cm

With its retained crown support stiffener, deep red Artillery piping, bright aluminum insignia, EM/NCO leather chinstrap, and measured 55cm size, this is a strong example of a German WWII Heer Artillery visor cap. The deteriorated chinstrap finish, missing celluloid sweatshield, pulled stitching, sweatband tears, and approximately 2" leather repair are all fully disclosed. It would fit especially well in a Heer Artillery, EM/NCO visor cap, German uniform, or advanced WWII headgear collection.

The German Schirmmütze Visor Cap:
The visor cap (Schirmmütze) was an important part of the headgear worn by German uniformed military, civil, paramilitary and political organizations during the Third Reich. This was the standard cloth headgear worn as a part of the service uniform. Visor caps were worn outdoors as well as indoors, and were often required to be worn by all personnel on duty. Visor caps were made in versions specific to each organization and were often further differentiated through the use of insignia, colored piping, or style of chin cord, to indicate rank, role or branch. The insignia used on these caps ranged from simple stamped metal emblems, to elaborate hand embroidery. Visor caps were issued to enlisted soldiers and NCOs in the military and in some other organizations. Officers had to purchase their own hats, and lower ranks could choose to purchase caps that were of a higher quality than the rather basic, issue examples. The private purchase caps were generally made in very high quality, with fine materials. A wide variety of fabrics were used, from Trikot and doeskin, to heavy wool, or even lightweight white fabric for summer wear. In the military, issue of these caps was generally suspended shortly after the outbreak of the war, but they continued to be worn by some troops until the end of the war.