Original Item: Only One Available. This is an original German WWII Heer Army Artillery EM/NCO Schirmmütze visor cap with a pronounced crushed or saddle form created by removal of the crown stiffener. It is constructed from Feldgrau whipcord weave wool with a dark bottle green cap band, Hochrot deep red piping, aluminum insignia, and a black leather enlisted chinstrap.

The cap retains the traditional high forward crown and three rows of deep red piping, with one row around the upper crown seam and two flanking the flaschengrün (dark bottle-green) "badge cloth" band. This Waffenfarbe is associated here with Heer artillery related branches.

The front is fitted with a well detailed stamped aluminum Heer eagle above an open aluminum oak leaf wreath surrounding a metal tricolor cockade. The aluminum insignia remain bright and in very good condition. The plated cockade shows oxidation and some plating loss, while the red center insert remains vibrant.

The dual buckle black leather chinstrap is attached by black lacquered side buttons and is consistent with EM/NCO configuration. The strap shows minor surface degradation to the finish from age.

The vulcanfibre visor has a smooth black leather look upper surface with edge wear and fine age related crazing and checking. The underside is finished in a checkered brown pattern.

The interior is lined with orange service cloth material showing staining from use. The principal condition issue is a large area of missing lining at the rear left, measuring approximately:

6" x 3"

This loss exposes the original internal construction and seams. The cause of the damage is unknown.

The original celluloid diamond sweat shield is completely missing, although much of its original retaining stitching remains. Beneath the former shield area is a clearly stamped size:

57

The light brown leather sweatband remains in very good lightly used condition overall, except in the rear left area corresponding with the damaged lining.

Under the sweatband at the rear left is a maker and date marking:

C. Teufel Sohn
1937

A second period marking appears toward the front left next to a 1939 date:

Carl Bangert
Uniform-mützenfabrik
Koblenz

Both markings are consistent with period manufacture, but the reason for the presence of two different maker names and dates is unclear. One possibility is that a component such as the sweatband was supplied separately and incorporated during later manufacture, though the exact production history cannot be established from the surviving markings alone.

No obvious signs of postwar alteration, reconstruction, or nonperiod assembly are described.

Overall exterior condition is very good, with the original colors well retained and only light service wear. There are scattered moth holes across the crown and sides. The red piping remains mostly intact but shows a few small nips and localized fraying.

With its crushed saddle form, Feldgrau whipcord construction, deep red artillery piping, aluminum Heer insignia, EM/NCO leather chinstrap, size 57 marking, and unusual dual period maker stamps dated 1937 and 1939, this is a particularly interesting Heer Artillery visor cap. The scattered moth damage, cockade oxidation, visor wear, missing sweat shield, and substantial rear interior lining loss are all fully disclosed. It would display especially well in a Heer Artillery headgear, EM/NCO visor cap, crush cap, branch color, or advanced German WWII uniform 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.