Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice example of a rare Senior NCO's Schirmmütze Visor Cap from the German WWII Navy, known as the Kriegsmarine. Unlike the other branches of the German armed forces, the enlisted men of the Kriegsmarine below senior NCO level did not wear visor caps, so they are quite a bit more scarce, as many fewer were made.

This is a very nice example of an early war Kriegsmarine Senior NCO's Visor cap, in the standard very dark navy blue, which looks almost black. This design of cap does not have any type of removable crown, and there is no stiffener inside the crown, giving it a very flat look, almost like a Tellermütze. The Wehrmachtadler National Eagle Insignia on this cap is unfortunately missing, possibly removed for post war service, or it may have been a metal badge, as we have seen mixes of metal and embroidered insignia from some makers. The front cap badge wreath and tri-color cockade are all hand-embroidered with silver and gold bullion threads, as is the tri-color cockade, which has the correct red felt insert. There are no celeon threads used to keep the bullion in place, and there has been oxidation to the bullion, most noticeable on the gold, while the silver has held up better. By the early WWII period typically the cockade would at least be a cast insignia, but not on this example. The badge is attached to the classic black coarsely woven ribbed band.

The black patent leather chinstrap is in fantastic condition with few flaws, held in place with gilt embossed naval buttons, and the buckles are great with little paint loss. There is a bit of crazing and deterioration to the finish, and one of the keepers is tearing through. The vulcanfibre visor has a black leather-look upper with "melting" to the finish, and is checkered black on the underside. The edge trim is in great shape, still shiny and with fully intact stitching. It is unadorned on the top of the visor, correct for an NCO.

The cap is lined with lovely blue rayon, and there is a mostly intact celluloid sweat-shield diamond on the inside of the crown. The fabric does show a good amount of staining around the edges, probably from exposure to the elements, as there is much less staining where one would expect from contact with the hair. The original markings on the diamond are almost completely worn away, though looking at reflected light we can see that it was made by a company in BREMEN, and at the very top it was marked Die gute Mütze. The sweatband is beige finished leather, and it is in good condition, showing only light wear, however it has cracked and torn along the seams around 25% of the circumference, and is in overall somewhat delicate condition.

Overall the condition is very good, showing light overall light use and wear. There is no moth damage we can see, making this a really great specimen. The cap measures out to about a 56cm, or 7 US.

A very nice example of a rare German WWII Kriegmarine Senior NCO's Visor cap with a missing peak eagle, ready to display!

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.