Original Item: Only One Available. In late 1940, with the impending German entrance into the North African campaign, tropical uniforms headgear and equipment were quickly developed and issued in time for DAK, Deutsches Afrika Korps, (German Africa Corps), personnel’s arrival in Tripoli in February 1941. This is an astoundingly rare M41 field cap marked with size 57 ½, and unlike others we have had in the past, this one is for the Kriegsmarine Navy!

The M41 tropical field cap was introduced in early 1941 and design of the cap was loosely based on the Mountain Troopers, Bergmütze with minor variations. Officer ranks caps were distinguished from EM/NCO’s with silver piping for the ranks of Lieutenant to Oberst and gilt piping for the ranks of Generalmajor to Generalfeldmarschall while EM/NCO’s ranks caps were not piped. Within the Kriegsmarine, these caps were most often seen used by ground forces, particularly those of the Küstenartillerie (Coastal artillery) forces.

This very good lightly used example is correct in all respects. Issued to coastal artillery units and other Naval ground forces in Africa, it features "whipcord" khaki cotton twill construction, dual-ply, stitched down side and back panels that gently slope to the front center. The cap has two ventilation grommets to each side positioned just below the outer edge of the crown seam. The top center seam is correctly stitched right through the interior liner for added strength.

The front center of the cap has a BeVo-style machine embroidered national eagle in light yellow/gold threads on a folded over, woven tan base. The front center of the dual-ply, downward sloping scalloped panel has a BeVo embroidered national tri-color cockade on a woven tan diamond shaped base. Both the eagle and the cockade are machine-stitched to the outer layer of fabric.

The cap has a cotton twill covered, forward visor with an internal cardboard stiffener. The visor has a subtly raised lip to the top of the forward edge where the fabric overlaps, and has a row of reinforcement stitching to the bottom of the forward edge and in the middle, but this does not extend to the top fabric. The visor does not have any cracks or major creases, and is still flexible, though it is a bit "floppy" in places due to the cardboard stiffener breaking down. The interior of the cap is fully lined in green cotton, marked with size 57 ½ W, though there is no maker marking present.

The overall condition shows light use, with some staining on the interior from sweat and oils, while the exterior looks to have been stained from exposure to something dark. There are no tears or other similar damage, and the galvanized finish on the ventilation grommets is still in great shape. This is really a fantastic example that was "really there", but was well treated during its time in service.

Ready to add to your DAK collection and display!

The Afrika Korps or German Africa Corps (German: Deutsches Afrikakorps, DAK was the German expeditionary force in Africa during the North African Campaign of World War II. First sent as a holding force to shore up the Italian defense of their African colonies, the formation fought on in Africa, under various appellations, from March 1941 until its surrender in May 1943. The term "Afrika Korps" is pseudo-German (so-called "cod-German"), deriving from an incomplete German title. The German term referred solely to the initial formation, the Deutsches Afrikakorps (DAK), which formed part of the Axis command of the German and Italian forces in North Africa. The name stuck, with both news media and Allied soldiers, as the name for all subsequent German units in North Africa. The unit is known for having been commanded by Field Marshal Erwin Rommel.