Original Item: Only One Available. This cap is a very nice service used example of a German WWII Wehrmacht Heer Army Cavalry Officer's Schirmmütze (visor cap), with a lovely "Crushed" shape. This "saddle-form" shape is highly desirable, and accomplished by removing the crown support stiffener ring. It features the typical feldgrau (field gray) wool gabardine construction with a forest green "badge cloth" band and a traditional high forward crown. The cap also has matching Goldgelb (Golden Yellow) piping along the top edge and flanking either side of the band, the Corps Color (Waffenfarbe) for Cavalry, as well as reconnaissance and armored reconnaissance units with cavalry traditions. It has the correct silver bullion chin strap, indicating that it is for an officer.

It is decorated with a very silvered aluminum eagle insignia on the peak and and an open silvered zinc oak leaf and acorn wreath surrounding a metal tri-color cockade on the band. The red felt insert on the cockade is still present and vibrant, with just a bit of plating loss on the cockade and wreath, and the peak eagle is in great shape. The chin strap is attached with the standard silvered buttons on either side of the cap. The vulcanfibre visor has a smooth black leather-look upper, exhibiting light wear along the edge and is brown on the underside. It has a lovely pattern of checking and crazing on the upper side, confirming the age.

The interior of the cap shows quite a bit of age, and it has definitely had work done on it in the past. It is lined with a cream rayon blend fabric, though it is torn around the bottom. There has been a piece of cardboard placed inside the cap to help maintain the shape, as it looks like the original stiffener around the edge has been removed or deteriorated. The lining shows staining, and the original celluloid sweat shield diamond is missing, with traces of the stitching visible. The sweatband is made from gray leather, and was definitely replaced, though we cannot tell if this was a wartime or post war addition.

The cap definitely saw a lot of service during the war, which has given at a great "salty" service used look, which is simply impossible to duplicate. This is a cap that was "really there", and it has the staining and wear to show it. The exterior however still looks great, and this is definitely a great cap for display.

A great well broken in example of the classic hat worn by German Cavalry Officers in WWII. Very impressive and 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.