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Collar Insignia: AFV
Uniforms
| THE BLACK AFV UNIFORM German collar patches traditionally showed the soldier's rank as well
as the branch of service. When the black AFV uniform was introduced, however, all
ranks wore the same special pattern of collar patch. In keeping with the traditional
aspects of the black AFV uniform, and the desired link to the Hussar units of old, the new
collar patches had a death's head emblem on a black patch, piped in waffenfarbe. The
skull was a white metal addition, and did not come in left and rights, though the collar
patches themselves were indeed issued in pairs conforming to the shape of the collar of
the new uniform.
It was originally intended that AFV crews would only wear the
AFV uniform for field duty, and that the standard Field Blouse or Waffenrock would be worn
for other duties, or when off duty. The special collar patches were not worn on
these uniforms, but rather standard collar patches appropriate to the wearer's rank were
worn instead. |
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| At
right, Joseph Rettermaier receives the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross from the Hitler
personally. Period photos like this clearly show that as the war went on, the black
AFV uniform was not used only for field wear! Being an attractive uniform, it was
very popular as a walking out uniform also. |
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As men in other trades began assuming the wear
of the AFV uniform, patches in their waffenfarbe were created. The 24th Panzer
Division, the only panzer division to be created directly from a former cavalry unit,
retained their golden yellow piping, but reconaissance troops in other divisions who wore
the AFV uniform also wore this waffenfarbe. Armoured signal troops and artillery
troops began to wear the AFV uniform, and in May 1940, armoured pioneer troops adopted a
black and white "twist piping" for use on uniform accoutrements. The
introduction of the field grey AFV uniform alleviated the need for twist piping, as the
traditional black waffenfarbe stood out against the field grey collar patches and shoulder
straps. |
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Michael Pruett, author of FIELD
UNIFORMS OF GERMAN ARMY PANZER FORCES IN WORLD WAR TWO and co-author of FIELD UNIFORMS OF
GERMANY'S PANZER ELITE provides the following information on the various collar patches
worn on the black AFV uniform::
Totenkopf
Collar Patches
Black AFV Uniform
Colours mentioned includes piping on the collars, collar tabs, and
shoulderstraps/boards. |
| 1934 - 1937 |
| Panzertruppen |
Armoured troops |
| Stab and Panzerspähkompanien in
Aufklärungs-Abteilungen (mot.) |
Headquarters and Armoured Car companies in
Motorized Reconnaissance Units |
| Panzernachrichten |
Armoured Signals troops |
| Changes and Additions |
| Panzernachrichten (Armoured
Signals) changed to Lemon Yellow in 1937 Stab
and Panzerspähkompanien in Aufklärungs-Abteilungen (mot.) changed to Golden Yellow
(except for Motorized Reconnaissance Units in 1st, 2nd, 4th and 5th Panzer Divisions, who
continued to wear pink)
Beobachtungsbatterie in Artillerie-Regimenter (mot.)
(Oberservation Batteries in Motorized Artillery Regiments) adopted pink patches etc. in
1938 as did crews of Sd Kfz 265 Kleiner Panzerbefelswagen. |
| 1940 |
| Panzerabwehrkompanien. Equipped with 4.7cm
Pak (t) (Sf) auf Pz Kpfw I Ausf. B. |
Anti Tank Units using the PzKpfw I ausf B |
| Schwere Infanteriegeschützkompanien (mot.)
701 - 706 |
Heavy Infantry Gun Company (Motorized),
numbers 701 to 706 |
| 1941 |
| Panzerjägerkompanien. Renaming of the
Panzerabwehr Eisenbahnpanzerzüge. |
Literally (tank hunting companies), this was
a renaming of anti-tank units (or "tank defence" units). |
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Rose Pink
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| 1937 |
| Artillerie Lehr Regiment Jüterbog |
Artillery Training Regiment Jüterbog |
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Rose Pink
sans skull
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| 1937 |
| Panzernachrichten |
Armoured Signals troops |
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Lemon Yellow
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| 1938 |
| Panzerspähkompanien in
Aufklärungs-Abteilungen (mot.)* |
Headquarters and Armoured Car companies in
Motorized Reconnaissance Units* |
| *
Except those in 1st, 2nd, 4th and 5th Panzer Divisions |
| Aufklärungs-Regimenter in the Leichte
Divisions. |
Reconnaissance Regiments in Light Divisions |
| 1941 |
| Panzer Regiment 24 of the 24th
Panzer Division retained Golden Yellow piping; the division was a redesignation of the 1st
Cavalry Division who had worn golden yellow. |
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Golden Yellow
|
| 1939 |
| Stab and Panzerspähkompanien in
Aufklärungs-Abteilungen (mot.) |
Headquarters and Armoured Car companies in
Motorized Reconnaissance Units |
| Some units continued to wear rose
pink and golden yellow, however |
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Copper Brown
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| 1940 |
| Black & white twist piping 3rd or 2nd
Kompanie (depending on unit) in Panzerpionier-Bataillon |
2nd or 3rd Company of Armoured Engineer
Battalion |
| Black and white "twist" piping was used. In 1941, black & silver twist piping was worn by the Stab
(headquarers) of Panzerpionier battalions as well as (unofficially) by individuals in some
the 3rd Company of some Panzerpionier-Bataillonen. In
1943 black & white "fleck" piping was factory produced as an intended
replacement for black & white twist
piping worn by Stab (headquarters) and tank crews in the Panzerpionier-Bataillone - who
were by now receiving their own tanks. |
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Black & White
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| 1941 |
| 2./(gp) Führer-Begleit-Bataillon |
2nd (Armoured) Company, Führer Guard
Battalion |
| This unit reformed into 5./(Pz.)
Führer-Begleit-Bataillon sometime in late 1941, early 1942. The FBB drew its
personnel from Infantry Regiment "Grossdeutschland" |
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White
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| 1941 |
| Beobachtungsbatterie (Sf) (Selbstfahrlafette) |
Motorized Artillery Observation Battery |
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Red
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Other Notes:
Reconnaissance Units:
In 1942 the Aufklärungs-Abteilungen (mot.) and
Kradschützen-Bataillone were officially merged into Kradschützen (Motorcycle)-
Bataillone. With the exception of units serving in Africa the term
"Aufklärungs-Abteilungen (mot.)" was no longer officially used.
Headquarters and the First (Armoured Car) company of the new Kradschützen Battalions
wore, depending on unit, either rose pink, golden yellow or copper brown!
In 1943, the Kradschützen- Bataillone were
abolished and reformed into Panzersufklärungs-Abteilungen. Officially the unpopular color
copper brown was discontinued at this time and all Panzersufklärungs-Abteilungen were to
convert to rose pink. Unofficially, golden yellow continued to be worn in the
Panzersufklärungs-Abteilungen.
In 1944, Golden Yellow offiicially replaced rose pink in the headquarters and
armoured car companies of Armoured Reconnaissance Units. A few units continued to
wear the pink in defiance of regulations.
Collar Piping: Beginning in 1939 black
Panzer jackets began to be manufactured without collar piping.
Black and White Piping (either twist or
fleck): continued to be worn (as well as black and silver) on the black Panzer uniforms of
certain Panzerpionier-Bataillone until the end of the war.
Sturmartillerie (Assault Artillery): Many
individuals in Sturmartillerie and Panzerartillerie chose to wear the black Panzer uniform
with red piped Totenkopf collar tabs.
Piped Collar Tabs: Beginning in 1943
soutache (previously used as an inverted "V" on the Feldmütze) began to be used
as a intended replacement for the Totenkopf collar tabs. The soutache was machine
sewn in a rhomboid shape directed to the collar of the jacket. The Totenkopf was then
pinned into the center of the rhomboid. It should be noted that the Totenkopf collar tabs
continued to be manufactured until the end of the war.
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The metal skull devices were made of thin white
metal and attached by prongs. In some instances the skulls were angled with
respect to the sides of the
patch so as to be vertical when viewed on the jacket. |
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TROPICAL
UNIFORMS |
| While there was no tropical version of the AFV uniform,
panzer troops still sought to distinguish themselves by wearing the death's head pins
directly on the lapels of their tropical uniforms, in conjunction with the standard collar
patches. |
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Oberstleutnant Mildebrath,
commander of Panzer Regiment 5, wears the tropical tunic with skulls on the lapels. |
THE
FIELD GREY AFV UNIFORM - Stumgeschütz and Sturmartillerie units
The introduction of the field grey version of
the AFV uniform, after May 1940, and the introduction of a wider array of troops mounted
in armoured fighting vehicles led to a bewildering array of insignia designed specifically
for this uniform. |
| Originally, this field grey
AFV uniform had a dark green collar, and standard collar patches were intended to be
worn. The dark green collar didn't make it past the prototype phase, however, and
the issued collar patches were field grey with red piping. The troops to whom this
uniform were issued were collectively known as "Assault Gun Battalions" (Sturmgeschütz
Abteilung), later renamed Assault Gun Brigades, and later yet Assault Artillery
Brigades (Sturmartillerie Brigade). Early versions of this patch
may have been in dark green, but it appears all issue types were in field grey matching
the uniform. |
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| Some time in 1941, the skulls
were ordered removed from the field grey patches. According to Martin Windrow in the
revised edition of The Panzer Divisions by Osprey, photos of troops
wearing the field grey AFV uniform early on in the invasion of Russia are shown wearing
plain patches. Other photos, according to Windrow, however, show that in some units
the skulls were retained until much later, in some cases as late as 1944. |
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| One source gives a January
1943 date for the absolute removal of all skulls and patches, to be replaced by
conventional collar patches. Officers were to wear standard patches, Enlisted Men
were to back their patches with green, and the green patch itself was to be bordered with
waffenfarbe. Sometimes the patches, as on the standard field blouse, were sewn without a
backing (and consequently, without the waffenfarbe border). In March of 1943, crews of assault guns serving in infantry and
panzer-grenadier units were ordered to wear white and grass green waffenfarbe (and thus
collar patches bordered in those colours) instead of red waffenfarbe. All others
retained the red.
The illustrations at right show the prewar waffenfarbe style
litzen, though the later universal patterns (both dark green and field grey) were also
worn with the waffenfarbe borders. |
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| It does not appear that
assault artillery crews wore the field grey AFV uniform exclusively; there is photographic
evidence of troops wearing the black AFV uniform with rose piping, and in some cases, rose
piped black collar patches without skulls. This may have been the result of a
shortage of field grey uniforms. By 1944, there
was a very large mix of uniforms and insignia combinations in most self-propelled gun
units, despite "official" orders prescribing the adoption of newer
insignia. As with most items of dress in the German military, shortages of newer
patterns, reluctance to change, and official permission to "wear out" older
patterns resulted in this apparent confusion and disorder. |
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At
right, Field Grey AFV uniform worn by German prisoner arriving in the United States after
the fall of Tunisia; summer 1943. The litzen type collar patches are apparent sewn
to a dark green backing, and edge in waffenfarbe. Also of note is the lack of
devices on the shoulder boards (which are either dark green or black rather than field
grey). US ARMY Signal Corps photo
Below - the me at left
and right wear the third pattern field grey collar patches on their jackets while the
officer at centre wears standard officer's pattern collar patches.
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THE FIELD
GREY AFV UNIFORM - Panzerjäger units
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| The anti tank units at first wore standard black
AFV uniforms with standard rose piped collar patches and skulls. The only visible
uniform distinction they had from tank crews were a "P" cypher on their shoulder
straps. Some anti-tank gun crews seem to have worn the field grey uniform with the
same distinctions - i.e. rose piping on shoulder straps and collar patches, with a
"P" cypher on the shoulder strap. In
February 1942, the adoption of the field grey AFV uniform was made official, as was the
use of rose piped shoulder straps (either dark green or field grey) and black
collar patches with skulls, as well as continuation of the use of "P" cyphers. |
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| In May 1944, a comprehensive list of changes to the
uniforms of panzerjäger units ordered that panzerjäger units in
- Panzer Division
- Panzergrenadier Division
- Army or Corps level units equipped with the Elefant
were to wear the black AFV uniform, with rose piped black
collar patches and skulls, and "P" cyphers on shoulder straps.
Panzerjäger units in
- Army or Corps command (but not equipped with the Elefant)
- Infantry Divisions
- Jäger Divisons
- Mountain Divisions
were to wear the field grey uniform, with the rose piped
black collar patches and skulls and "P" cyphers. |
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Panzerjäger units in
- Infantry Regiments
- Jäger or Mountain Regiments
were to wear the field grey AFV uniform, with rose piped
shoulder straps and "p" cyphers, but with white or green waffenfarbe litzen worn
the collar. |
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At left, an officer showing the wear
of standard collar patches on the field grey AFV uniform. At right, Hauptmann Rolf Düe, Kompanie-Chef of
1st Company, Panzerjäger Abteilung 19 (19 Panzer Division), wearing the black collar
patches with skulls on the field grey AFV uniform, as well as "P" devices
designating an anti-tank unit on his shoulder straps. He was awarded the RK on March
23, 1945. Thanks again to Michael Pruett for identifying this man. Photos also show
him wearing a black AFV uniform. though his unit was equipped with Jagdpanzer IVs. |
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