Introduction to the WWII German Mountain Troops (Gebirgsjäger) Field Cap

Officer's Visor Cap

Prior to 1933 when the Nazi Party came to power, the crown of the visor cap during the Weimar Reichswehr era featured a flat top, commonly referred to as a "saucer crown." During the Wehrmacht period, the cap crown gradually adopted a "saddle crown" design, where the front of the crown was raised, resembling the shape of a saddle when viewed from the side. Starting from February 17, 1934, the new national emblem-the eagle insignia-began to be worn on the front of the visor cap crown.

The center of the cap band featured a metal cockade. This cockade was designed as a raised tricolor concentric circle, with colors from the outer to the inner ring being black, white, and red-reflecting the colors of the German national flag at the time. The tricolor cockade was surrounded by a metal-stamped oak leaf wreath. Officers typically wore hand-embroidered insignia made from aluminum wire.

All Army officers were required to purchase their visor caps at their own expense, resulting in variations in the fabric and color of the cap crowns. The basic version used ordinary knitted fabric, but those with a higher budget could opt for more premium materials, such as doeskin. The cap band was made of dark blue-green badge cloth, a tightly woven, soft fabric similar to velvet, commonly used as a base for various badges.

The edges of the cap crown and the upper and lower edges of the cap band were trimmed with piping in the wearer's branch color. Different colors represented the wearer's branch of service, with light green designated for mountain troops (Gebirgsjäger). Officer visor caps featured a chin cord, consisting of two aluminum cords braided from aluminum wire, secured to both sides of the cap band with two silver-finished aluminum buttons featuring a pebbled texture. The visor was made of vulcanized fiber and coated with black lacquer.

The officer's visor cap in the image below is from the hat manufacturer Robert Lubstein, commonly abbreviated as "Erel." The manufacturer's label is typically found on the sweatband and on a celluloid paper tag attached to the top lining of the cap.

Front view. In addition to the light green service branch piping, a metal edelweiss insignia is worn between the eagle emblem and the cockade. This insignia has been worn by mountain troops (Gebirgsjäger) since May 1939.

Side view

Chin cord

Edelweiss insignia and cockade.

Eagle emblem

Cap crown

Cap lining. The lining is made of brown silk fabric, and the sweatband inside the cap is made of brown leather.

Top interior of the cap crown. This is the manufacturer's label. The term "Sonderklasse" in the image indicates "Special Grade" or "Top Quality."

This is another model of the mountain troops (Gebirgsjäger) officer's visor cap. The cap crown is made from a blend of field gray moleskin (a heavy cotton fabric with a napped surface) and wool. Both the eagle emblem and the cockade are hand-embroidered. The interior of the cap crown lacks stiffening supports, making it notably soft.

Front view

Side view

Cap crown

Cap lining

"56" indicates the head circumference.

Visor Caps for Non-Commissioned Officers and Enlisted Men

The style of the visor caps for non-commissioned officers (NCOs) and enlisted men was essentially the same as that for officers. The most significant difference was the use of a black patent leather chinstrap in place of the officers' chin cord. The visor cap pictured below retains the earlier "saucer crown" design, with the crown made of a ribbed twill fabric. All insignia were stamped from aluminum. Embroidered insignia were only permitted on privately purchased visor caps. The chinstrap was made of black patent leather and was secured to both sides of the cap band with black lacquered buttons.

Front view

Side view. The slanted profile of the cap crown is characteristic of the "saucer crown" style.

Cap crown

Eagle emblem

Edelweiss insignia

Cockade

Black patent leather chinstrap.

Cap lining. A black velvet trim is present on the sweatband, which is a characteristic feature of the hat manufacturer Peküro.

The number "55" on the back of the sweatband indicates the head circumference.

Old-Style Field Cap

In 1934, a visor-style field cap specifically for officers was introduced. Due to its soft, foldable, and storable characteristics, it was commonly referred to as the "Knautschmütze" (meaning "crumple cap" or "crush cap") or the "Crusher" (from the English term). When the officer's field cap (Einheitsfeldmütze) was introduced in 1935, this earlier model was designated the "Old-Style Field Cap" (Feldmütze alter Art) to distinguish it. Officers were officially permitted to wear the old-style field cap until 1942. However, due to its comfort and softness, many officers continued to wear it until the end of the war.

The old-style field cap was largely identical in style to the officer's visor cap, with the main difference being the absence of a chinstrap-though many officers added one themselves to wear it as a standard visor cap. As the crown and band lacked stiffening supports, the old-style field cap was very soft, allowing the crown to be shaped as desired by the wearer. The visor was typically made of soft leather to facilitate folding and storage. Some visors were constructed with cardboard interiors covered in fabric. However, others featured visors made from vulcanized fiber, the same material used for standard visor caps, which prevented them from being folded for storage.

The image below shows the front of an old-style field cap manufactured by Erel. The crown is made of gabardine fabric, and the visor is constructed from vulcanized fiber.

Side view. There is a hole on the side of the cap body, likely left from the original button used to secure the chinstrap.

Cap Liner. The liner is made of brown rayon fabric. The diamond-shaped celluloid tag inside the crown is still present, though the manufacturer's markings are only partially legible.

Hand-embroidered eagle emblem.

Hand-embroidered cockade.

Apart from hand-embroidered insignia, the insignia on the old-style field cap were often machine-woven, serving as a substitute for the more expensive embroidered versions. These machine-woven insignia are also referred to as "BeVo" insignia, named after their largest manufacturer, Bandfabrik Ewald Vorsteher. Later, even machine-woven insignia not produced by this company were commonly referred to as "BeVo." Early BeVo insignia were typically made on a brownish-gray backing fabric, while later versions often used a dark blue-green backing. The example in the image below features both background colors.

Both are machine-woven insignia on a dark blue-green backing fabric.

Mountain Cap

The Mountain Cap (Bergmütze) was the distinctive headgear worn by all personnel of mountain troops, ski troops, and rifle (Jäger) units. Compared to other caps authorized for these troops, the mountain cap was highly favored by officers and men alike, becoming almost a symbol of honor for them. The design originated from the Austro-Hungarian mountain cap and served as the prototype for the later M43 universal field cap.

Austro-Hungarian Mountain Cap

A distinctive feature of the mountain cap is the fold-down ear flaps attached to both sides of the cap body. These flaps were designed to protect the wearer's neck and ears in cold weather. When in use, the flaps would be unfolded completely and pulled down. The front ends of the flaps would meet under the chin, where they could be fastened together with two buttons. When not in use, the flaps would be folded upwards twice and secured above the visor, with their ends again fastened together by two buttons. A metal edelweiss insignia was worn on the left-side flap.

An illustration of the mountain cap with the ear flaps fully unfolded and pulled down.

The soldier on the right has the ear flaps unfolded and pulled down for use.

According to the regulations of October 3, 1942, piping was added along the seam between the crown and the body of the mountain cap. For officers, this piping consisted of aluminum cord, while for generals, it was gold cord.

General's Mountain Cap

The image below shows a general's mountain cap. As such caps were often privately tailored, many variations exist. This particular general's mountain cap is made from field-grey doeskin, a relatively expensive type of worsted wool fabric. The piping along the crown seam was incorporated during its construction, indicating it was made after October 1942. The buttons on the front ends of the ear flaps feature a gold pebbled texture.

The cap lining is made of brown rayon fabric, with a leather sweatband at the forehead. The cloth-covered visor is made of either soft leather or cardboard. Regulations in 1938 stipulated the addition of one to two ventilation eyelets at the top of both sides of the cap body.

The eagle emblem and the national cockade on the general's mountain cap are woven together as a single piece on a T-shaped dark blue-green backing fabric.

According to regulations issued on May 2, 1939, all personnel of mountain troops were required to wear the edelweiss insignia. In the image, the edelweiss insignia is mounted on a dark blue-green backing fabric, a practice typically seen in privately tailored caps. Normally, the edelweiss insignia was attached directly to the cap.

Officer's Mountain Cap (Without Piping)

The image below shows an officer's mountain cap, manufactured either before or in the early stages of World War II. It is made from field-grey doeskin fabric and lacks the piping on the crown, consistent with pre-war mountain cap specifications. The eagle emblem and national cockade are woven as a single piece on a T-shaped dark blue-green backing fabric. The edelweiss insignia is sewn onto the left ear flap with black cotton thread. The cap lining is made of dark gold rayon fabric and features a light brown leather sweatband. The interior of the crown bears the maker's mark of the Erel company.

Front view

Cockade and Buttons

Side view

Edelweiss insignia.

Cap lining.

Erel company mark.

Officer's Mountain Cap (With Piping)

The officer's mountain cap shown in the image below appears relatively plain and similar in look to an enlisted man's version, yet it is actually a custom-made piece. As the war progressed, materials of all kinds became increasingly scarce, leading to simpler designs even in privately purchased headgear. This officer's mountain cap is made from a lower-quality wool fabric and features a lower-profile cut. It has one field-grey ventilation eyelet at the top on each side of the cap body. The cap crown includes the piping designating officer rank, but the aluminum cord has been substituted with white twisted cord, which is hand-sewn-a common practice in the later stages of the war.

Front view

Cockade. This officer's mountain cap does not feature the integrated T-shaped cockade insignia. Instead, it uses two separate insignia sewn together: the upper eagle emblem is the type used on officers' field caps (Einheitsfeldmütze), and the lower national cockade is the type used on enlisted men's field caps. The original backing fabric for the lower cockade was diamond-shaped, and its edges have been folded under during attachment.

Edelweiss Insignia. On the back of the edelweiss insignia, remnants of the actual flower's stamen are visible. Historical photographs show that soldiers sometimes wore alpine flowers or feathers on their mountain caps, a practice that actually originated from the traditions of the Austro-Hungarian mountain troops.

Cap lining.

Enlisted Man's Mountain Cap

The image below shows an early model enlisted man's mountain cap. Its tall crown, short visor, and broad ear flaps are reminiscent of the World War I-era Austro-Hungarian mountain caps. It is made from field-grey wool fabric. There is one field-grey ventilation eyelet on each side of the cap body. Instead of the silver pebbled buttons, the front ends of the ear flaps are fastened with two ivory nut buttons.

Front view.

Insignia and Buttons. The buttons are not made of metal, but of vegetable ivory (Steinnuss). Vegetable ivory comes from the seeds of the tagua palm, native to South America, particularly Ecuador. For centuries, it has been used in Europe as a substitute for elephant ivory in the manufacture of buttons and decorative items. Besides vegetable ivory, buttons were also made from aluminum or resin.

Cap lining. The lining is made of grey rayon fabric, a material commonly used for military uniform linings. An orange-brown leather sweatband runs around the entire circumference of the cap interior. The front part of the lining features a popular contemporary fastening method using a pin, which allowed for shaping the cap to achieve the desired silhouette.

Enlisted Man's Mountain Cap

The image below depicts the classic enlisted man's mountain cap. Until mid-1943, while most other units wore the standard field cap (Einheitsfeldmütze), mountain troops were distinguished by their use of the mountain cap. The mountain cap offered greater practicality: its visor provided shade from the sun and glare from snow, as well as shelter from rain. In extreme weather, the ear flaps could protect the wearer's face, neck, and ears.

This particular mountain cap is made from durable wool fabric. It features an internal stiffener in the front of the crown to maintain its shape, a characteristic often absent in later-production caps, which tended to be softer. There is one ventilation eyelet on each side of the cap body. The visor consists of a leather core covered with the same wool fabric.

Insignia and Buttons.

The cap lining is made of brown cotton fabric and features a brown leather sweatband running around the interior. The crown lining bears the maker's mark of Georg Teufel Sohn, with the size indicated as 55. The marking "M39" signifies that it came from the Munich Army Clothing Depot in 1939.

Tropical Universal Field Cap

In 1940, when Germany was considering deploying troops to North Africa, a tropical universal field cap modeled after the mountain cap design was trialed. This cap was intended to replace the tropical field cap (Einheitsfeldmütze) and was subsequently adopted by the Afrika Korps in 1941.

The style of the tropical universal field cap was largely based on the mountain cap, featuring an elongated visor to provide better shade from the intense African sun. However, given the hot climate, the fold-down ear flaps were deemed unnecessary and were omitted. Instead, reinforcing pieces of fabric in the shape of the ear flaps were sewn onto the sides of the cap, and the buttons were also left off. The cap body was made of olive-brown herringbone twill fabric, with a red cotton lining. Two metal ventilation eyelets were placed on each side of the cap body.

Upon its introduction, the tropical universal field cap was very well-received and ultimately contributed to the development of the M1943 universal field cap. Initially issued in an olive color, the cap faded quickly due to sun exposure and repeated washing, eventually turning into various shades of tan and khaki. Soldiers often deliberately washed them frequently to accelerate this fading process, aiming to achieve a veteran appearance.

An edelweiss insignia was worn on the left side of the cap. Although no full mountain divisions were deployed in North Africa, two independent mountain units did serve there from the summer of 1942 until May 1943. Tropical uniforms were also issued to troops stationed in Greece, other coastal regions, and saw some use in the southern sectors of the Eastern Front.

Front view

The insignia on the tropical universal field cap followed the style of those used on standard field caps but were woven with blue-grey thread on a tan backing fabric. These insignia were machine-woven and then attached to the front of the cap using machine-stitched straight or zigzag lines. Early versions also featured an inverted V-shaped colored stripe above the insignia denoting the wearer's branch of service. However, this practice was abolished on July 10, 1942, and the stripes were ordered removed from all field caps.

For officer versions, aluminum cord piping was applied along the seam between the crown and the body of the cap, while general officers used gold cord piping. Most officers opted for the standard enlisted man's tropical universal field cap and simply added the appropriate piping by hand.

The cap lining is made of red cotton fabric, which provides optimal thermal insulation. It is stamped with the manufacturer's mark of Gustav Thomas, and the size (head circumference) is indicated as 58.

Snow Camouflage

When operating in snowy conditions, mountain troops (Gebirgsjäger) wore a white camouflage cover over their mountain caps. These covers were typically made from white cotton or knitted fabric, constructed by sewing two identical pieces of fabric together, with a drawstring or cord along the bottom edge. The white cover was pulled directly over the mountain cap, completely concealing the cap's original color.

According to post-war accounts from surviving soldiers, these white camouflage covers were issued on an as-needed basis and had to be returned to the unit's clothing depot after use. As a result, surviving original examples are extremely rare.

Another snow camouflage solution was the use of a dedicated white mountain cap. The white mountain cap shown in the image below is made of white herringbone twill fabric, modeled after the standard mountain cap design and complete with ear flaps. The front ends of the ear flaps are fastened together with a single white button. The securely sewn edelweiss insignia on the left side of the cap body indicates that this white mountain cap was the personal gear of a specific soldier, rather than standard-issue equipment from a unit depot.

Edelweiss insignia.

Cap lining. The lining does not have a sweatband, only a size (head circumference) marking.

A press photograph taken during the Battle of Kholm in northern Russia between January and May 1942. The officer on the left is wearing a white mountain cap, with the front ends of the ear flaps fastened by two buttons.

The image below shows an M42 steel helmet that has been painted white. When operating in snowy environments, helmets were often camouflaged by applying a water-soluble white paint. This measure was officially ordered on the Eastern Front on November 18, 1941. While this white paint was generally supplied in adequate quantities, soldiers sometimes resorted to using local whitewash or lime mixtures when supplies were short. Both types of camouflage could be easily scrubbed off when spring arrived.

A soldier wearing a white-painted helmet is on a ski patrol.

In 1942, the Wehrmacht first issued camouflage helmet covers. The early versions were made of herringbone twill fabric, later replaced by more durable canvas. The cover is printed on one side with a "splinter pattern" (Splittertarn) camouflage design, identical to the pattern used on waterproof tent fabric. The other side is left in plain white. As the helmet cover is secured by a drawstring along its bottom edge, soldiers often reversed it during winter operations with the white side outward to serve as snow camouflage.

Camouflage Helmet Cover

The plain white inner side of the camouflage helmet cover.