German Naval Cap Ribbons

I have collected German naval cap ribbons for 12 years. In that time I’ve noticed that cap ribbons were often capriciously attributed to the wrong era in German naval history. I’ve seen modern West German Navy cap ribbons described as "Kriegsmarine" and ribbons of the Weimar Republic described as "Imperial" and so forth. Much of this confusion stems from the lack of information on this subject in English language publications. In this article I will provide the basic information needed to distinguish the cap ribbons of the different eras and will also provide some useful tips on detecting reproductions.

Cap ribbons of the Kaiserliche Marine (Imperial Navy) used latin style large case letters, commonly referred to as block lettering. The ship name was always prefixed by "S.M.S.", meaning "Seiner Majistat Schiff" (His Majesty’s Ship). Gilt wire thread lettering was used for the sailors (Seemannisch), silver wire for technical personnel (Technisches Personal) and colored thread for cadets (Schiffsjungen).

The navy of the Weimar Republic (which succeeded the Monarchy) was called the Reichsmarine (State Navy). The block lettering on the cap ribbons remained the same, but only gilt wire was used. The prefix "S.M.S." was discontinued and replaced by the ship classification (i.e., Kreuzer, Torpedoboot, Linienschiff, etc.). The designation "Linienschiff" was used for the old dreadnoughts or battleships and literally means ship of the line. The block style of lettering was
used until 1930, when in the autumn of that year the gothic style of lettering was adopted. The
Reichsmarine was renamed Kriegsmarine (War Navy) on May 21, 1935 and given a new flag (the Reich War Flag) the following November. Thus the use of gothic lettering predated the name change to Kriegsmarine.

Throughout the existence of the Kriegsmarine the cap ribbons used the gothic style of lettering
in either gilt wire thread or gold colored cotton embroidery (Baumwollstickerei). for security
reasons the wearing of cap ribbons bearing the name of the ship or shore based unit was
prohibited after September 5, 1939. From that date forward only cap ribbons bearing the name
"Kriegsmarine" were allowed to be worn.

From 1945 to 1955, Germany had no navy. The name currently used for the navy of West Germary is Bundesmarine (Federal Navy). During the first year or so of its existence (about 1956) the Bundesmarine used cap ribbons with the same gothic style lettering as used in the Kriegsmarine. As a result, these cap ribbons are often confused with the Kriegsmarine era. Subsequently, the Bundesmarine cap ribbons changed back to a block lettering which is still in use today.

The thread used on Bundesmarine cap ribbons is generally a bright yellow colored synthetic, but occasionally gilt wire thread may be seen. Also, the block lettering is somewhat thinner looking than that used on Reichsmarine or Kaiserliche Marine cap ribbons.

Bundesmarine cap ribbons can often be distinguished from earlier era cap ribbons simply by
noting the type of unit or ship designation used. For example, prior to 1955 the naval units were organized into flotillas and half flotillas. However, Bundesmarine naval units are organized into
geschwader (squadrons). Hence, any cap ribbon using the term "geschwader“ should be instantly recognized as Bundesmarine. Also, cap ribbons bearing the ship classification "fregatte" (frigate) are Bundesmarine.

This brings us to the subject of reproductions. Since reproductions of Imperial cap ribbons are
seldom seen, I will confine my remarks to repros of Kriegsmarine cap ribbons. Some postwar fakes bear the name of a ship for which no cap ribbon ever existed. Any ship commissioned after the start of the war would not have a cap ribbon bearing its name.

Thus, all ’Schlachtschitf Bismark’, ’Schiachtschiff Tirpitz’, and ’Kreuzer Prinz Eugen’ cap ribbons are totally fake!

Another feature common to reproductions is the incorrect style of the letter "s" when used in certain words. On original Kriegsmarine cap ribbons a stroke type of "s" (similar to a small "f" without the crossbar) was used in most instances. For example the words; schiff, schule and zerstorer, on all original Kriegsmarine cap ribbons utilized the stroke type of "s". However, reproductions (to date. ed.) never use the stroke type "s".

The black cap ribbon material used for reproductions tends to be very stiff to the touch and not as supple as that found on originals. Also, reproductions generally use the bright yellow color thread, whereas the nonmetallic thread of originals tends to be more of a golden-yellow color.

I sincerely hope the information contained in this article will prove to be of value to fellow collectors. Much of this material was taken from a two-volume set of books on German cap ribbons "Die Mutzenbander der Kaiserlichen Deutschen Marine 1848- 1920" and "Die Mutzenbander der Deutschen Reichsmarine und der Marine des III. Reichs 1920-1945", by Horst Rivier, published in Germany, 1980.

Representative examples of German naval cap ribbons of the different eras. From top to bottom: Kaiserliche Marine, Reichsmarine, Kriegsmarine, Bundesmarine and a postwar fake. (Not pictured is an example of an early Bandesmarine cap ribbon with gothic style lettering).

Daniel Tarkington, GERMAN NAVAL CAP RIBBONS, Der Gauleiter, 1989