BACKGROUND: German Naval uniforms and headgear were based on traditional designs that date back to the creation of the Prussian Navy in 1848, and although uniforms and headgear did evolve during the interim years many items used during the Third Reich would still have been quite recognizable to the Imperial sailor. The Kriegsmarine adopted wear of the new national eagle on the front of the headgear and the right breast of the uniform on March 24TH 1934. The Kriegsmarine’s version of the national eagle was identical to the army version except for the coloration with the army utilizing silver, white and grey eagles while the Kriegsmarine utilized golden yellow eagles. Of Note: The only exceptions in the coloration of the Kriegsmarine eagles was that personnel serving in the Administrative branch utilized a silver eagle while eagles worn on the white jumper shirts were in cornflower blue. Due to the silver insignia the Administrative personnel were contemptuously referred to as Silberlinge, (Silvered Ones). Generally officer’s ranks utilized hand embroidered breast eagles while EM/NCO’s ranks utilized machine embroidered or machine woven breast eagles. Originally a metal eagle was authorized for wear on the white pullover "jumper" shirt until regulations of November 13TH 1935 dictated that a machine embroidered, cornflower blue eagle was the only eagle permissible for wear on that garment. Additional regulations of October 19TH 1936 altered the white "jumper" shirt’s machine embroidered eagle to a machine woven eagle for the duration of the war.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Machine woven breast eagle with out-stretched wings, clutching a wreathed, canted, swastika in it’s talons, in cornflower blue rayon threads on a woven, white, rayon base.