Gun colors (NVA)

Weapon colors , based on the traditions of the German armed forces, were also worn in the East German NVA on military uniforms as a distinguishing feature for the various branches of arms , special troops, services and uses from 1956 to 1990.

General specifications

The basic uniform color (inside service and exit uniform) of the land and air forces as well as the border troops of the GDR was uniformly "stone gray" (jackets, pants, hats, coats). Exceptions were the field service uniforms (camouflage colors), the on-board and work uniforms of the technicians / mechanics (navy, air forces, tanks, vehicles, etc.) and, at times, the jackets of the official uniforms of the officers and generals (depending on the type of service in light gray, pastel blue or white) . The GDR navy (→ Volksmarine ) traditionally wore navy blue or white (office and exit uniform).

The backing and piping of the shoulder pieces, collar tabs and the cap trim were kept in the gun color. Initially, the collar edges of the cloth uniform jackets, cuffs and flaps as well as the side trouser seams also had gun-colored, 2 mm wide piping . From the late 1960s, this was simplified. The uniform pieces with weapon-colored piping were applied or, for the land forces, for example, replaced by uniform white piping. The border troops continued to wear green piping and the green cap ribbon. Tucks and piping in the weapon color concerned were only binding for the air forces and air defense. Sleeve flaps were generally abolished from 1981.

The generals kept the gun-colored piping on uniform caps, collars and sleeves as well as the cap ribbons, lampasses and arabesques of the relevant armed forces (TSK) (land forces - crimson, air forces / air defense - sky blue and border troops - green).

Land Forces

The overview below shows the weapon colors of the TSK Land Forces.

Type of service, special force, service	colour	Insignia (examples)	comment
Generals ( land forces )	Bright red ( RAL color 3024 )		Colonel-General piping , cap ribbon, arabesques and lampasses in bright red
artillery Missile troops Rocket and weapon technology service Air defense	Brick red		Captain
mot. rifle troops Reconnaissance troops Military music corps *	White		Private Lieutenant colonel With the exception of the Volksmarine, military musicians also wore swallow nests (there were also music corps of the air force, the Volksmarine and the border troops of the GDR. They wore the respective weapon color with a silver or gold-colored lyre on the shoulder pieces.)
Tank driver and tank service	pink		Senior Ensign
News communication and telephone communication tasks	yellow		First lieutenant
Paratroopers	orange		Ensign Shoulder pieces with orange piping. Piping on the jacket and trousers is white as with the other land forces, but instead of the peaked cap an orange-colored beret for officers, ensigns and professional NCOs (professional soldiers) as well as to the summer uniform of the team and NCO ranks (temporary soldiers) - otherwise for both groups to the field service uniform camouflage-colored beret.
Construction soldiers	Olive		Construction soldiers also wore a silver spade on their shoulder pieces as a mark (original uniform brass spade painted stone gray).
Rear services Military medical service Military justice Financial management	Dark green		Major All three service careers also had a gold or silver-colored symbol on the shoulder pieces in other branches of service. Staff of Aesculapia - military medicine Shield with crossed swords - military justice Caduceus - Military Administration / Economy
Pioneers Chemical services Motor vehicle service Topographic service Transportation	Black ( RAL color 9005 )		sergeant
Basic color NVA uniform	Stone gray		Same uniform color NVA LaSK , LSK / LV and DDR GT as well as DDR ZV

Air Force

The air force uniforms of the NVA differed from the uniforms of the land forces in particular with regard to the insignia and more clearly emphasized weapon color (e.g. on the collar tabs). The air forces wore blue piping on the cuffs and peaked caps, in the case of professional soldiers also on the jacket collars and as side tucks. The collar patch underlay was held in sky-blue (weapon color ) over a large area - for team ranks and NCOs with a silver-colored wing, from ensign to captain additionally with a wreath of honorary leaves open to the top (palm fronds and acorns), from major to colonel with a closed wreath of honorary leaves , around one wing each, and from ensign to colonel with a silver-colored hem around the entire collar tab. Like the other branches of arms, generals wore gold-colored arabesques, but here with a sky-blue underlay. The visor caps of the air forces had - in contrast to the other branches of the armed forces - the cockade (GDR emblem), which was crowned with honorary foliage (oak leaves and acorns for team ranks, palm fronds and acorns for professional soldiers of all ranks) with straight four-part wings and above, on the cap plate, a silver-colored cockade propellers crowned with ears of corn (all ranks, gold-colored for generals).

The air defense uniforms corresponded to those of the land forces, but with sky-blue piping and "light gray" double diamond on the collar tabs.

Rank group	colour	Type of service / comment
General Air Force	Sky blue	Lieutenant General also generals of air defense and radio engineering troops Piping, cap band and lampasses in sky blue. Collar tabs (arabesques) like LaSK , only with a sky-blue underlay.
Staff officers		Aviation forces Aviation Engineering Service (FID) Radio Technical Troops (FuTT) Message and Air Traffic Control (NFT) Reverse Services (RD)
Officers to captain and ensigns		lieutenant
Crews and NCOs		Corporal
Men, NCOs, ensigns and officers	Light gray	Sergeant major Air defense Anti-aircraft missile troops
Basic color NVA uniform	Stone gray	Same uniform color NVA LaSK , LSK / LV and DDR GT as well as DDR ZV

Border troops

The gun color of the border troops of the GDR was generally green. The piping of the jacket and trousers as well as the trimming of the hat were green in gun color. In addition, a green cuff with the white inscription "Grenztruppen der DDR" was worn on the lower left uniform sleeve (jacket and winter coat).

The border pilots wore the uniforms of the air force. The gun color was green instead of sky blue. The green sleeve stripe was also used here.

The Coastal Border Brigade wore the uniform of the People's Navy, but had green piped shoulder boards and the green cuffs of the border troops.

Rank group	colour	Insignia (examples)	comment
Generals	green		Piping, cap band and lampasses in green. Collar tabs (arabesques) like LaSK, only with green underlay, plus sleeve stripes in green Example here: shoulder piece and arabesque major general
Officers and ensigns			Piping, cap band and sleeve stripes in green here: Ensign
NCO and men			Piping, cap band and sleeve stripes in green here: sergeant major
Basic color NVA uniform	Stone gray		Same uniform color NVA LaSK , LSK / LV and DDR GT as well as DDR ZV

People's Navy

The weapon color of the People's Navy was generally "navy blue". The naval aviators wore the piping of the air forces. (In 1990 this was changed to navy blue for a short time until the dissolution of the NVA on October 2, 1990.)

Rank group	colour	Insignia (examples)	comment
Admirals	Navy blue		Fleet admiral to rear admiral
Officers			Sea captain to lieutenant
Officers			Sea captain to lieutenant
Ensigns			Chief of Staff to Ensign
NCOs			Chief of Staff to Maat
Teams			Staff sailor to sailor

Civil defense of the GDR

general (also generals): Malino

Individual evidence

↑ Klaus-Ulrich Keubke, Manfred Kunz: Military uniforms in the GDR 1949–1990 . Mittler & Sohn, 3rd edition, Hamburg / Berlin / Bonn 2009.
↑ Plate 62, Military Lexicon of the GDR, 2nd edition, Berlin 1973.
↑ Construction soldiers. Legal basis → §7 |.

[1] Klaus-Ulrich Keubke, Manfred Kunz: Military uniforms in the GDR 1949–1990 . Mittler & Sohn, 3rd edition, Hamburg / Berlin / Bonn 2009.

[2] Plate 62, Military Lexicon of the GDR, 2nd edition, Berlin 1973.

[3] Construction soldiers. Legal basis → §7 |.