Gun colors (Reichswehr)

Uniform piping * Crimson (background) * White (foreground)

Weapon colors Reichsheer around 1918

With the introduction of field gray, gray-green, sand-colored or khaki uniform uniforms at the beginning of the twentieth century, weapon colors became imperative for modern armed forces. The Reichsheer and Reichswehr also went through this development.

Gun colors of the Reichswehr 1921 to 1935

The colors of the weapons partly followed German traditions, but mainly served as a criterion for differentiating the newly created branches of arms and troops , corps , services, ranks and uses.

The backing or piping of the shoulder pieces, collar tabs and cap trim were kept in the gun color. The collar edges of the cloth uniform jackets, cuffs and flaps as well as side trouser seams (approx. 2 mm wide piping ) were partly "weapon-colored".

The numbers and letters used to date in addition to the badges of rank for numbering and marking troop units and units have been retained.

Some of the colors are derived from the collar colors of the brightly colored peace uniform before 1914 (e.g. generals, officers in the command staff, pioneers, supplies or medical officers who in Prussia did not wear a contrasting collar before 1914, but a dark blue, corresponding to the usual dark blue Basic color of uniform), others were chosen arbitrarily.

Weapon colors were also increasingly used as a background color in the design of troop stands and regimental standards .

Overview table with examples

Due to the lack of references regarding the exact color codes , it is difficult to reconstruct the weapon colors actually used. Therefore, the colors shown below only approximate the colors used in reality. In the army of the Reichswehr in 1921 the following colors were assigned to the branches of service and special uses:

The overview below contains a selection of weapon colors.

Troop, association, use	Gun color		example		comment
Generals Gun officers and fireworkers Artillery force Services of the replenishment management	Crimson				Colonel General iRd
					Flag, artillery commander 1925–1927
Reichswehr Ministry Officers of the command staff Veterinary officers and sub- veterinarians	crimson				"Officer in the Reichswehr Ministry" collar tab
infantry NCOs and teams of the group and military district command : white	White				Flag, infantry leader 1925.svg
Motor troops	pink				later motor vehicle combat troops or armored troops
News force	Light brown				from 1937: lemon yellow
cavalry (later reconnaissance aircraft due to cavalry tradition)	Golden yellow				Stander (division commander cavalry, 1925) Uffz , 2nd Squadron, Cavalry Regiment 18 (golden yellow piping )
Hunter troop	Hunter green
Army officials	Dark green
Driving force (horse drawn)	Light Blue
Medical officers Medical service	Medical blue
Pioneers	black				Captain

See also

• Rank

literature

• Richard Knötel , Herbert Knötel the Elder J. u. Herbert Sieg: Handbuch der Uniformkunde. The military costume in its development up to the present day. Founded by Richard Knötel. Fundamentally revised, continued and expanded by Herbert Knötel the Elder. J. and Herbert Sieg. 6th edition. Status from 1937 G. Schulz, Hamburg, 1956 [Photomechanical reprint of the Hamburg edition, 1937], pp. 48–50.