Corps colours, or Troop-function colours ( ge: "

Waffenfarbe In the German military, ''Waffenfarbe'' (German: "branch-of-service colors" or "corps colors") is a visual method that the armed forces use to distinguish between different corps or troop functions in its armed services. The ''Waffenfarbe'' it ...

(n)") were traditional worn in the German

Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the '' Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previo ...

from 1935 until 1945 as way to distinguish between several branches, special services, corps, rank groups and appointments of the ministerial area, general staff, Oberkommando der Wehrmacht, up to the military branches Heer,

Luftwaffe The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...

and Kriegsmarine. The corps colour was part of the piping, uniform gorget, shoulder strap, as well as part of the ''arabesque'' and

lampasse Lampasse(s) () are ''trouser stripes'' adorning the dress uniforms of many armed forces, police, fire and other public uniformed services. In German speaking countries as general staff–qualified officers, their uniform featured these distincti ...

of any general officer and flag officers. It was also part of

heraldic flag In heraldry and vexillology, a heraldic flag is a flag containing coats of arms, heraldic badges, or other devices used for personal identification. Heraldic flags include banners, standards, pennons and their variants, gonfalons, guidons, and ...

colours, standards and guidons In military organizations, the practice of carrying colours (or colors), standards, flags, or guidons, both to act as a rallying point for troops and to mark the location of the commander, is thought to have originated in Ancient Egypt som ...

Corps colours of the Heer

In the German Heer there was strictly defined systematic of corps colours on collar patchs, uniform

piping Within industry, piping is a system of pipes used to convey fluids (liquids and gases) from one location to another. The engineering discipline of piping design studies the efficient transport of fluid. Industrial process piping (and accompa ...

and coloured edging around the shoulder boards or shoulder straps. The corps colours of the

Reichswehr ''Reichswehr'' () was the official name of the German armed forces during the Weimar Republic and the first years of the Third Reich. After Germany was defeated in World War I, the Imperial German Army () was dissolved in order to be reshape ...

(1921 until ca. 1935) were almost identically to these of the Wehrmacht.

Synoptic table and examples to military persons in uniform

The table below contains some corps colours and examples used by the Heer from 1935–45. ; Remark: ''Corps colours'' of the ''Wehrmacht'' according to the order of the Oberkommandos der Wehrmacht from October 14, 1942, here a selection only.

Corps colours of the Heeresverwaltung

During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, officials of the “Heer/Army administration” (de: Heeresverwaltung, short HV), regardless serving in the Wehrmacht, war economy, or in military education facilities, etc., wore military rank insignias similar to those of the Wehrmacht.

Synoptic table and examples of Heer officials

Heer officials normally wore, in addition to their dark green main corps colour (de: Haupt-Waffenfarbe), a secondary colour (de: Nebenfarbe) denoting their branch. The Nebenfarbe was worn as piping surrounding the collar Litzen and underneath the shoulder boards on top of the dark green Waffenfarbe. In March 1940 distinct Nebenfarben were abolished and replaced with light grey. ;See also: ⇒ main article Militärverwaltung (Nazi Germany) The table below contains some corps colours and examples pertaining to military officials in uniform.

References

Sources

* Adolf Schlicht, John R. Angolia: ''Die deutsche Wehrmacht, Uniformierung und Ausrüstung 1933-1945''
Vol. 1: ''Das Heer'' (), Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 1992
Vol. 3: ''Die Luftwaffe'' (), Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 1999
(very detailed information and discussion but no coloured images) {{DEFAULTSORT:Corps colours of the German Heer (1935-1945) German military uniforms Military insignia