Corps colours of the German Army (1935–1945)

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Corps colours, or Troop-function colours (German: Waffenfarben) were worn in the German Army (Heer) from 1935 until 1945 in order to distinguish between several branches, special services, corps, rank groups, and appointments of the ministerial area, the general staff, and the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (OKW). The corps colours were part of the pipings, gorget patches, shoulder straps, as well as part of the arabesque and lampasse of any general officer and flag officer. It was also part of heraldic flags, colours, standards, and guidons.

Corps colours of the Heer[edit]

In the Heer there was a strictly defined systematic of corps colours on collar patchs, uniform piping, and coloured edging around the shoulder boards or shoulder straps. The corps colours of the Reichswehr (1921 until ca. 1935) were almost identical to these of the Wehrmacht.

Synoptic table and examples to military persons in uniform[edit]

The table below contains some corps colours and examples used by the German Army from 1935–45.

Troops, unit, appointment Caps colour Example Remark
Deep red
(Hochrot) 		        General der Waffengattung
(arabesque and shoulder strap)
Standard of the artillery
  • Kriegsministerium (later Oberkommando der Wehrmacht)
  • General staff corps officers
  • Veterinary service
 Crimson
(Karmesinrot)


  • Chief of the OKW until 1941
  • General staff corps officers (Oberkommando)
  • General staff corps officers (others)
  • Hufbeschlaglehrmeister (Farrier master instructor)
Field chaplains Purple
(#C154C1) 		N/A
Bordeaux red
(Bordo, bordeauxrot)
White
(White)
Rose-pink
(Rosa)[1]
  • Mannschaft
  • Troops standard
Signals Lemon-yellow
(#FFEE00)
Light-brown until 1937
Golden-yellow
(#F7B600)
Orange-yellow
(#ff8000)
Motorcycle infantry (Kradschützentruppe) Copper-brown
(#DA8A67) 		N/A Oberleutnant
Panzergrenadiertroops Meadow-green
(#60c000 from 1943) 		N/A Oberst
  • Jäger (light infantry troops [hunters])
  • Gebirgsjäger (mountain troops [mountain hunters])
  • Skijäger (ski troops [ski hunters])
 Light green

(Hellgrün)[2]

  • Leutnant
  • Troops standard
  • Transportation troops (until 1942 (Fahrtruppen)
  • Supply troops (from 1942) (Nachschubtruppen)
 Blue
(#00AEEF)
Military medical service (Sanitätstruppe) Medical-blue
(dark-blue)
  • War correspondents
  • Propaganda troops
 Light-grey N/A Leutnant
Construction troops (Bautruppen) Light-brown until 1943
  • (Combat engineers) (Pioniere)
  • Assault engineers
  • Armoured engineers
  • Fortress engineers
  • Railway engineers
  • Construction engineers (from 1943) (Baupioniere)
Black
Main colour of the uniform Field-grey Equal uniform colour for the Waffen-SS and military administration

Corps colours of the Heeresverwaltung[edit]

During World War II, officials of the “Army administration” (Heeresverwaltung, short HV), regardless of those 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[edit]

Heer officials normally wore, in addition to their dark green main corps colour (Haupt-Waffenfarbe), a secondary colour (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.

The table below contains some corps colours and examples pertaining to military officials in uniform.

Troops, assignment/appointment Corps colour Remark
Militärverwaltung (universally) Dark-green
(#00703E) 		        Main colour of the uniform gorget and collar patch background
  • Officials with general officer rank
  • Officials of military districts (Wehrkreis)
 Bright-red (Hochrot)
(Red) 		Army administration (OF8 to OF6)
Officials of the military judicial system Corn flower blue (Kornblumenblau)
  • Officials in headquarters or
    staff appointments/assignments
  • Officials on duty with the OKW or OKH
 Crimson (Karmesinrot)
(#960018)
Officials of the remount service Gold-yellow (Goldgelb)
(#F7B600)
Officials of standard branches, e.g. paymaster service (Zahlmeisterwesen) White (Weiß)
(white)
Army officials of pharmaceutics Light-green (Hellgrün)
Officials of the technical services (fortress engineers, geological service, ballistics, etc.) Black (Schwarz)
Army officials of recruiting and replacement (Wehrersatzwesen) Orange-red (Orange)
(#ff8000)
Teaching staff (non-technical) at Heer academies (Lehrpersonal an Heeresschulen) Light-brown (Hellbraun)
Officials of the "Reich´s court-martial" (Reichskriegsgericht) Bordeaux red
(#800032)

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ This colour derived from the Reichswehr motor-transport branch, which was used to camouflage the Weimar Republic's clandestine tank program.
  2. ^ Due to an error in U.S. War Department TM-E 30-451: Handbook on German Military Forces, many English-language sources have Jäger Hellgrün and the Wiesengrün of the Panzergrenadiers reversed. The Jäger colour was the darker, bluer one.

Sources[edit]

  • Adolf Schlicht, John R. Angolia: Die deutsche Wehrmacht, Uniformierung und Ausrüstung 1933-1945
    Vol. 1: Das Heer (ISBN 3613013908), Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 1992
    Vol. 3: Die Luftwaffe (ISBN 3-613-02001-7), Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 1999
    (Very detailed information and discussion but no coloured images)
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