| On 13th June 1898 a
new khaki tropical uniform was authorised for the
III. Seebatallion to wear in China during the Summer months. This
same uniform was later issued to other Seebatallion units in China,
South West Africa, East Africa and Skutari.
Other
Ranks Uniforms
The Khaki Tunic (see right) had a stand and fall collar, six plain brass buttons
down the front and plain cuffs. There were two buttoned, unpleated hip pockets
and no breast
pockets. The rear of the tunic was plain with only mounted troops having
two retaining buttons to support the belt at the back. The shoulder straps were the same as worn on the
Home Uniform and
Litewka- they were white with
yellow insignia showing an imperial crown above two crossed anchors with
the battalion Roman numeral below that (see right). According to Knötel
(see Illustrated Plates Page) khaki
shoulder straps were worn instead of white ones but I have yet to
see photographic evidence of this. These shoulder straps were
sometimes removed in action. The button retaining the top end of the
shoulder strap had the company number in Arabic numerals.
One surviving other
ranks tunic from the artillery battery (Marine Feld Batterie) attached to the III.
Seebatallion, is very curious in that it has plain white shoulder
straps and Brandenburg style cuffs, piped in white with three cuff
buttons (see right, the tunic itself is up for sale at the
German Militaria Website). It is possibly an early variant though I have so far seen no
period photographs showing tunic like this in use.
NCO Rank Insignia was worn in the form of strips of lace in the collar and cuffs and
buttons on the collar (see NCO Rank Insignia Page). The bars of lace
were in white with threads of red and black making up the imperial
colours (see right), and were usually worn on the front and upper edge of the collar.
Photographs of the Marine Expeditionskorps in South West Africa 1904-05
show groups of NCOs with some wearing lace on the upper edge and other
on the lower edge. According to Knötel (see
Illustrated Plates Page) the Marine Detachment Skutari also wore them on the front and lower
edge. NCO rank buttons on the collar were worn at the
front of the collar rather than halfway back as was usually seen on
German uniforms.
Specialist Insignia was usually worn on the khaki uniform in the form
of khaki patches with red or yellow insignia, but some photographs show white
patches with red insignia. Musicians swallows nests were also worn in
colours more suited to the khaki uniform (see
Specialist Insignia Page).
Trousers were matching khaki,
although photographs show that the blue trousers with white piping
of the home uniform were also sometimes worn with the khaki tunic on
manoeuvres in China.
Khaki riding breeches were worn by mounted troops with some being
issued breeches in brown corduroy.
Officers and Senior NCOs Uniforms
Khaki Uniform worn by officers and senior NCOs were similar to
those of the other ranks except that the tunic often had an unpleated
left breast pocket with a buttoned square flap. Being privately purchased,
these uniforms were of better quality and some had other slight variations such as a
higher or standing collar. Matching khaki trousers or riding breeches
were worn, again these were often of better quality due to private
tailoring.
White Uniform was also
authorised for officers and
senior NCOs (see right). It was
identical in cut to the khaki uniform but with a standing collar. Again
variations in private tailoring meant that some white tunics had a
breast pocket, others did not. White trousers were worn with the
white tunic.
Officers Rank Insignia was
shown on shoulder straps in the same style as those worn by the regular
army and Schutztruppe (see Officers Rank Insignia Page) but with a brass
imperial crown added to the shoulder straps (see right).
Tropical Helmets
Along with the tropical uniform a white tropical helmet was issued in
1898 with a white metal imperial eagle superimposed over an anchor in
the style worn on the Seebatallion shakos (see right), over a small imperial
cockade.
Several changes to the design of the
helmet occurred over the following years. On 28th June 1900 the
eagle was authorised in bronze rather than white metal, and in 1905
the helmet was officially changed to a khaki one for other ranks
with officers and senior NCOs still wearing white. These uniform
orders do not however tell the full story and are often contradicted
by photographic evidence.
For example, khaki helmets have been
seen in photographs of the Seebatallione as early as the Boxer
Rebellion of 1900. From such photographs it seems that the I.
Seebatallion had khaki helmets, while the II. Seebatallion had white
helmets (sometimes worn with khaki covers). The III. Seebatallion
also received khaki helmets around this time, either shortly before
or after the Boxer Rebellion. This theory is supported in text by Eberhard Hettler
(see Illustrated Plates Page). During this
period, as mentioned above photographs of officers and senior NCOs
of all battalions seem to be mostly wearing white helmets.
Furthermore photographs clearly show that the Marine
Expeditionskorps in South West Africa wore khaki helmets in 1904, so
the regulation order of 1905 for khaki helmets seems to have been
largely retrospective. Later photographs of III. Seebatallion
officers and senior NCOs in China show them sometimes wearing
khaki tropical helmets too. Officers were also authorised to wear a
gold coloured cord around the hatband of the helmet.
Early issues of the helmet were quite low in
height with a rounded brim. Later helmets were taller with a more steeply
inclined brim and removable neckshades. The 1902 Bortfeldt tropical helmet (see right) with
its folding rear peak was issued to Seesoldaten in South West Africa
during 1904-05, and also to the III. Seebatallion in China from
about the same period. Throughout these changes, officers often wore
privately purchased versions which varied further in shape.
Some photographs taken
on campaign in South West Africa and China show the helmets worn without
their metal eagles.
Photographs of troops on manoeuvres in Tsingtao show
them sometimes wearing a red hatband around the tropical helmet. These
red bands were introduced into the German army as a whole in 1909
and were to distinguish different "sides" during simulated battles, similar
red bands were also worn on Seebatallion shako covers while on manoeuvres in
Winter months.
Other Forms of Headdress
When not wearing the tropical helmet various types of peaked and
peakless caps were worn. All bore a small imperial cockade at the front
of the hatband.
The Khaki Peaked Cap ("Bordmutze") was
all in khaki with no coloured hatband or piping and had a
small imperial cockade at the front. Like most German peaked caps it was
issued with a wire retaining loop that held the shape of the top of the
hat. This loop was often removed to give a more comfortable appearance. The chinstrap and peak were in
brown leather. A removable khaki neckshade was also issued and was
attached to the chinstrap buttons. As no photographs or contemporary
accounts that I have seen show proof of the khaki cap in Africa, it
may have only been issued to the III. Seebatallion in
Tsingtao.
The Officers White Peaked Cap
(see right) was a
plain white peaked cap (see right) with a small imperial cockade on
the front and a black leather chinstrap and peak, worn by
Seebatallion officers
to match their white tropical uniform.
The Blue Field Cap (see right) from the
home uniform is also often seen in photographs worn with the khaki
uniform. They were
dark blue to match the peacetime uniform and had white hatband and
piping with an imperial cockade at the front. They were usually
peakless for other ranks and peaked for officers and senior NCOs,
although other ranks could also privately purchase the peaked
version. The chinstrap and peak were in black leather. This peaked version of
the cap had a wire retaining loop that held the shape
of the top of the hat. This loop was often removed to give a more
comfortable appearance and was not present on other ranks peakless
caps.
The Onboard Cap was another form of headgear
worn by members of the Seebatallione while at sea and also sometimes
worn by the III. Seebatallion in China. From photographic evidence,
it seems to have specifically been worn by members of the III.
Seebatallion on police duties. The cap was a white
naval style peakless cap with a pale blue hatband and an small imperial
cockade on the front.
Non-Regulation Headgear occasionally seen worn with the
tropical uniform include naval straw hats sometimes worn in China and
Schutztruppe Südwester hats sometimes worn in South West
Africa. Neither of these hats seem to have been regulation issue,
although entire Schutztruppe uniforms were routinely worn by the
Marine Expeditionskorps in South West Africa to replace their
battered Seebatallion uniforms.
Footwear
The Seebatallione like most German
Infantry units of the time wore short jackboots in back leather, later
brown leather boots the III. Seebatallion at Tsingtao. "A
Narrative of the German Campaign in South West Africa", the journal
of Peter Moor, a member of the Marine Expeditionskorps to South West
Africa in 1904 describes how the men are issued "yellow" (presumably
light brown) boots along with their khaki uniforms en route to South
West Africa. Officers and mounted troops usually wore
leather gaiters and short boots.
Equipment
The personal equipment issued to other ranks of the Seebatallione was
the same as issued to the German infantry of the period. It
consisted of two 1871 ammunition pouches on a leather belt clasped with
a naval other ranks belt buckle (see right). Two shoulder straps
supported the
ammunition pouches and met in a Y configuration at the back. The first
Seebatallion troops in China wore black leather equipment to match
their blue peacetime uniforms, soon the III. Seebatallion were
authorised to clean the black polish off and wear natural brown
leather to match the khaki uniform. It is unclear from period
photographs whether other Seebatallion troops in khaki (such as
those in Africa and Skutari) also wore natural brown leather
equipment or kept their equipment polished black as worn on home
duty. A
backpack with tent section, canteen, water bottle, and bread bag (see
right) was
also carried when in marching order.
Mounted troops wore bandoliers,
rather than ammunition pouches on the belt, while pioneers carried
either a spade or pick axe attached to the left side of their
backpacks.
Officers usually carried as little as
possible, often just having a naval officers belt made from silver
thread woven with one red central and two black outer stripes, clasped
with a naval officers' belt buckle. The brass buckle showed an imperial
crown above an anchor and W (for Emperor Wilhelm II) surrounded by a
laurel wreath (see right). Brown leather belts with plain open buckles were also
worn. The belt usually had the minimum of equipment on it, often only a
pistol holster.
The Illustrations
Figure 1 is based on a
photograph of a Marine ("Seesoldat") of the III. Seebatallion
taken in Tsingtao in about 1898. He wears the khaki tropical uniform
with the white tropical helmet (with white metal eagle) and black
leather personal equipment as it was first issued to the III.
Seebatallion in Tsingtao.
Figure 2 is based on a
photograph of a Seesoldat of the III. Seebatallion taken in
Tsingtao prior to the First World War. He wears the khaki tropical
uniform with the khaki tropical helmet (with yellow metal eagle) and
brown leather personal equipment as was issued to the III.
Seebatallion replacing the old white helmets and black equipment.
Note also the lack of shoulder straps, these were often removed on
active duty.
Figure 3 is based on a
photograph of a Seesoldat of the Marine Expeditionskorps
taken in South West Africa in about 1905. He wears the khaki
tropical uniform with the khaki tropical helmet and brown leather
personal equipment as was issued to the Marine Expeditionskorps on
their way to South West Africa to fight the Herero Rebellion. Note
the plain rear of the tunic, the lack of shoulder straps (almost all
photographs of the Seebatallione in South West Africa show them
without shoulder straps) and the crease lines on the back of the
Bortfeldt tropical helmet allowing its rear peaked to be folded
upwards. Note also his equipment with a bread bag (bread bags for
the Seebatallione came in at least two different types, one shoulder
slung and the other fastened onto the belt as shown here- see right) alongside two water bottles, probably a
very wise precaution in the arid heat of South West Africa.
Figure 4 is based on a
photograph of a Seesoldat of the III. Seebatallion taken in
Peking in about 1900. He may in fact be one of the troops under Graf
von Soden that defended the Legation during the siege of Peking,
although other photos of this unit also show them wearing blue
peakless field caps. This Seesoldat wears the khaki tropical uniform
and khaki peaked field cap with a small imperial cockade. Other
soldiers in the photograph upon which this illustration is based are
wearing khaki removable neckshades attached to their caps. Note the
use of the bread bag or water bottle strap around the neck to
support the belt, heavy with ammunition.
Figure 5 is based on a
photograph of a Seesoldat of the III. Seebatallion taken in
Shazikou (known in German as "Schatzykou") in 1910. While the bulk
of the III. Seebatallion was based at Tsingtao, small detachments
were also based at other towns within the German leased territory of
Kiaochow. One such unit was the "Marine Detachment Schatzykou". The
photograph upon which this illustration is based shows members of
this unit in their khaki tropical uniforms (mostly without shoulder
straps) and unusually wearing naval style straw hats with plain
black hatbands. The straw hats would have presumably have proven
comfortable in hot weather, although I have so far found no official
authorisation of their use by the Seebatallione.
Figure 6 is based on a
photograph of an NCO ("Unteroffizier") of the Marine
Expeditionskorps taken in South West Africa in about 1905. While
the majority of photographs of the Marine Expeditionskorps in South
West Africa show them either wearing standard tropical uniforms or
blue Litewkas, a few show items of Schutztruppe uniforms being worn.
Later in the campaign it seems some were issued full Schutztruppe
uniform, as their tropical uniforms deteriorated.
The following quotations are by
Seesoldat Gustav Frenssen, who served in the Marine Expeditionskorps
in South West Africa. He describes how the Seebatallion tropical
uniforms were unsuited to the climate of South West Africa- "And it
was bad that we had only thin khaki uniforms. In the morning we
marched up to our knees in wet grass, at noon in hot sand, and all
day through thorny bush, so that the lower part of our trousers
fringed out and soon hung in threads. When, as sometimes happened, a
thunderstorm or a shower came up and then night came on, we were
horribly cold. There were some very cold nights." Later he recounts
happily replacing his Seebatallion tropical uniform with a
Schutztruppe Corduroy
Uniform - "so disgusting did I seem to myself- (that I) went
into a room and had given to me a whole new cord uniform with riding
boots... I tore off my rags (ie the remains of his Seebatallion
tropical uniform), plunged into the water, and washed and soaped and
scrubbed till my whole body was red. When I came out into the yard
again in my fine new home-guard (Schutztruppe) uniform, the
lieutenant was talking with a citizen and did not recognise me. Then
he laughed". Frenssen's journal, "A Narrative of the German Campaign
in South-West Africa" translated by Peter Moor, is available in PDF
format at the
US Archive
This illustrated NCO wears his
Seebatallion tropical uniform with a Schutztruppe Südwester hat (with hatband and
edging in blue for South West Africa -see right), Schutztruppe boots
for mounted troops with spurs and Schutztruppe equipment for mounted
personnel (also see right).
Note the NCO lace (in this case one
row of lace with no buttons indicating an "Unteroffizier") is seen
on the front and upper edge of the collar. As mentioned above, NCOs
of the Marine Expeditionskorps in South West Africa wore their
collar lace on either the top or bottom edge. Also of curious note
is that the lace clearly shows a simple black stripe above and red
stripe, whereas most Seebatallion NCO lace consisted of several
alternately coloured threads. It is difficult to see in the original
photograph upon which this illustration is based if NCO lace is worn
on the cuffs of this tunic.
Figure 7 is
based on a photograph of an Unteroffizier of the Marine
Detachment Skutari taken in Vienna in September 1914 on their
return journey to Germany after seeing action against the Serbs in
the opening phase of the First World War. He wears the khaki
tropical uniform with the khaki tropical helmet as was worn by the
Marine Detachment during the Summer months. Note the NCO lace (this
time with several red and black threads on a white background) on
the upper edge of the collar and the cuffs. Note also the newly
awarded Austro-Hungarian silver medal of military merit. Several of
the detachment, including their commander Major Paul Schneider,
received awards for their service under Austro-Hungarian
command.
According to "Unsere
Marineuniformen" by J.Zienert, (H.G.Schulz, Hamburg 1970), during
their time under Austro-Hungarian command the Marine Detachment Skutari wore their
grey Litewkas, with Austro-Hungarian army peaked caps (see right) bearing an imperial German
cockade between the two brass buttons and were armed
with Mannlicher rifles. This would presumably been to prevent
friendly
fire incidents by making their appearance similar to that of the Austro-Hungarian
infantry (in pike-grey with peaked caps) and to have standardised ammunition issue among the two
allied forces.
Figure 8 is
based on a photograph of Adolf Krampe, a Senior NCO ("Feldwebel")
of the III. Seebatallion taken while a prisoner of war in Japan
about 1916. He wears a senior NCOs khaki tropical tunic with
standing collar and single left breast pocket. His rank, Feldwebel, is shown as two white lace bars with black and red
threads on his cuffs, a similar single bar on the upper and front
edge of the collar and by the brass button on the front of the
collar (see
NCOs Rank Insignia Page). He wears an NCOs peaked blue
cap with white hatband and piping and a single imperial cockade on
the front, still with the wire loop retaining its shape (photographs
show the blue cap was quite commonly worn with the khaki uniform. Other
ranks wore a peakless version without wire loop). The trousers
appear to be from his white tropical uniform. Such mixes of uniforms
were not uncommon, and became more so amongst prisoners of war.
After the fall of
Tsingtao, Feldwebel Adolf Krampe of the 7th Company, III.
Seebatallion was held prisoner at the Marugame and Bando camps in
Japan before being repatriated to Germany in December 1919.
Figure 9 is based on a
photograph of an Officer of the III. Seebatallion taken in
Tsingtao in about 1910. He wears the white tropical tunic as
authorised for officers and senior NCOs. He also wears the white
peaked cap to match the tunic. A white tropical helmet was also
authorised for officers even after other ranks had been issued khaki
versions. White trousers were issued to match the tunic but this
officer wears dark blue riding breeches and brown leather gaiters
from his winter uniform in preference. As previously mentioned
mixtures of uniforms were not uncommon in the III. Seebatallion,
especially amongst officers.
Figure 10 is
based on a photograph of an Officer of the Mounted Company of the
III. Seebatallion taken in Tsingtao in about 1914. He wears the
khaki tropical uniform with the khaki tropical helmet (with yellow
metal eagle, and officers gold coloured cords around the hatband)
and brown leather personal equipment as was issued to the III.
Seebatallion in Tsingtao in the period after the Boxer Rebellion up
to the First World War. The mounted company of the III. Seebatallion
had no distinguishing insignia or uniform, except having two buttons
on the rear of the tunic (the normal Seebatallion khaki tunic had a
plain back) and wearing riding breeches and riding boots (as with
this figure) or short boots and leather gaiters. Officers uniforms
and boots were usually privately tailored and therefore
of better quality and sometimes varied in details such as having a
higher collar. From 1911 corduroy brown-grey riding breeches as
worn by the Schutztruppe in German South West Africa were issued to
the mounted company. The silver,
red and black braided officers shoulder straps bore the imperial
crown but no crossed anchors and battalion numerals as worn by other
ranks (see right).
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