A selective list of German Army Branch Colors. __________________________________________________ September 1, 1939 to June 25, 1940. Combat Troops - Staff Staff. General Officers: Colour is Bright Red. __________________________________________________ Armed Forces High Command officers (OKW) Color is Crimson. Army High Command Officers (OKH) Color is: Crimson. General Staff Officers Color is: Crimson. __________________________________________________ Heeresgruppe Staffs Color is: White. Army Staffs Color is: White. Armored Gruppe Staffs Color is: White. Korps Stabs Color is: White. Motorized Korps Stabs Color is: White. __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ Combat Troops: -----------------------Color is White. Infantry Division Stabs. Line Infantry Regiments. Motorized Division Stabs. Motorized Infantry Regiments. Infantry Regiment Grossdeutschland. Motorized Regiment Grossdeutschland. Hitler Escourt (Fuhrer-Begleit) Battaillon. Anti-Aircraft Battaillons Nrs. 31, 32, 46. Penal Bataillons (Sonderabteilung)Nrs. 1,2,9,13. __________________________________________________ -----------------------Color is: Light Green. Light Infantry (Jager) Bataillons in Infantry Regiments. Gebirgsjager Division Stabs. Nr. 1,2,3,6. Gebirgsjager Regiments Nrs. 98,99,100,136,137,138,139,140,141,142,143. __________________________________________________ -----------------------Color is: None. Bau-Lehr Bataillon zbV 800. Brandenburg zbV 800. __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ Combat Troops--Mobile: -----------------------Color is: Gold-Yellow. Kavallerie Division Stab. Reiter Regiments Nrs. 1,2,21,22. Mobile Leichte Division Stabs. Motorized Kavallerie Regiments Nrs. 4,6,7,8,9,10,11. Mounted Recon (Aufklarung) Bataillons Nrs. 54 thru- 179, then 180 thru 187. Divisional Recon Btns Nrs. 33,34,36. Motorized Recon Btns Nrs. 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,20,29. __________________________________________________ -----------------------Color is Pink: Panzer Bataillons Nrs. 33,66,67. Panzer Division Stabs. Panzer Regiments Nrs. 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,10,11,15,23,25,31,33,35,36. Lehr Bataillon. Motorized Rifle Regiments Nrs. 1,2,3,4,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,33,69,86. Motorcycle (Kradschutzen) Btns Nrs. 1,2,3,6,7,8. Armored Recon (PanzerAufklarung) Btns Nrs. 4,5,8. Panzerabwehr Bataillons. Panzerjager Bataillons. Mountain Anti-tank (Gebirgspanzerabwehr) Btns Nrs. 44,47,48. Gebirgspanzerjager Bataillons Nrs. 44,47,48,55. __________________________________________________ ------------------------Color is: Gold/Yellow. Motorized Recon Btns Nrs. 54--187. Mounted Recon Btn Nr. 179. Division Recon Btns Nrs. 1,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,14,15,16,17,18,19,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,30,31,32,35,44,45,46,156. Motorized Recon Btns Nrs. 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,20,29. __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ Combat Troops--Artillerie: -----------------------Color is Red. Artillerie Regiments Nrs. 1 thru 557. Motorized Artillerie Regiments Nrs. 2,13,20,29,56. Mountain Artillerie (Gebirgsartillerie) Rgmts Nrs. 79,111,112,118. Reitende Artillerie Btns and Rgmts. Panzerartillerie Regiments (Armored Arty) Nrs. 73,74,75,76,78,80,90,102,103,116. Survey (Beobachtung) Btns Nrs. 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,39,40,43,44. Ordnance Officers. __________________________________________________ -----------------------Color is: Bordeaux Red. Smoke (Nebel) Btns Nrs. 1,2,5. Rocket (Nebelwerfer) Btns Nrs. 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9. __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ Combat Troops Engineers (Pioneers): -----------------------Color is Black. Pioneer Btns. Nrs. 1 thru 557. Motorized Pioneer Btns Nrs. 2,13,20,29. Mountain Engineer (Gebirgspioneer) Btns Nrs. 54,82,83,85,91. Armored Engineer (Panzerpioneer) Btns. Nr.s 37,38,39,49,57,58,59,79,86,89. Panzerpioneer (Very briefly were Black & White striped) Btns Nrs. 37,38,39,49,57,58,59,79,86,89. Fortress Engineer (Festungsbau) Btns. Festungspioneer Btns Nrs. 305,306,307,308. Railway Engineer (Eisenbahnpioneer) Rgmts Nrs. 1,2,3,4,68. __________________________________________________ Fortress Instructors (Festungswerkmeister) Color is: Crimson. __________________________________________________ Engineer Specialist Generals (General Ing) Color is: Red. __________________________________________________ Engineer Specialist Officers (Ingenieure) Color is: Orange. __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ Combat Troops Signals: -----------------------Color is: Lemon Yellow. Signals (Nachrichten) Btns Nrs 1 thru 557. Motorized Signals Btns Nrs. 2,13,20,29. Mountain Signals (Gebirgsnachrichten) Btns Nrs. 54,67,68,91. Armored Signals (Panzernachrichten) Btns Nrs. 37,38,39,77,79,82,83,84,85,90. Signals Instruction (Lehr) Btn. War Correspondant (Propaganda) Kompanies ((Lemon-Yellow over Gray)) Nrs. 501 thru 690. __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ Supply Troops (Versorgungstruppen): -----------------------Color is: Cornflower Blue. Motorized Transport (Kraftwagon) Columns Nrs. 1 thru 557. Horsedrawn (Fahr) Columns Nrs. 1 thru 557. Mountain Horsedrawn Transport (Gebirgsfahr) Columns Nrs. 79,94,111,112. __________________________________________________ ----------------------Color is: Dark Blue. Medical Corps (Sanitats) Officers, NCOs and Men. Nrs. 1 thru 557. Motorized Medical Officers, NCOs and Men. Nrs. 1 thru 557. Field Hospitals Officers, NCOs and Men. Nrs. 1 thru 557. __________________________________________________ Medical Corps General Officers: Color is: Red. Veteranary Corps (Veterinar) General Officers: Color is: Red. __________________________________________________ Vetrenary Corps Officers: -----------------------Color is: Crimson. Vet Corps Offiziers. Farrier Instructors (Hufbeschlaglehrmeister) Color is: Crimson. __________________________________________________ Guard (Wacht) Btns Color is: White. __________________________________________________ Feldgendarmerie Btns (M.Ps) Color is: Orange. Feldgendarmerie Traffic Control Btns. Color is: None. Army Patrol ServiceHeeresstreifendienst) Color is: According to their original units branch. __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ Security Troops (Sicherrungstruppen) -----------------------Color is: White. Army Rear-area Commanders. District Commands. Territorial Rifle (Landschutzen) Rgmts Nrs. 1,2,3,22 thru 183. Territorial Rifle Btns Nrs 201 thru 912. POW Camps--Officers, NCOs and Men. __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ Army Officials: Court-martial (Reichskriegsgericht) Color is: Red. District Admin Generals (Intendantur) Color is: Red. District Admin Officials. Color is: Red. __________________________________________________ Court-Martial Officials. Color is: Bordeaux Red. __________________________________________________ Paymaster Officials. Color is: White. __________________________________________________ Field Postal Service (Feldpost) Color is: Lemon-Yellow. __________________________________________________ Field Security Police Groups (Geheime Feldpolizei). Color is: Light Blue. __________________________________________________ Chaplains. Color is: Violet. __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ Miscellaneous Troops: Music Directors (Musikinsplzienten). Color is: Red. __________________________________________________ Bandmaster officers, NCOs and men (Musikmeister)Color is: The color of their Original Units. __________________________________________________ Special Officers and NCOs (Sonderfuhrers). color is: Grey-Blue. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ [ 12. February 2003, 06:21 PM: Message edited by: C.Evans ]
Carl, as far as the mobile troops being gold-yellow, that is up for debate. Some of the mobile troops were actually to wear the same pink color as the panzertruppen. Specifically this applies to the Mounted Recon (Aufklarung) Bataillons Nrs. 54 thru- 179. From the beginning of the war until the end there were 4 official changes to the color of the waffenfarbe worn on the shoulderboards. The order to wear pink or gold took place so often that it was commonplace to have some Mounted Recon units wearing gold while others wore pink. The research that my reeacting unit came up with shows that towards the end of the war it was basically up to the unit commander to decide which version of the order to follow. Interesting information, none the less. Langemann
Your correct--but I have also only cited the choice in colors up to June 25, 1940. Alot changed during the war--for instance--several Feldgendarmerie Bataillons had no waffenfarbe colors--when the rest did.
An excellent book about uniforms which also include all the branch colors in all diferent time periods is from Adolf Schlicht and John Angolia: Die Deutsche Wehrmacht, uniformierung und ausrüstung. Part: Das Heer.
Selective branch colors of units serving in North Afrika and the Balkans February 14, 1941 to October 4, 1944: __________________________________________________ Combat Troops Staff: Generals---Color was Red. -------------------------------------------------- --------------------Color is: White. Army Group Staffs. A.G's. G,E,F, Staffs. Army Staffs. Army Group "A" 2,12 Staffs. Armored Group Staffs. "Afrika." Korps Stabs. 11th, 30th, 51st, 52nd, 65th, 68th, 69th, 91st. Reserve Stabs. 59th. Motorized Korps Stabs. 41st. -------------------------------------------------- --------------------Color is Pink. Armored Army Staffs. Armored Korps Staffs. 14,40,46. -------------------------------------------------- -------------------Color is: Light Green/Grass Green. Gebirgejager Korps Staffs. 15th, 18th, 21st, 22nd, 46th. __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ Combat Troops--Infantry: --------------------Color is: White. Infantry Division Staffs. 1st Airlanding (Luftlande) Div Staff. Assault (Sturm) Division Staffs. Rhodes. Infantry Regiments. 16 thru 750. Grenadier Regiments. 754,755. Reenforcement Bataillons.220, 598,599. Afrika Division Staff. 90,999. Motorized Infantry Div Staffs. 16, 60. Motorized Infantry Regiments Staffs. 60, 92. Motorized Grenadier Regiment Staffs. 120, 156. Motorized Regiment Grossdeutschland. Special Purpose Div (Div zbV) Staffs. Special Purpose Rgmt (zbV) Staffs. Fortress Division Staffs. 41, 133, Kreta. Fortress Btns. 621,622,623. Fortress Infantry Btns. 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,16,18,19,20,21,22,999.1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,16,18,19,20,21,22,999. Reserve Division Staffs. 173,187. Reserve Infantry/Grenadier Rgmts. 17, 45, 130, 231, 462. Flak Btns. __________________________________________________ ----------------Color is: Light Green/Grass Green. Machinegun Battaillons. 2,8. Gebirgsjager Div Staffs. 1,4,5,6. Gerbirgs Regiments. 13,85,91,98,99,100,141,143. Mountain Reinforcement (Feldersatz) Btns. 91,94,95. Jager Div Staffs. 42,100,104,114,117,118. Jager Rgmts.25 thru 750. -------------------------------------------------- --------------------Various colors. 1 (Sonderverband) 288. Brandenburg Btns. 1,2,4. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Combat Troops-Mobile: (Schnell Truppen) --------------------Color is: Gold-Yellow: Mobile Div Staffs. Motorcycle Recon Btns. 59. Division Recon (Divisionsaufklarung) Btns. 42 thru 392. Motorized Recon Btns. 3,5,8,9,33,40,231. Mountain Recon (Gebirgsaufklarung) Btn. 33. Div Fusilier Btns. 181,297. __________________________________________________ --------------------Color is: Pink. Panzer Div Staffs. 1,2,5,8,9,10,11,14,15. Panzer Regiments. 1,3,5,7,8,10,15,31,33,36. Motorcycle Recon Btn. 61. Armed Recon Btns. 1,3,10,59,90,164,220,999. Panzerjager Btns. 33,39,90,190,334,605,999,52 thru 392. Motorized Panzerjager Btns. 4,37,38,43,50,53,90,160,228. Mountain Anti-tank (Gebirgspanzerjager) Btns. 47,94,95. __________________________________________________ ---------------Color is: Grass Green. Motorcycle Recon Btns. 2,8,15,55,59,64. Motor Rifle Rgmts. 2,8,10,11,13,14,28,103,104,106,110,111,155,304. Mechanized Panzergrenadier Rgmts. 1,69,86,104,113,115,125,155,200,361,382,433. __________________________________________________ ---------------Color is: Light Green. Light Infantry Div Staffs. 90,101. """"""in Africk Staffs. 90,164. Light Inf Rgmts. 200,361. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Combat Troops--Artillerie: --------------------Color is: Red. Artillerie Rgmts. 33,75,155,220,334,999,83 thru 670. Arty Btns. 361,653,654,661,668,670. Reserve Arty Btns. 10,96. Motorized Arty Rgmts. 4,33,74,80,102,116,119,148,160,190. Gebirgsarty Rgmts. 79,94,95,118. Panzerarty Rgmts. 33,73,90,155. Assault Gun (Sturmgeschutz) Btns. 184,190,191. Army Anti-Aircraft Btns. 299,302. -------------------------------------------------- Neberwerfer Btn 9. ---Bordeaux Red. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Combat Troops--Pioneers: -------------------Color is: Black. Pioneer Btns. 5,71 thru 704, 220,334,900,999. Reserve Pi Btns. 46,86. Pi Kompanies. 704,713,714,717,718, (Rhodes). Gebirgspioneer Btns. 54,91,94,95. Panzerpioneer (Armored Engineer) Btns. 13,33,37,38,49,59,86,89,200,209,220. -------------------------------------------------- Bau Pi Btn. 85 Color is Light Brown. __________________________________________________ Combat Troops--Signals: -----------Color is: Lemon-Yellow. Signals Btns. 5,334,999,71 thru 392. Signals Kps. 704,713,714,717,718 (Rhodes). Reserve Signals Kp. 1087. Gebirgenachrichten Btns. 54,91,94,95. Armored Signals (PanzerNachtrichten) Btns. 4,37,38,77,78,84,85,90,190,200,220,341. __________________________________________________ --------------------Color is: Yellow-Grey. Propaganda Kps. Afrika,690,698, Propagands Btn. Sudost. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Supply Troops: ---------------Color is: Cornflower Blue. Div Supply. 5,46 thru 887, 190,220,334,999. Gebirgs Div Supply. 54,91,94,95. Mot Div Supply. 4,61,66,82,85,160. Armored Div Supply. 59,60,81. Supply Btn, 533. Mot Transport (Kraftwagon) Kps. 33 thru 999 and 4 thru 887. Horsedrawn Kps. 4 thru 887. __________________________________________________ -------------------Color is: Dark Blue. Med Officers, NCOs, Men. Mot Med Offiz, NCOs, Men. Mountain Med (Gebirgssanitats) Offiz, NCOs, Men. __________________________________________________ Vet Generals--Red. Vet Officers, NCOs, Men. Crimson. __________________________________________________ Feldgendarmerie units--------Orange. Recruiting-------------------Orange. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Security Troops: ------------------Color is: White. Army Rear Area Commander. Sub-district Commands. Territorial Rifle Rgmts. 81,86. Territorial Rifle Btns. 257-997. Security Rgmt. 86. Security Btns. 265 thru 1025. Transport/POW Camps (Dulags) 160,183,185,191,202. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Forign Troops: ---------------Color is: Various. Cossack Cav Div Nr.1. Gold-Yellow. Cossack Cav Rgmts. 1,5 Don,2 Siberian, 4 Kuban, 6 Terek. Golden-Yellow. Cossack Arty Rgmt. 55. Red. White Russian Rgmts Nrs. 1,2,3,4,5. White. Arab Special Unit--Various colors. Arab Infantry Btn 845--White. Armenian Feld Btn 125--White. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Army Officials: ---------------Color is: Field Post---Lemon-Yellow. Field Post Offices--Lemon-Yellow. Field Security Police---Light Blue.
