Original German WWII Kriegsmarine Obermaat Petty Officer White Summer Uniform Tunic with Waistcoat Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. The Kriegsmarine was the navy of NSDAP Germany from 1935 to 1945. It superseded the Imperial German Navy of the German Empire (1871–1918) and the inter-war Reichsmarine (1919–1935) of the Weimar Republic. The Kriegsmarine was one of three official branches, along with the Heer and the Luftwaffe, of the Wehrmacht, the German armed forces from 1935 to 1945.

This is a very nice condition white summer uniform set, consisting of the tunic and waistcoat (vest), both fabricated from white cotton. The shoulders are adorned with Kriegsmarine button attached Schulterklappen (Shoulder straps), which are navy blue with a single row of ribbed gold tresse that goes around the entire edge, which indicates the rank of Obermaat, a junior NCO rank equivalent to a German Army Unterfeldwebel or a U.S. Navy Petty officer, second class. The right breast above the pocket is enriched with a Summer Kriegsmarine breast eagle insignia pin, which has the rear securing pin going directly through the fabric.

There are four pockets on the front, one on each breast and larger ones at the waist on both sides. The breast pockets are designed with a decorative plate and have flaps secured with gilt Kriegsmarine buttons, both of which is maker marked and are held in place by clip pins on the reverse. There are also small snaps on the outer edges of the pocket flaps to keep them secured for a more streamlined look. The waist pockets are unpleated and do not have any top flaps. The front of the jacket has a 4 button front closure featuring gilt Kriegsmarine buttons, however the bottom button is missing. All are maker marked and held on by clip pins on the reverse, which are hidden under a flap on the inside of the tunic.

The white waistcoat is very nice, with a textured front that has two slash pockets in it. It has a four button front closure, with small gilt Kriegsmarine buttons, secured by clip pins on the reverse, also hidden under a flap on the interior.

Overall the uniform is in very good condition, showing some light staining and age toning, but no major damage or wear. This would look great as part of any German WWII Naval collection!

Approximate Measurements:
Collar to shoulder: 9.5″
Shoulder to sleeve: 25”
Shoulder to shoulder: 15”
Chest width: 19″
Waist width: 18″
Hip width: 20″
Front length: 31″

WWII Kriegsmarine

In violation of the Treaty of Versailles, the Kriegsmarine grew rapidly during German naval rearmament in the 1930s. The 1919 treaty had limited the size of the German navy and prohibited the building of submarines

Kriegsmarine ships were deployed to the waters around Spain during the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939) under the guise of enforcing non-intervention, but in reality supported the Nationalists against the Spanish Republicans.

In January 1939, Plan Z, a massive ship-building program, was ordered, calling for surface naval parity with the British Royal Navy by 1944. When World War II broke out in September 1939, Plan Z was shelved in favour of a crash building program for submarines (U-boats) instead of capital surface warships, and land and air forces were given priority of strategic resources.

The Commander-in-Chief of the Kriegsmarine (as for all branches of armed forces during the period of absolute NSDAP power) was AH, who exercised his authority through the Oberkommando der Marine (“High Command of the Navy”).

The Kriegsmarine’s most significant ships were the U-boats, most of which were constructed after Plan Z was abandoned at the beginning of World War II. Wolfpacks were rapidly assembled groups of submarines which attacked British convoys during the first half of the Battle of the Atlantic but this tactic was largely abandoned by May 1943 when U-boat losses mounted. Along with the U-boats, surface commerce raiders (including auxiliary cruisers) were used to disrupt Allied shipping in the early years of the war, the most famous of these being the heavy cruisers Admiral Graf Spee and Admiral Scheer and the battleship Bismarck. However, the adoption of convoy escorts, especially in the Atlantic, greatly reduced the effectiveness of surface commerce raiders against convoys.

Following the end of World War II in 1945, the Kriegsmarine’s remaining ships were divided up among the Allied powers and were used for various purposes including minesweeping. Some were loaded with superfluous chemical weapons and scuttled.