Among the diverse headgear of Germany's armed forces during the Second World War, few items carry as much character and sardonic history as the Luftwaffe Tropical Visor Cap, colloquially known as the “Hermann-Meier-Mütze” or “Hermann Meyer Cap.” This distinctive piece of tropical military headgear, issued to Luftwaffe personnel serving in North Africa and the southern European theater between approximately 1941 and 1943, represents a fascinating convergence of practical design and biting soldier's humor. The example presented here is a depot-issued piece dating to approximately 1943, complete with all insignia and in used condition.
The cap owes its mocking sobriquet to a boastful statement made by Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring in a radio address, in which he proclaimed that if even a single British bomber reached German territory, people could call him “Meier” instead of Göring. The phrase “Ich will Meier heißen” was a well-known German idiom meaning “that will never happen” – an expression of absolute impossibility. When Allied bombers did, in fact, reach German cities, the name became a bitterly sarcastic reference among both troops and civilians, shortened to the derisive cry “Hermann Meier!” The tropical visor cap worn by Luftwaffe personnel in Africa – men who served under Göring's nominal authority – thus acquired this sardonic nickname, a small but telling monument to the gap between leadership bluster and battlefield reality.
The tropical visor cap was constructed from sand-colored (khaki-tan) cotton twill fabric. The Luftwaffe developed its tropical uniforms in this yellowish-khaki material, which was considered more effective desert camouflage than the olive shade used by the Army. The cap features a distinctive design: a semi-stiff band providing structure, a soft crushable crown fitted with two ventilation eyelets on each side, and a detachable neck flap (Havelock) attached by three metal buttons at the rear base of the cap band. This removable neck shade was a unique feature specific to Luftwaffe tropical service.
The front of the cap displays the Luftwaffe eagle (Mützenadler) and cockade with wreath (Mützenschwinge) in Bevo-woven execution from sand-colored fabric, hand-sewn to the cap body. The present example retains its intact black leather storm strap (Ledersturmriemen). The interior is lined with red fabric and bears the chamber stamp “RB-Nr. 0/0250/2570” in size 56½.
As standard issue for enlisted men and NCOs, the cap featured a leather chinstrap. Officers could add metal chin cords according to personal preference – silver or aluminum for company and field grade officers, gilt for generals – though on tropical visor caps, all ranks normally utilized the leather chinstrap. Notably, tropical uniforms and headgear were issued to Luftwaffe personnel at no cost, departing from the normal system whereby officers purchased their own uniforms.
The Hermann Meier cap was worn by Luftwaffe personnel in North Africa (primarily Tunisia), southern Italy, Sicily, and the broader southern European theater including Greece and the Balkans, from approximately 1941 through 1943. The cap is most closely associated with two elite Luftwaffe ground formations: Fallschirmjäger Regiment 5 (FJR 5) in Tunisia and the Hermann Göring Division in Tunisia and southern Italy.
The Hermann Göring Division was formed in October 1942 from the Brigade Hermann Göring, incorporating approximately 5,000 Luftwaffe volunteers along with the complete Fallschirmjäger Regiment 5. Elements of the division were sent piecemeal to Tunisia between November 1942 and March 1943, operating under Kampfgruppe Schmid, commanded by Generalmajor Joseph Schmid. The Tunisian campaign proved disastrous for these forces: the great majority surrendered along with the remaining Axis forces on 12–13 May 1943, with only approximately 400 killed in action. The division was subsequently reformed in May 1943 and went on to fight in Sicily in July 1943 and later in Italy.
At the outset of Luftwaffe tropical service, personnel had several headgear options: the sidecap (Schiffchen), the pith helmet, or this unique tropical peaked cap with detachable neck shade. Over time, the distinctive tropical visor cap was phased out and eventually replaced by versions of the Army M40 tropical field cap produced in Luftwaffe tan. Following the Axis surrender in Tunisia in May 1943 and the conclusion of major Luftwaffe ground operations in North Africa, the tropical visor cap effectively became obsolete.
Today, original examples of the Hermann Meier cap are highly sought-after collector's items, with unworn or mint-condition examples being extremely rare. The present specimen, a depot-issued piece in used condition bearing its original chamber stamp, complete Bevo-woven insignia, intact leather storm strap, and red lining, represents an authentic artifact of the Luftwaffe's presence in the Mediterranean theater. It embodies both the practical demands of desert warfare and the irreverent spirit of the soldiers who wore it – men who, with dark humor, named their own headgear after their commander-in-chief's most embarrassing boast.
