Imperial German Navy

Circa 1917/18. The unlined field tunic made of light khaki-colored cloth with concealed button placket with horn buttons, sewn-down turn-down collar and cuffs in field gray, four patch pockets, silver-colored anchor buttons, and field gray shoulder straps sewn on the shoulders for a Senior Physician (Oberarzt). Lightly worn. Condition 2.

Very rare! The first “field gray uniform” of the Marine Corps consisted of litewkas cut according to the pattern of the Marine Infantry officer litewkas and executed in khaki or field gray. Only in 1916 was the uniform of the Marine Corps somewhat standardized, but it continued to be characterized by great diversity of forms. The present field tunic was worn, as can be seen from the shoulder straps, around 1917/18.

Personal item circa 1915/16. The tunic is made of fine dark blue cloth with nickel-plated anchor buttons bearing the Imperial Crown, silver NCO braid on the sleeves, on the left sleeve the “clear anchor” without cable already made of war metal. Black lining inside, the left sleeve bearing the owner's name “Hunold”. Without toggle chain. Condition 2.

circa 1910. Elegant dark blue gala dress coat of the finest quality. The collar with wide surrounding silver braid, the chest and sleeve facings in black velvet, with surrounding silver braids. Complete with epaulettes featuring black velvet fields, silver overlays, and wide silver bullion fringe. The epaulettes regulation-compliant with silver rank stars following the conversion of naval officials to military status. Complete with shoulder straps on black velvet backing and silver shoulder buttons. Unfortunately, the surrounding silver border of the crescent is missing on the right epaulette. On the sleeves with silver rank braids on black velvet backing denoting Marine-Oberbaurat (equivalent rank of Captain at Sea). All buttons in fine silver-plated finish with crowned anchor. Interior lined with black silk. Imperial bicorne hat for Marine-Oberbaurat circa 1910. Bicorne of black needle felt, edging of black silk ribbon. Left side with silver agraffe over silk cockade in black/white/red and silver-plated naval button. Interior with light leather sweatband with white silk lining, interior marked with maker “L.H. Berger, Collani & Cie. Hoflieferanten Berlin, Lindenstr. 25”. Lightly worn, condition 2.
The entire ensemble is only lightly worn, in magnificent condition. Extremely rare to find.

Circa 1910. Elegant bicorne of black needle felt, right side with gold agraffe, Reich cockade of silk and gilt button for reserve officers, anchor with the Imperial Crown, surmounted by the small silver-plated cross. Interior with light-colored sweatband and white silk lining. Size approximately 58. Lightly worn. In original case. Condition 2.

Chamber piece 1913. The jacket in dark blue cloth with brass anchor buttons, complete with toggle chain, both sleeves with two yellow chevrons for musicians, on the left sleeve the yellow chevron for Petty Officer Second Class. Interior with black lining with chamber stamp “B.A.W. 24 9. 13 3 M”. Condition 2.

Circa 1914. Elegant white waistcoat made of waffle cloth. Complete with row of fire-gilt Navy buttons. White lining inside. Manufacturer's label “Hermann Holstein Kiel Wilhelmshaven” on the inside back of the adjustment strap. Worn piece in good condition. Very rare.

The waistcoat comes from the estate of Chief Engineer Dietrich Görke, which we were able to purchase in its entirety. Included is a photocopy, a newspaper clipping from Görke's 90th birthday, showing him wearing his old Imperial Navy uniform once more.

Circa 1910. Elegant bicorne of black needle felt, left side with gold agraffe, Reich cockade of silk and gilt button for reserve officers with applied silver reserve cross. Interior with light-colored sweatband and white silk lining. Size approximately 53. The silk ribbon with minor wear marks. Condition 2.

Circa 1910. Elegant mess jacket, cloth of finest officer quality, complete with all insignia, on the sleeve the rank stripes as Lieutenant zur See, above them the gilt Imperial crowns, gilt buttons with the crowned anchor, complete with the small button clasp with chain. Interior with black silk lining, in the neck area the name label “Picht”. Very well preserved, condition 2+.

Chamber piece 1911. Constructed of white cotton fabric, so-called “wash cap”, complete with sewn-on cockade and cap ribbon “S.M.S. Victoria Louise” in red for ship's boys. Interior with chamber stamp “B.A.W. 1. 3. 11 57”, alongside patch “Pattberg”. Size approx. 53. Stained. Condition 2.

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_Louise

Stationed at Tsingtau, Wilhelmshaven/Cuxhaven (home base). Circa 1913/14. Elegant, lightweight patent leather shako with cloth covering, complete with all fire-gilt brass fittings. Front features the special eagle for the Seebataillone, exceptionally finely crafted with polished edges, the eagle as a special feature for veterinarians without the anchor (!!). Flat scale chains on rosettes. Complete with the officer's field insignia in the “Reich colors”. Interior with light leather sweatband and salmon-colored silk rep lining, the rear visor lined in green, the crown with handwritten size “55 ½”. Barely worn, uncleaned and untouched. Condition 2+.

Extremely rare! To our knowledge, this is the only known example!

The III. Seebataillon served in Tsingtau as garrison troops and was responsible for the landward security of the German naval base. The battalion consisted of four companies of naval infantry, a mounted (5th) company, a naval field artillery battery, a naval pioneer company, and a machine gun company. Veterinarians were required for the care of the horses of mounted officers and soldiers as well as the draft animals of the artillery pieces. For the year 1914, two veterinary officers are documented as serving in Tsingtau.

These were seconded from the Army, but were permitted to wear naval insignia with their Army uniform while serving in China! In summer these were the “White Uniform” and “Tropical Uniform” like officers of the naval field artillery battery. In winter, however, they were to wear the Army uniform with the Pickelhaube, but with the Imperial eagle. The officers of the naval field artillery battery wore the blue uniform of the Seebataillon with the shako bearing the special naval eagle.

The present shako features a naval eagle that was manufactured from the factory without an anchor. The eagle was originally attached in this manner and evidently worn as such and not replaced.

Original pieces of such an eagle without anchor were previously unknown. The only known depiction of this eagle to us is found in a design for German colonial protection force uniforms, with personal annotations by Kaiser Wilhelm II.

It can be assumed that the veterinary officers modeled themselves on the officers of the naval field artillery battery and adopted a shako with naval eagle instead of a Pickelhaube with Imperial eagle. However, without the anchor, which clarified their status as officers not actually belonging to the Navy. Presumably this special uniform regulation originated directly in Tsingtau and due to the outbreak of war was never incorporated into the official regulations.

Chamber piece 1910. Blue wool with silver anchor buttons, toggle chain present, on the left upper arm the yellow chevron for leading seaman. Interior with black fabric lining, in the shoulder area with fine chamber stamp “B A-W 24 8. 10 3 ... II. W. 1. 435./11.”, below it the owner label “Schleifenbaum”. Condition 2.

Circa 1900. Constructed of white cotton fabric, so-called "Waschmütze" (washable cap), complete with sewn-on cockade, cap tally "S.M.S. Charlotte" in red for ship's boys. Size 53. Interior with owner's label "Brestel". Stained. Condition 2-.
The S.M.S. Charlotte was a cruiser frigate. Commissioned in 1886, she served as a training ship from 1893. She was struck from the naval register in 1914.

Shirt with chamber stamp “B.A.K. 18.2.06” and maker label “Oberdieck”, measurements overall length approx. 75 cm, chest circumference approx. 106 cm. Condition 2.

circa 1875. Silver braid with black/red interwoven threads. Only minimally worn, condition 2+. Very rare.

Black silk, pre-tied, lightly worn. Condition 2

Rarely found.

Black silk with blue core, pre-tied, lightly worn. Condition 2

Rarely found.

Personal property item, blue cloth with gilt anchor buttons, toggle chain present, chevron for One-Year Volunteer on left upper arm, black fabric lining interior, very well preserved. Condition 2

circa 1910. Bicorne of black needle felt, trimmed with black silk ribbon. On the left side, silver agraffe over silk cockade in black/white/red and silver-plated naval button. Interior with black leather sweatband and wine-red silk lining. Size 57. In original case. Minor signs of wear and age, Condition 2.

Personal item circa 1910. The jacket made of fine dark blue wool broadcloth, complete with all appointments. Tombac buttons with Imperial crown and anchor, on the left sleeve the badge for Fireworks/Artillery Petty Officer in large metal execution, on the sleeves the gold lace stripes for non-commissioned officer. Lined with fine black cloth. Condition 2.

Chamber piece circa 1910. White linen shirt with blue collar and cuff facings. Sleeve length approx. 63 cm, length approx. 67 cm, chest width approx. 42 cm. Without chamber stamp. Condition 2.

Circa 1910. Bicorne of black needle felt, the edging of black silk ribbon. On right side gold agraffe over silk cockade in black/white/red and gilt naval button. Interior with light leather sweatband with reddish-brown silk lining with maker “Zeugner & Riedel ... Halle ...”. Size approximately 54. Condition 2.

circa 1910. Bicorne of black needle felt, trimmed with black silk ribbon. On the left side a gold agraffe over silk cockade in black/white/red and silvered naval button. Interior with light brown leather sweatband and white silk lining bearing the maker “L.H. Berger, Collani & Co. Hof-Lieferanten Berlin”, below which the owner’s name “Fibel”. Size 57. Light wear from use. Condition 2.

Chamber piece circa 1880/85. Made of dark blue wool cloth, complete with all insignia. Yellow buttons with anchor and Imperial crown 1st model (until 1888), on the left sleeve the badge for Mate in large metal version, below it the cloth badge for Gun Captain in the form used from 1873 to 1893, on the sleeves the gold lace for non-commissioned officer. Interior with brown cloth lining, in the shoulder area with chamber stamp (unfortunately no longer legible), below “IM 4 173.86” and below name label “Formes”, in the left sleeve another old label “Eigenthum von Ch. Meyer geb. Mathissen Hamburg”. Condition 2.

A fine piece from the early period of the Imperial German Navy. The former wearer apparently started as an ordinary sailor and received the jacket as a chamber piece and then worked his way up to Boatswain's Mate. He likely left the Navy before 1893, otherwise he would have attached the new Gun Captain badge to the jacket.

circa 1910. White waistcoat made of waffle cloth, complete with small gilt Imperial Navy buttons. Condition 2.

Chamber piece 1906. White linen shirt with blue collar and cuff facings. Sleeve length approx. 64 cm, length approx. 74 cm, chest width approx. 48 cm. Chamber stamp “B.A-K. ... 06”, below which sewn-on label “Krüger”. On the left sleeve the chevron for Leading Seaman. Stained. Condition 2-.

Property item circa 1910. White cotton trousers with white buttons. Waist circumference 90 cm, side length 102 cm, inseam 70 cm. Slightly soiled. Condition 2.

This full dress tunic is a privately purchased piece made of dark blue cloth with gilt anchor buttons bearing the old slanted crown used until 1888, short toggle chain, on the sleeves the gold lace for non-commissioned officer rank, on the left sleeve the badge for Senior Boatswain's Mate in gilt metal, the slanted Imperial crown still without the ribbons introduced in 1888, below it the badge for Gun Captain in the pattern used until 1891. Interior partially lined with black silk. Condition 2.

circa 1913. Elegant bicorne hat for admirals. Black needle felt, edged with wide silver braid, left side with silver agraffe, Reich cockade in silk and silver-plated button. Interior with dark brown lining, light sweatband leather. Lightly worn in good condition.
By A.K.O. (Allerhöchste Kabinetts-Order) of January 21, 1905, Naval Station Intendants received the rank of Councilor 1st Class (equivalent to Rear Admiral), but differ from admirals through the “silver” finish of braid, agraffe and button.

Circa 1915. The Kollani jumper, a personal item made of heavy dark blue cloth with two rows of crowned anchor buttons in tombac, side pockets on both sides, on the collar the special white collar patches for the crew of the Yacht Hohenzollern, on the left sleeve the chevron for Leading Seaman, above it the cloth badge for “Boatman of the Imperial Yacht”. Partially lined inside with fine black cloth, in the breast pocket sewn-in owner's label “Nendza”.
The peaked cap, a chamber piece from 1915 made of soft dark blue cloth, for the Imperial Yacht with white piping (!), complete with the Imperial cockade and the cap ribbon with gold-woven inscription “S.M. Yacht Hohenzollern”. Inside with fine black cloth lining with chamber stamp “B.A.W. 6. 3. 15 57”. The peaked cap lightly worn, condition 2.

An extremely rare and beautifully preserved ensemble!

The pieces come from a large private naval collection and were purchased by the collector from the estate of the Leading Seaman.

Circa 1920/25. This is an old coat from the Imperial Navy (Kaiserliche Marine) that continued to be worn in the Reichsmarine. Elegant dark blue coat of fine manufacturing quality. Complete with double row of fire-gilded navy buttons. Complete with sewn-in shoulder boards, these still from the Imperial Navy, in the left hip pocket with sewn-in hanger for the officer's dagger. On the button panel with sewn-in ribbon for the Iron Cross 1914 2nd Class. Interior lined with gray silk, at the back of the neck with woven owner's label “Lutter”. The coat is worn, in beautiful condition.

Kapitän zur See Max Lutter, born 28.6.1872, in World War I on S.M.S. “Blücher,” 1.14 First Officer S.M.S. “Amazone”, 1917 Commander S.M.S. “Preußen”, thereafter on battleship “Zähringen”, finally 1918 Commander on S.M.S. “König Wilhelm” until the end of the war. Included is the photocopy from the Honor Roll of the Imperial Navy 1914-18.

circa 1910/14. Dark blue elegant visor cap in the typical naval pattern, front with hand-embroidered metal thread Imperial crown above the Reich cockade. Short black patent leather visor, black patent leather chin strap on gilt naval buttons, black grosgrain ribbon around circumference. Interior with brown leather sweatband, black quilted silk lining, size label “55” inside front visor. Lightly worn in very good condition.
Extremely rare to find, as most caps were continued in service in the Reichsmarine after 1918.