German Navy 1933-45

Version for the tropical shipboard uniform. Garrison cap made of white cotton cloth, complete with BeVo-woven national eagle and embroidered cockade. Lined inside with “herringbone” twill fabric, bearing a French manufacturer’s stamp, size 56. Worn piece; the garrison cap has been washed. Condition 2.

Private purchase item, manufactured in occupied France, circa 1942. Garrison cap made of dark blue cloth, complete with Bevo-woven national eagle and cockade. Sewn on the left side is the enameled badge of the Vorpostenflottille Abschnitt Kanal. Blue lining inside, with manufacturer's stamp "drapiere Parisienne Paris". Size 59, condition 2-

Field-gray wool, complete with Bevo woven insignia, piped throughout with golden piping and yellow soutache chevron. Interior with silk lining, size marked “58 1/2”. Condition 2.

circa 1942. Elegant visor cap in the typical Kriegsmarine style, complete with the national eagle for naval officials and silver metallic thread hand-embroidered oakleaf wreath with cockade, silver cap cord, black grosgrain band, soft leather visor. Interior with grey sweatband leather, blue inner lining and celluloid diamond. Size approximately 54. Worn, condition 2.

circa 1940. Garrison cap made of dark blue wool cloth, complete with hand-embroidered national eagle and cockade in metal thread, trimmed with silver piping around the edge. Interior lined with black silk, size approximately 57, condition 2.

designed after the Soviet field cap. Manufactured from brown synthetic fur and blue-gray cloth, front with Kriegsmarine national eagle above cockade, side flaps with ties that have been replaced. Size approximately 56. Heavily worn, condition 3

Barracks piece, circa 1941. Dark blue wool, complete with Bevo-woven cap eagle and cockade. On the left side a sewn-on handmade heart, as a talisman/good luck charm. Interior with black cloth lining, size approximately 57. Clearly worn, condition 2.

Steel helmet in the same slate-gray camouflage paint as used on warships. Interior marked laterally with “SE64” and at the neck with “...240”. Original leather liner on metal ring, with chin strap. Head size approx. 55 1/2. Leather liner damaged, condition 2-.

Made of field-gray cloth, dark green piping, gold cap cord on naval buttons, with national eagle and oakleaf wreath with cockade in hand-embroidered metal thread execution. Interior with brown sweatband, the leather dated 1942, blue lining and celluloid diamond with maker's marking “OKK Wilhelmshaven” and wearer's label “Otto Schulz”, head size 58. Small hole at back of head, condition 2.

Otto Schulz enlisted as a war volunteer in the Imperial Navy on April 4, 1916. Until August 1916 he was at the Naval School for basic training and from June 1, 1916 on the Freya. He then served as a naval cadet on the Rheinland, became Fähnrich zur See here (appointed with rank date of January 13, 1917) and received an assignment to the Oldenburg in March 1917, where he remained until August 1917. Until November 1917 he attended a training course for navigation officers, to return to the Oldenburg for one month and then attend another course for radio telegraphy at the Radio Telegraphy School Flensburg-Mürwik until February 1918. Until the end of the war he was again on the Oldenburg. With the assessment of the officers, he was recognized as qualified as an officer on April 18, 1918. With rank date of June 19, 1918 he was promoted to Leutnant zur See. From early December 1918 to early 1919 he was with the XII. Marine-Artillerie-Abteilung. Until February 17, 1919 he was placed at the disposal of the Chief of the Naval Station of the Baltic Sea and the North Sea.

From February 17, 1919 to May 26, 1920 he was with the II. Marine-Brigade. Here he served in the Officer Assault Company, then as gun commander of a heavy MG and then as orderly officer of a brigade adjutant. Subsequently he was transferred into the Reichsmarine and his deployment followed until May 24, 1921 as platoon leader in the 3rd Infantry Company of the I. Schiffsstammdivision der Nordsee. He served until September 22, 1923 on the cruiser Arcona, was promoted to Oberleutnant zur See on April 1, 1922 and served here until April 1, 1923 as radio officer and from October 1, 1920 additionally as watch officer. Until September 1923 followed his deployment as watch officer and division officer. From the Arcona he served until September 21, 1925 as naval communications officer in List and was simultaneously adjutant at the Kommandantur Cuxhaven. From early February 1925 to mid-March 1925 he had attended a refresher course for radio officers at the Marinenachrichtenschule Flensburg-Mürwik. He came to the service administration as assistant in the Inspectorate of Torpedo and Mine Warfare. From late September 1927 he was in the Versuchskommando der Marine in Kiel and simultaneously commander of the direction-finding boat P III. From September 30, 1927 to September 25, 1929 he was first radio officer and watch officer on the Elsass. On February 1, 1929 he was promoted to Kapitänleutnant in this position and had attended another refresher course for radio officers in November/December 1927. Until September 24, 1931 he served as watch officer on the Schleswig-Holstein. He came as consultant to the Abwehrabteilung in the Reichswehrministerium and remained here until September 29, 1933. Subsequently he was, from April 1, 1935 Korvettenkapitän, until September 24, 1935 assigned to the Marineakademie for a command assistant training, before he served until September 29, 1937 as navigation officer on the Leipzig. Further staff positions followed and on October 1, 1938 he became Fregattenkapitän. From September 1, 1939 to February 28, 1940 he was head of the Abwehrstelle at the Marinestation der Nordsee, was simultaneously Asto there and then there until mid-March 1943 only Asto. On April 1, 1940 he was promoted to Kapitän zur See in this position. From April 1943 he was commander of the Seeverteidigung Krim, which was dissolved with the fall of Sevastopol on May 12, 1944. On March 1, 1944 he became Konteradmiral. From mid-May 1944 to end of June 1944 he was placed at the disposal of the Kommandierender Admiral Schwarzes Meer and on leave. Subsequently he was until the end of the war chief of the Department Intelligence Evaluation (3/Skl). After the war he was initially as department chief Raum Mürwik first in British, then until mid-June 1947 in American captivity.

On May 17, 1944 he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for the evacuation of the “Crimea fighters”. He was also recipient of the Spanish Cross in Bronze.