Physical Description

Piping: silver
Special Features: black cap

History

The Visored Field Cap M43 was introduced on June 11, 1943 and became the standard cap for all troops. It was also known as the Einheitsfeldmütze (standard field cap). The cut is the same as that of the “Bergmütze” (mountain cap), albeit with a longer visor, and it has the same design for flaps, which are affixed by two buttons at the front and could be lowered to cover the face in the form of a balaclava.

The cap was made of cotton and cellulose fibre, but in comparison to the earlier field cap model it was made of 70 to 90 percent cellulose fibre, making the material more coarse. On occasion this cap will have ventilations holes, just like the earlier models, but most were produced without any due to easier fabrication.

Enlisted men and NCOs wore no piping on their caps. Piping was silver-coloured for army and administrative officers, and gold-coloured for general ranks and administrative equivalents.
The buttons were grey for enlisted men and NCOs, made of pebbled aluminum for officers, and gilt for generals.

The embroidered insignia, the red, white, and black cockade in a wreath of oak leaves and the national eagle above it, usually came on a one-piece grey-green trapezium. It was made with silver-coloured wire for officer ranks.

The versions will significantly differ in weight depending on climate and local conditions.

The term M(odel) 43 has been given to this piece of headgear by collectors and has no official character.

Members of Panzer troops wore a very similar cap, however theirs was black.