1935–1945 Corps Colours Of The German Army

The corps colours were part of the pipings, gorget patches, shoulder straps, as well as part of the arabesque and lampasse of any general officer and flag officer. It was also part of heraldic flags, colours, standards, and guidons.

In the Heer there was a strictly defined systematic of corps colours on collar patchs, uniform piping, and coloured edging around the shoulder boards or shoulder straps. The corps colours of the Reichswehr (1921 until ca. 1935) were almost identical to these of the Wehrmacht.

Synoptic table and examples to military persons in uniform

The table below contains some corps colours and examples used by the German Army from 1935–45.

Troops, unit, appointment	Caps colour		Example		Remark
General officers (Festungsbaupioniere, Waffenoffiziere, and Feuerwerker) Artillery corps Assault guns (Sturmgeschütze) Heavy flak	Deep red (Hochrot)				General der Waffengattung (arabesque and shoulder strap)
					Standard of the artillery
Kriegsministerium (later Oberkommando der Wehrmacht) General staff corps officers Veterinary service	Crimson (Karmesinrot)				Chief of the OKW until 1941 General staff corps officers (Oberkommando) General staff corps officers (others) Hufbeschlaglehrmeister (Farrier master instructor)
Field chaplains	Purple (#C154C1)		N/A
Chemical troops Nebelwerfer Reichskriegsgericht	Bordeaux red (Bordo, bordeauxrot)				Unteroffizier (Fahnenjunker-Unterfeldwebel) Standard
Infantry Motorised infantry Local defence units (Landesschützen)	White (White)				Oberstleutnant Standard of the infantry
Panzertruppe Motor maintenance troops (from 1942)	Rose-pink (Rosa)				Mannschaft Troops standard
Signals	Lemon-yellow (#FFEE00)				Oberleutnant Troops standard
	Light-brown until 1937
Cavalry Armoured reconnaissance units with cavalry traditions Reconnaissance	Golden-yellow (#F7B600)				Rittmeister Troops standard
Feldgendarmerie Recruiting and replacement (Wehrersatzwesen)	Orange-yellow (#ff8000)				Leutnant Company pennant
Motorcycle infantry (Kradschützentruppe)	Copper-brown (#DA8A67)			N/A	Oberleutnant
Panzergrenadiertroops	Meadow-green (#60c000 from 1943)			N/A	Oberst
Jäger (light infantry troops [hunters]) Gebirgsjäger (mountain troops [mountain hunters]) Skijäger (ski troops [ski hunters])	Light green (Hellgrün)				Leutnant Troops standard
Transportation troops (until 1942 (Fahrtruppen) Supply troops (from 1942) (Nachschubtruppen)	Blue (#00AEEF)				Major Oberfeldwebel Troops standard
Military medical service (Sanitätstruppe)	Medical-blue (dark-blue)				Feldunterarzt Arabesque for administrative generals (OF6 to OF7)
War correspondents Propaganda troops	Light-grey			N/A	Leutnant
Construction troops (Bautruppen)	Light-brown until 1943				Stabsfeldwebel Troops standard
(Combat engineers) (Pioniere) Assault engineers Armoured engineers Fortress engineers Railway engineers Construction engineers (from 1943) (Baupioniere)	Black
Main colour of the uniform	Field-grey		Equal uniform colour for the Waffen-SS and military administration

During World War II, officials of the “Army administration” (Heeresverwaltung, short HV), regardless of those serving in the Wehrmacht, war economy, or in military education facilities, etc., wore military rank insignias similar to those of the Wehrmacht.

Synoptic table and examples of Heer officials

Heer officials normally wore, in addition to their dark green main corps colour (Haupt-Waffenfarbe), a secondary colour (Nebenfarbe) denoting their branch. The Nebenfarbe was worn as piping surrounding the collar Litzen and underneath the shoulder boards on top of the dark green Waffenfarbe. In March 1940 distinct Nebenfarben were abolished and replaced with light grey.

The table below contains some corps colours and examples pertaining to military officials in uniform.

• Waffenfarbe