German Uniforms during The Great War

Early War Uniform and Equipment

The spiked helmet and the kneelong marching boots was an old tradition in Prussia and Germany. The M1895 Pickelhaube was the latest in a series of spiked helmets, and was made of boiled leather, with spike and fittings made by brass. The protection it gave was scant. In the field it was worn with cloth helmet cover, with the regimental number in red on the front. The M1907/10 tunic was in field grey cloth. The field grey shoulder straps were detachable, and were piped in colours identifying the army corps plus a red number or monogram identifying the regiment. The M1895 belt was made in tan leather, and the buckle plate varied according to which land inside Germany the Regiment came from. The M1909 cartridge pouches were in brown leather. Each of the six pouches held four five-round clips of 7.92mm ammo. The M1895 knapsack was made in cow hide, the unshaven hide showing. In the knapsack the soldier carried changes of clothes, blankets, footwear, food, etc. The outer stowage was the grey M1907 greatcoat and the M1892 beige-coloured tent cloth. The M1910 mess tin made in black aluminium was attached to the pack with two brown straps. The M1887 haversack, often called “bread­bag”, was made in light brown cloth, and was attached to the belt. This small sack was used for carying food, eating gear and personal effects. The M1907 water bottle was made of alumi­nium and covered in cloth, and hooked to the haversack. The M1907/10 trousers were also made in field grey. The Infantry had red piping down the outer seams. The marching boots were often tan leather. The officers had different handguns, the most famous one being the so called P/08 9mm Luger.

For many, many more photos of actual WW1 Equipment, click here!

There was a pretty typical Sturmanzug - assault order – worn in action during the early war years. The band of the Feldmutze was covered with a grey band to lower visibility, often also a tent cloth rolled in a horseshoe, strapped together with the M1910 mess tin and carried on the back plus special 70-round cotton bandoliers. The stein­grau trousers introduced in August 1914 could also be worn with cotton overtrousers. The Pickelhaube had its spike removed. The Gewehr 98 could be equipped for rifle grenades, and on a special chest strap a large number of stick grenades could be hooked when on a raid or doing an assault.

The ranking of NCOs followed this sequence: Gefreiter - Small button each side of collar, level with straps; Unteroffizier - Lace round front and bottom of collar, sometimes limited to short L-shapes in dull silver-grey; Feldwebel - Collar lace, plus large button each side of collar; Offizierstellvertreter (officer aspirant) - As Feldwebel but with lace round the edges of the shoulder straps, etc.

Click on the thumbnails below, to see full colour tables, taken from German WW1 manuals, on the very complex subject of rank, piping, sashes, cockades, etc.

Officers wore straps in silver corded finish, the cord down the length of the straps, with no pips, one gold pip and two gold pips respectively for Leutnant, Oberleutnant and Hauptmann. Field officers wore a strap with entwined cords showing rather more of the underlay down the edges, and no pips, one pip and two pips respectively for Major, Oberstleutnant and Oberst. These pips were square sunbursts with a raised circular centre, set diamond-wise on the strap.

Seen in this contemporary picture below, are a number of samples of the German Standard uniform, as it looked at the outset of the war. 

1 = Hussar (13th Regiment)

2 = Uhlan (11th Regiment)

3 = Supply

4 = Curassier (3rd Regiment)

5 = Dragoon

6 = Line Infantry

7 = Field Artillery (NCO)

8 = Hussar Officer (6th Regiment)

9 = Pioneer

10 = Foot Artillery

11 = General

12 = Officer of Guards Infantry

13 = Lieutenant of Line Infantry

14 = Officer of Jegers

15 = Horse Jeger (2nd Regiment)

The pickelhaube is mostly of the M1895 model, with the M1892 Helmet Cover in cloth, with the regimental number in red. Most are also wearing variants of the M1907/10 Field Tunic. (The cuff flaps varied a lot, however, according to unit.) Notice the piping on the collars: red is for infantry, black for artillery, white for some of the cavalry.

Changes in Uniform and Equipment

Like all combatants, the German Army soon discovered that much of the personal equipment of the troops, wasn't too well adapted to the new and unforseen terrors of the Trench War, and the look of the common soldier was soon very much transformed. First, in September 1915, a number of modifications done since the war started, was officially regulated, like the blackening of leather equipment. Also a new tunic, “M1915 Bluse”, was introduced, as well as a new great coat. During the early months of 1916 the old Pickelhaube was replaced by a big steel helmet, the M1916 'Stahlhelm', made from better steel than Allied helmets, and although heavier, it protected the face, ears and neck better than the models used by the opponents. The characteristic two lugs allowed the fitting of an extra reinforcing steel plate. (The helmet came painted field grey or dark brown, but many helmets were later painted in a typical multi-coloured camouflage pattern of dull red-browns, ochres, greens and blue-greys divided by black lines. Various cloth covers were also used, often just light brown coloured fabric used for sandbags.) A later, more rare variant featured outtakes for the ears. Like most armies, the German also introduced Body Armour, but of a heavy variety, mainly reserved for men in particularly exposed positions, like sentries and MG gunners.

Below you can see more photos taken during the later years of WW1.

The M1915 Gummimaske, was carried in a grey­painted metal canister. (At first it came in a cloth bag.) The canister was carried on a sling, making it possible to carry it on the chest. Introduced was also the M1915 assault pack, which consisted of a greatcoat rolled in the tent cloth, the ends tied together, and the roll arranged round the M1910 mess tin. The M1914 trousers came in stone grey, and wartime-made samples often lacked the red seam piping. (For many, many more photos of actual WW1 Equipment, click here!)

Hand grenades
The German army started using hand grenades early on in the war, and it became a favoured weapon in the Trenches. The Germans developed and used numerous models over the ensuing war years. These included the famous Stielhandgranate (stick grenade, the so called "potato masher"), the Diskushandgranate (disc grenade), Eierhandgranate (egg hand grenade) and Kugelhandgranate (ball grenade). All except the disc grenade were activated by a time fuse.  Those grenades used by stormtroopers had the shortest time fuse: not more than two seconds (reducing the chances for the opponents to dive into cover). The Stielhandgranate was the most popular among German soldiers.  Some exploded on impact but most were set to detonate after either a 5 or 7 second delay.  German soldiers often carried such grenades in satchels thrown around their necks. The Eierhandgranate was also popular due to its great throwing range, up to 40 meters.

Stormtroopers

The Special Stormtrooper units had some modifications to their uniforms (modifications that however were not exclusive to them). The slate grey so-called Sturmhose trousers had leather reinforcement patches on the knees and seat. The use of oiled wool socks, in place of puttees, with M1901 front-laced ankle boots, was common among stormtroops. They often had grenade bags improvised from sandbags, or - more rarely - neatly made from tent cloth material and buttons. Belt order among assault troops varied: some wore one, some both rifle pouch sets, and some carried ammunition (and sometimes egg grenades) loose in their pockets. The cloth bags for gasmasks seem to have been retained later in these units than in most. Various clubs and sharpened weapons were carried for hand-to-hand fighting. (For many, many more photos of actual WW1 Equipment, click here!)

Colonial Troops

If you want information on the uniforms worn by the German troops in the Colonies, you will find it on this great page! Or perhaps on this one, also a first rate site!

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