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Corps colours of the Luftwaffe (1935–1945)

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Luftwaffe colonel of the general staff, 1941/1942

Corps colours, or troop-function colours (ge: Waffenfarben) were worn in the German Luftwaffe from 1935 until 1945, in order to distinguish between several branches, special services, corps, rank groups, and appointments of the ministerial area, the general staff, and the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (OKW). The corps colours were part of the uniform piping, gorget patches, shoulder straps, arabesque and lampasse ornaments of general and flag officers. They were also part of heraldic flags, colours, standards, and guidons.

In the Luftwaffe, there was a strictly defined system of corps colours for collar patches, piping, and coloured edging around the shoulder boards or straps. The chevrons on special clothes for Luftwaffe personnel, e.g. flight suits and jumpsuits, also showed corps colours.

Colours and examples

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The table below contains some corps colours and examples used by the Luftwaffe from 1935-45.

Troops, unit, appointment Corps colour Example Remark
White (Weiß) Generaloberst
Lampasses (uniform trousers, breeches)
White
(close patch) 		Unterwachtmeister
Deep-red
(piping)
  • Anti-aircraft troops
  • Air force artillery
 Deep-red (Tiefrot)
Officers in general staff service (Generalstabsoffiziere) Carmine (Karmesin) Oberst i.G. (colonel in general staff service)
Gold-yellow (Goldgelb) Lampasses (uniform trousers, breeches)
Military judicial service (Militärgerichtsbarkeit) Purple (Purpur) Stabsrichter
Field chaplains Purple
(#C154C1)
Aviator engineer(ing) service (Fliegeringenieurdienst) Pink (Rosa) From Generalleutnant (engineer) OF7 to Leutnant (engineer) OF1a
Gold-yellow (Goldgelb)
  • Radar units
  • Air traffic control
 Bright-green (Hellgrün) Hauptgefreiter
Luftwaffe Field Divisions (prior to changing to white under Heer control in 1944) Hunter-green (Jägergrün) Troops standard
Universally used by the Militärverwaltung of the Luftwaffe Dark-green (#00703E) Main colour of the uniform gorget and collar patches' backgraund
  • Transport units (Transporteinheiten)
  • Air force reserve (Luftwaffenreserve)
 Light-blue (Hellblau)
Air force medical corps (Sanitätstruppe) Blue (Blau) Stabsgefreiter
Air communications corps (Luftnachrichtentruppe) Saddle brown (Braun)
  • Major
  • Corps standard communications battalion
Black (Schwarz) N/A Stabsfeldwebel

Exceptions & special cases

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Special regulations applied to corps colours of units, services, and special troops, attached permanently to the ground services of the Heer.

  • Division "Hermann Göring": Kragenspiegel and shoulder strap piping (Schulterklappenvorstoß) "white", collar patches´ piping (Kragenspiegelvotstoß) in corps colours:
    • White (with black border line): infantry,
    • Scarlet: artillery and anti-aircraft defence (Flugabwehr)
    • Golden-brown: communications
    • Black: engineer
    • Rose-pink: armour, antitank (Panzerjäger) and armoured reconnaissance (Panzeraufklärer).
  • Air Force divisions: Collar patch main colour: green piping to collar patches and shoulder straps in corps colours:
    • Yellow: cyclists (Radfahrer) and reconnaissance (Aufklärer),
    • Rose-pink: antitank troops (Panzerjäger)
    • Scarlet: artillery and anti aircraft defence (Flugabwehr)
    • Bright-blue: Supply (Nachschubtruppe) and Administration (Verwaltungstruppe)
    • Golden-brown: communications

See also

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References

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  • Glossary of German military terms
  • Adolf Schlicht, John R. Angolia: Die deutsche Wehrmacht, Uniformierung und Ausrüstung 1933-1945
    Vol. 1: Das Heer (ISBN 3613013908), Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 1992
    Vol. 3: Die Luftwaffe (ISBN 3-613-02001-7), Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 1999 (Very detailed information and discussion but no coloured images)
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