Like most most European navies, other ranks of the Imperial German navy wore a black cap tally (Mützenband) around their peakless naval cap the tails of which were worn loose down the back. The tally could also be worn on other headdress such as the tropical helmet or straw hat. On the tally was the name of the ship or unit to which the sailor was attached in metallic thread.

Deck crew (the "Matrosen Division"), such as sailors and gunners wore yellow metallic thread, while below-deck crew (the "Werft Division") such as technicians, mechanics, craftsmen and stokers wore white metallic thread from 1873 onwards. These distinctions between Matrosen and Werft also appeared on yellow or white metal buttons for jackets and thread on embroidered insignia for all ranks.

In 1884 an imperial cockade was added to the front of the naval cap. From 1890 the name of the ship was preceded by the letters S.M.S. for Seine Majestät Schiff (His Majesty's Ship).

Note that the lettering on the cap tally did not include the umlaut character (two dots above a vowel), so ships usually spelled with an umlaut (such as the SMS Königsberg) were written the alternative way with an E after the vowel in question (eg Koenigsberg).

This page shows a collection of cap tallies wore by the Imperial navy overseas. Note that while most are of pre-1918 origin, some were also made for veterans after the war. Thanks very much to Christian Bormann for sharing these photos with us, please respect his generosity by not reproducing them without prior permission.

Also included in the notes are short histories of the ships themselves.

Sailor from the SMS Stosch
wearing the 1900 China Campaign Medal
Photo © Peter Klein

S. M. S. HYAENE

She did not see action in the First World War and after the war it was sold as a merchant vessel and sank in Dieppe in 1924 after a cargo fire.
Recommended External Links- Medal Net - Cameroon 1891 & Medal Net - Cameroon 1893

SMS Hyäne
Photo from Wikimedia

S. M. S. MOEWE

The first was a Habicht class gunboat launched in 1879. It was appointed to the German West Africa Squadron and took part in the establishment of Cameroon as a German colony in 1884. In 1888-89 it was part of the German fleet deployed to East Africa to crush the Abushiri Rebellion and in 1895 was deployed to German New Guinea. She was withdrawn from service in 1905.
Recommended External Links- Medal Net - German East Africa 1888-89 and Deutsche-Schutzgebiete - SMS Moewe

The second was an armed survey ship launched in 1905. She surveyed the coast of New Guinea but at the outbreak of the First World War she was stationed off East Africa. She was scuttled in Dar Es Salaam harbour and her guns and crew served on land and on Lake Tanganyika with the Schutztruppe.

The third SMS Möwe was a former freightliner named Pungo, which was equipped as a minelayer and armed raider in 1916. On two raiding missions she captured or sank forty allied vessels. After the war she continued in use as a freightliner renamed the Oldenburg and was sunk by British aircraft off the coast of Norway in 1945.

The first SMS Möwe in Sydney Harbour
Photo from thy William Hall collection, Australian National Maritime Museum/ WikiCommons

(S. M. S.) ADLER

SMS Adler was a Habicht class gunboat launched in 1883 and served in the Samoan Crisis in 1888 when about 150 sailors from the Alder, SMS Olga and SMS Eber were landed near Apia to confront Samoan rebels under King Mataafa at the Battle of Vailele. The Adler was wrecked in a storm off Apia in 1889.

Wreck of the SMS Adler, Apia 1889
Photo from U.S. Naval Historical Center / WikiCommons

S. M. S. SCHWALBE

The SMS Schwalbe (swallow) was a Schwalbe class unprotected cruiser launched in 1887. She first served off East Africa during the Abushiri Rebellion in 1888, providing coastal blockade, artillery bombardment and landing parties to help put down the rebellion alongside SMS Leipzig, SMS Möwe, SMS Pfeil, SMS Sophie, SMS Carola and SMS Olga.

In 1900, during the Anglo-Boer War, SMS Schwalbe returned to African waters to protect German merchant ships from the British Royal Navy. The Royal Navy had seized several German vessels causing a diplomatic incident but the threat of war was averted. The Schwalbe then sailed for China to assist in the Boxer Rebellion and took part in the blockade of the River Yangtze. She returned to Germany in 1902 for repairs and was put on the naval reserve. During the First World War she did not see active service and was used as a floating barracks. SMS Schwalbe was scrapped in 1922.

SMS Schwalbe
Photo from Wikipedia/Bundesarchiv

S. M. S. BUSSARD

SMS Bussard first served in the East Asian division where she saw action against a local uprising on Samoa in 1893. She also saw action at the Storming of the Taku Forts during the Boxer Rebellion in 1900. In 1902 she was transferred to East Africa where during the Maji-Maji Rebellion, she assisted the Schutztruppe by ferrying troops up and down the coast of German East Africa to the rebellious areas. Landing parties of sailors from the ship were also used to secure the ports. She returned to Germany in 1910 and was scrapped in 1913.

SMS Bussard
Photo © Frankfurt University Archive

S. M. S. SEEADLER

The first was an unprotected cruiser of the Bussard class launched in 1892. She saw the longest continuous overseas service of any major ship in the Imperial German navy, visiting New York in 1893, then being based in East Africa and New Guinea and seeing action in both the Maji-Maji Rebellion in East Africa 1905-06 and the Boxer Rebellion in China. Her last posting was to the coast of East Africa until January 1914, when she was replaced by the SMS Königsberg. The Seeadler was retired from service and used to store mines. She was destroyed in an accidental explosion in 1917.
Recommended External Link - Article on Traditionsverband on SMS Bussard im Maji-Maji Aufstand

The second Seeadler was a captured American three masted sailing ship converted to use as commerce raider in 1916. She has a successful career capturing fifteen allied vessels until she was wreck off French Polynesia in 1917.

The Cruiser SMS Seeadler, New York 1893
Photo from WikiCommons

S. M. S. COMORAN

The Cormoran was a Bussard class unprotected cruiser launched in 1892. She was assigned to the East Asia station in 1894 and took part in the occupation of Kiautschcou and Tsingtao in 1897, the Samoan Crisis of 1898, the Boxer Rebellion of 1900 and after modernisation in Germany, in the Sokehs Rebellion on Ponape in New Guinea in 1910-11.

When The First World War broke out she was unfit for action and under going repairs in Tsingtao. Her guns and crew were first deployed on the captured Russian vessel Ryazan, then later used on the land defences. The Cormoran was sctulled in Tsingtao Harbour and the crew became prisoners of the Japanese after the fall of the city.

SMS Cormoran, Brisbane 1901
Photo from the John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland/WikiCommons

S. M. S. HERTHA

During the First World War she saw limited active service before being used as a floating barracks. SMS Hertha was scrapped in 1920.

Officers and Men of SMS Hertha in China
Photo from WikiCommons/Bundesarchiv

S. M. S. HANSA

During the First World War she was used as a floating barracks and was scrapped in 1920.

Sailor from the SMS Hansa
wearing the 1900 China Campaign Medal
Photo © JW Collection

S. M. S. ILTIS

SMS Iltis showing the PLM cross on her bow
Photo © Deceptico from his Grandfather's Collection

S. M. S. JAGUAR

The Jaguar was an Iltis class gunboat launched in 1898 and along with three of her sister ships, was posted to China and the German naval base at Tsingtao. The four Iltis class gunboats were scuttled in the harbour with their guns and crew then fighting on land until Tsingtao finally surrendered in November 1914. The crew were then kept as Prisoners of War in Japan until the end of the war.

Sailor of the SMS Jaguar
Photo © Lovett Artillery

S. M. S. TIGER

The Tiger was an Iltis class gunboat launched in 1899 and along with three of her sister ships, was posted to China and the German naval base at Tsingtao.

In the Russo-Japanese War SMS Tiger took part in the forcible internment of the Russian battleship Tsesarevich and three destroyers at Tsingtao in 1904.

During the First World War, the four Iltis class gunboats were scuttled in Tsingtao harbour with their guns and crew then fighting on land until the city finally surrendered in November 1914. The crew were then kept as Prisoners of War in Japan until the end of the war.

SMS Tiger
Photo from WikiCommons

S. M. S. LUCHS

The Luchs was an Iltis class gunboat launched in 1899 and along with three of her sister ships, was posted to China and the German naval base at Tsingtao.

During the Russo-Japanese War, SMS Luchs took part in the forcible internment of the Russian battleship Tsesarevich and three destroyers at Tsingtao in 1904.

During the First World War, the four Iltis class gunboats were scuttled in Tsingtao harbour with their guns and crew then fighting on land until the city finally surrendered in November 1914. The crew were then kept as Prisoners of War in Japan until the end of the war.

SMS Luchs
Photo by Arthur Renard from WikiCommons

S. M. S. PANTHER

In 1902 she sailed to Haiti to destroy a Haitian rebel gunboat which had itself captured a German steamer. This action could potentially have caused offence in America, contradicting the Monroe Doctrine of opposing European encroachments on the Americas but no action was taken.

In 1902-03 she served as part of the allied (British, German and Italian) fleet taking part in the blockade of Venezuelan ports in 1902-03. In January 1903 she bombarded Venezuelan Fort San Carlos. On this occasion the United States did take offence and sent a fleet to warn

In 1911 the Panther was sent to the port of Agadir to protect German civilians and to put pressure on any French claims on territory, in what became known as the Agadir or Second Moroccan Crisis. War was averted only by negotiation between the European Powers once again settled in favour of France (who took full control of Morocco the following year). Germany was placated with former French territory in the Congo added to German Cameroon.
Recommended External Link - Black's Academy

SMS Panther
Photo from WikiCommons

S. M. S. EBER

The first gunboat Eber was launched in 1887 and served in Samoa the following year. Along with the Adler she was wrecked in a storm at Apia in 1889.

The second SMS Eber was the last of the Iltis class gunboats launched in 1902. She was posted to the German colonies of West Africa. When the First World War broke out she sailed from German South West Africa to Brazil. There she transferred her guns and most of the crew to arm the steamer Cap Trafalgar for a raiding career.

The Eber was then interned in Brazil where she was eventually scuttled to avoid capture when Brazil declared war on Germany in 1917.
Recommended External Link- Axis History Forum Post on the SMS Eber in Brazil

SMS Eber alongside the much larger Cap Trafalgar, Brazil 1914
Photo from WikiCommons

S. M. S. KOENIGSBERG

The first and more famous of the two was a Königsberg class light cruiser, launched in 1905 and stationed off East Africa when the First World War broke out. Initially she raided allied shipping in the Indian Ocean and sank the British ship SMS Pegasus in Zanzibar harbour. She was then forced to seek refuge in the Rufiji Delta in need of engine repairs. There she was trapped and sunk by monitors of the Royal Navy in 1915. Her crew and guns then fought alongside the Schutztruppe in the land campaign in East Africa (see Königsberg Guns Page).

A second light cruiser named SMS Königsberg was launched in Germany later in 1915 and took part in the Operation Albion landings in the Gulf of Latvia in 1917. After the war she entered French service as the Metz and was scrapped in 1936.

This pristine condition tally was most likely issued to a member of the second ship's crew. Or it may have been privately made after the war for a veteran of the first SMS Königsberg.

SMS Königsberg
destroyed in the Rufiji Delta, 1915
Photo by Walter Dobbertin from WikiCommons/Bundesarchiv

S. M. S. EMDEN

Photo by Sebastien Grenda at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra

The SMS Emden was a Dresden class light cruiser launched in 1908 and posted to the East Asia squadron based at Tsingtao in 1910. She took part in the suppression of the Sokehs Rebellion on Ponape in 1910-11 and in 1913 (along with British and Japanese ships) shelled a rebel Chinese fort on the Yangtze.

When the First World War broke out the Emden, under the command of Korvettenkapitän Karl von Müller, set sail from Tsingtao to cause mayhem amongst allied shipping in the Indian Ocean and bombard enemy ports (including Madras in British India). The allies put vast efforts into catching the SMS Emden (at one point having over 60 warships involved in the search) but she eluded them, capturing and sinking thousands of tons of Entente shipping along the way. In November 1914 she was finally cornered off the Cocos Islands and sunk by the Australian light cruiser HMAS Sydney. The surviving crew of the SMS Emden were uniquely honoured for their bravery by being allowed to add the suffix '-Emden' to their surnames. To this day some of their descendants still carry this additional name.
Recommended External Link - History Net page on the SMS Emden

Wreck of SMS Emden off North Keeling Island
Photo by Allan C Green, State Library of Victoria/WikiCommons

S. M. S. AYESHA

The Ayesha was a three masted schooner, captured by the SMS Emden and used by their landing party to sail a desperate mission across the Indian Ocean from the Cocos Islands to Dutch Sumatra and from there to a rendezvous with the North German Lloyd steamer Choising. The Ayesha was scuttled and the crew made their way to the Arabian Peninsular and Ottoman territory. Along the way the crew met many hardships including a dire shortage of provisions and attacks by Arab bandits.

They eventually returned to Germany and were decorated by the Kaiser himself. Their exploits are recorded in the film 'Die Männer der Emden' -the Men of the Emden'

Crew of the SMS Emden with 
SMS Ayesha in the Background
Photo from Illustrated War News - Part 21

S. M. S. GOEBEN

The SMS Goeben was the second of two Moltke class battle cruisers and was launched in 1911. At the outbreak of the First World War, she formed the German  Mediterranean Sea Division along with the light cruiser SMS Breslau. After bombarding the French bases at Bône and Philippeville in Algeria they handed themselves over to the Ottoman navy rather than surrender to the overwhelming power of the allied navies in the Mediterranean. Once under the Ottoman flag they bombarded the Russian ports of Sevastopol and Odessa thus precipitating a Russian declaration of war on the Ottoman Empire thus bringing them into the war on the German side. During the war the two ships remained on patrol in the Black Sea while sailors from the ships also served as machine gunners on the Gallipoli front. Under the Ottoman flag the Goeben was renamed the TCG Yavuz Sultan Selim (after Sultan Selim I) and remained in Turkish service until 1950 (being renamed TCG Yavuz in 1936). It was finally scrapped in 1973.

Cap for the SMS Goeben in Ottoman Service
Photo from Internationales Maritimes Museum Hamburg © Mark Schellenberg 2016

S. M. S. BRESLAU

SMS Breslau was a Magdeburg class cruiser launched in 1911. Together with the SMS Goeben, the Breslau formed the German Mediterranean Division. The Breslau deployed the Marine Detachment Skutari to Albania in 1913. In 1914 along with the Goeben, she put herself under Ottoman command and was renamed the TCG Midilli (the Turkish name for the Aegean island of Lesbos). During the Battle of Imbros off the Dardanelles in January 1918, she struck a total of five mines and sank with most of her crew. The Second World War German naval commander and briefly the last Führer of the Third Reich served on the SMS Breslau.

SMS Breslau
in Ottoman service as the TCG Midilli
Photo from Bundesarchiv/WikiCommons

S. M. TORPEDOBOOT S. 90.

The S90 was the first of a class of ocean going torpedo boats (numbered 90-101) and was launched in 1899. She was part of the East Asian Squadron based at Tsingtao.

During the Siege of Tsingtao in 1914 she broke out through enemy lines firing torpedoes at Japanese ships along the way and beached on the Chinese coast. Her crew ended up interned at Nanking in neutral China.

S90 in Kiel, 1901

S. M. TORPEDOBOOT TAKU

The Taku was made in Germany in 1898 for sale to the Chinese government. It was then captured from the Chinese during the Boxer Rebellion and thenceforth used by the German Imperial Navy to serve from Tsingtao in Chinese coastal waters and along the River Yangtze. From 1902 she was armed with two 5cm guns and two torpedo tubes.

When the first World War broke out the Taku was in Tsingtao having been damaged in a grounding the previous year. On 29 September 1914 she was scuttled and her guns and crew served on land. After the fall of Tsingtao the survivors became prisoners of war in Japan.

Torpedo Boat Taku run aground, 1913
Photo from WikiCommons

S. M. S. SHAMIEN

The Shamien (sometimes spelled Schamien on tallies) was a small (24metre) Chinese river boat built in 1899 as Tong Cheong for the Kowloon-dock Company in Hong Kong and commissioned into German service on 20 October 1900 as the first German river gunboat in China.

She was equipped and crewed by twelve men of the SMS Luchs (and six Chinese sailors). She served on the Pearl River at Canton until February 1904 when she was sold and replaced by the SMS Tsingtao.

SMS Shamien

S. M. S. VATERLAND

SMS Vaterland was a river gunboat made in Germany and shipped in sections to Shanghai where she was assembled in 1904 along with her sister ship SMS Tsingtao. The Vaterland joined British and French vessels patrolling the River Yangtze and was involved in putting down several incidents of local unrest.

When the First World War broke out, SMS Vaterland was left at Nanjing with a small crew, while the bulk of her men made the journey overland to join the defenders of Tsingtao. When China decaled war on Germany in 1917, the Vaterland was was seized. After the First World War she served in the Chinese and from 1935 in the Manchukuo Navy under the name Li Sui.

SMS Vaterland as the Li Sui in Chinese Service
Photo from WikiCommons

MATR. ART. DETACHMENT KIAUTSCHOU.

The single artillery detachment of 1898 was expanded into several batteries of heavy guns in land emplacements defending Tsingtao from land and sea by 1914 .

21cm Gun of the Tsingtao Naval Batteries 1914
Photo from Bundesarchiv / WikiCommons

Here are cap tallies from the four naval artillery companies that were based at the German territory of Kiautschou in China in 1914.

The Kiautschou Naval Artillery Detachment was expanded from 1902 into two artillery companies. This was dispalyed on a cap tallies as "1. MATROSENARTILLERIE KIAUTSCHOU. 1." and "2. MATROSENARTILLERIE KIAUTSCHOU. 2." respectively. In 1905 a third company was added and in 1906 a fourth, each with corresponding tallies.

In 1909 a depot company of the Kiautschou Artillery was formed and wore the same cap tally but without the company numbers.

In 1914 volunteers and reservists joining the Kiautschou naval artillery wore a letter E for Ersatzkompanie on thier tallies as "E. MATROSENARTILLERIE KIAUTSCHOU. E."

Cap from the Depot Company, without numbers
MATROSENARTILLERIE KIAUTSCHOU
Photo © Doppler Collection

GOUVERNEMENT KIAUTSCHOU

From 1900 other ranking personnel of the naval government wore these cap tallies.

Governor's Palace, Tsingtao
Photo from Bundesarchiv/WikiCommons

SONDERKOMMANDO DARDENELLEN

This was a specialist naval unit under Admiral Usedom, consisting of five hundred naval artillery officers and men sent out to assist and fight alongside the Turkish artillery at the Dardanelles Straights in 1914. It was this additional expertise along with German Krupp guns, that made the Turkish artillery so deadly to the British, ANZAC and French forces at Gallipoli.

Recommended External Link - Gallipoli1915.de

Turkish Krupp Artillery under German Command, Dardanelles
Photo from WikiCommons/Bundesarchiv

MARINE FELD COMP. = DEUTSCH OST AFRIKA

During the First World War sailors from several merchant and navy vessels stranded in East Africa (such as the SMS Königsberg and SMS Möwe) were formed into units to fight alongside the Schutztruppe. Most of the Königsberg's crew formed an Abteilung at Dar Es Salaam, while the Möwe crew fought on Lake Tanganyika. 

It is very unlikely however that they made their own tallies in Africa and so this example was almost certainly made for a veteran after the war.

German Sailors training in East Africa c1915
Photo © Peter Klein