Field caps were worn by all ranks and branches of the regular Imperial German army and also the Schutztruppe and other overseas forces.

The cap itself was based on the Prussian army cap of 1842, which was a rounded cap peaked for officers and senior NCOs and peakless for other ranks. It was usually made in the colour of the uniform tunic and had a coloured hatband and piping around the top edge which denoted the wearer's arm of service. In the Schutztruppe these colours usually showed the colony in which the wearer was serving: cornflower blue for South West Africa, white for East Africa, red for Cameroon and authorised from 1913, yellow for Togo, green for New Guinea and pink for Samoa.

The Prussian army cap of 1842 had a small Prussian cockade in the centre of the hatband, colonial and overseas troops then usually wore an imperial cockade black/white/red on their caps.

In the regular German army, officers and senior NCOs wore caps with black leather peaks while other ranks had peakless ones. In the glaring sun of the colonies all ranks wore peaked caps.

Officers caps were authorised with a wire around the inside of the cap keeping the upper part a stiff round shape, as opposed to the other ranks peakless caps which often had a shapeless form. Against regulations many officers removed the wire on active service, which gave the cap a more casual shape. As with other items of uniform officers usually wore privately tailored caps made from better quality materials, in differing shades, with comfortable linings and more elaborate cockades.

South West African Schutztruppe wearing the khaki corduroy peaked field cap with cornflower blue hatbands, note however the doctor in white tropical uniform seated on the right side wearing a grey cap with the dark blue hatband of his service.

South West African Schutztruppe
The South West African Schutztruppe first introduced the field cap to gradually replace the kepi from 1894. It was a peaked cap made of khaki corduroy matching their uniform with cornflower blue hatband and piping. From 1897 similar peaked caps matching the grey cloth home uniform were also introduced.

East African Schutztruppe
From 1891 white peaked caps were authorised for German Officers and NCOs with a cornflower blue hatband. These were replaced from 1896/7 with peaked caps matching the grey home uniform with white hatbands and piping. Variations have been seen in khaki corduroy and field grey.

Two officers of the East African Schutztruppe training zebra. The white hatbands on their grey peaked caps are easily distinguishable.

Cameroon Schutztruppe
Initially as in East Africa, white peaked caps were authorised with a cornflower blue hatband. These were replaced from 1896/7 with peaked caps matching the grey home uniform with red hatbands and piping.

Army Officers Seconded to the Colonies
Army officers seconded from their home units to the colonies, wore the colony's colours but retained their state cockade worn below the imperial cockade on the front of their caps. From 1913 new colony colours were authorised for officers serving in Togo (yellow), New Guinea (green) and Samoa (pink).

Colonial Officials
Officials of the Schutztruppe such as doctors, armourer's and paymasters all wore different coloured hatbands and piping, sometimes with a heraldic device above the hatband to denote their different branches of service.

Polizeitruppe
German NCOs and officials of the Polizeitruppe in East Africa, Cameroon, Togo, New Guinea and Samoa wore white peaked caps to match their tropical uniforms with a red hatband. From 1913 new colony colours were authorised for those serving in Togo (yellow), New Guinea (green) and Samoa (pink).

South West African Landespolizei
From 1907, the South West African Landespolizei wore dark khaki caps to match their uniforms with green hatbands and piping.

Marine Infantry
The marine infantry of the Seebataillone wore the standard Prussian infantry field cap in dark blue, with white hatband and piping and an imperial cockade. It was peaked for officers and senior NCOs and peakless for other ranks, though in China other ranks were able to purchase peaked caps.

To match the khaki tropical uniform, a plain khaki cap with a still upper edge and a black leather peak was introduced. It had an imperial cockade but had no coloured hatband or piping. Similarly officers wore plain white peaked caps with their white tropical uniforms.

For soldiers of the marine infantry serving on the Western Front in the First World War peaked and peakless field caps were issued in field grey to match their uniforms as of 1915. They retained the white hatband and piping and single imperial cockade.

Prisoners of the III. Seebataillon, Japan 1916. The bearded violin player on the left wears the dark blue peaked cap with white hatband and piping while all the other figures wear the khaki cap

East Asian Expeditionary Corps
The East Asian Expeditionary Corps of 1900 generally wore the caps of their home units. These were peaked for officers and peakless for other ranks. They had a state cockade below the imperial cockade and were made in the colours of their home uniforms- dark blue for infantry, artillery and pioneers, pale blue for Bavarian infantry, green for light infantry and green was also the colour issued to the cavalry despite their home caps being a variety of colours for each regiment. Cap bands and piping were red for all infantry and cavalry and black pied in red for artillery and pioneers.

East Asian Expeditionary Corps, Tientsin 1901. Note the peaked caps for officers and peakless for other ranks and the use of both imperial and state cockades.

From August 1900 a plain khaki cap with a stiffened upper edge, black leather peak and detachable neckshade was authorized. It retained the state and imperial cockades but had no coloured hatband or piping. With minor alterations (such as the discarding of the neckshade and stiffened rim) the cap remained in summer service with the East Asian force until their disbandment in 1909.

From 1901 state cockades were dispensed with on all headgear. A new winter field grey cap was also introduced, peaked for all ranks and piped in red around the upper edge for all branches of service. The infantry now had a white hatband, the cavalry red and artillery and pioneers had black edged in red.

Asienkorps
While many German units serving on Ottoman fronts in the First World War wore their home field grey uniforms and caps, khaki caps with an elongated black leather peak and detachable neckshade were also issued. On them, both the imperial and state cockades were worn.

German soldiers with an Arab Sheik, Palestine c1917. The officer on the left (Hauptmann Justin) wears a privately purchased officers peaked cap, while the two soldiers on the left wear the Asienkorps tropical khaki cap with elongated peaked.

East African Schutztruppe
NCOs grey cap with white hatband and piping
Jeff Nelson Collection

East African Schutztruppe NCOs Cap
Jeff Nelson Collection

South West African Schutztruppe
Officers privately purchased khaki field cap with
cornflower blue hatband and piping
Internationales Maritimes Museum Collection, Hamburg

South West African Schutztruppe
NCOs corduroy field cap with
cornflower blue hatband and piping
Swakopmund Museum Collection

South West African Schutztruppe
Saddler's Cap, with black hatband and
heraldic gold shield above the cockade
Internationales Maritimes Museum Collection, Hamburg

East African Schutztruppe
Privately purchased officers cap in khaki corduroy with matching peak, white hatband but no upper piping.
Internationales Maritimes Museum Collection, Hamburg

Marine Infantry
Other ranks blue peaked cap with
white hatband and piping.
Doppler Collection

Interior of the Marine Infantry Other Ranks Cap
Doppler Collection

Marine Infantry Officers White Tropical Cap
Doppler Collection

Marine Infantry Officers White Tropical Cap
How the white section detaches for ease of washing
Doppler Collection

East Asian Expeditionary Force
Other ranks 1900 tropical peaked cap with neckshade and Hamburg state cockade
Internationales Maritimes Museum Collection, Hamburg

East Asian Occupation Brigade
NCOs tropical peaked cap from 1901
Internationales Maritimes Museum Collection, Hamburg

Freikorps Schwarze Jäger
Officers modified M1915 naval infantry field grey peaked cap
Internationales Maritimes Museum Collection, Hamburg