The dress uniform consists of a sailor flat cap; a white sailor shirt with wide dark blue falling collar; the dark blue dress jacket worn with the collar of the shirt outside of it, and dark blue trousers, the trousers being cut without the wide “spring” or flare at the bottom of the legs so common in other navies.

The blue cap is similar to that worn in other navies but the crown is higher in the front than in the back, which tends to give it a military appearance. The name of the ship or station is worn upon a cap ribbon around the band of the cap, the ends of the ribbon being tied at the back and allowed to fall down the back in streamers. Upon the front of the crown at the center is the red, white and black medallion, the colors of Germany.

The collar of the shirt has three rows of narrow white braid around the edges as in the American and British navies.

The service uniform consists of the blue cap; a dark blue shirt similar to that worn in the American Navy, and dark blue trousers.

The white service uniform is of the same design but of white duck instead of dark blue cloth or flannel.

The rank or rating and the branch of specialty is indicated by distinctive marks worn upon the left sleeve between the elbow and the shoulder. Some of the principal of these marks are:—

Feldwebel

A vertical gold anchor with a gold crown above it.

Chief Quartermaster

Two gold anchors crossed with a crown above them. (If certified he wears a red chevron of one stripe below the mark.)

Quartermaster

Two gold anchors crossed.

Chief Boatswain’s Mate

A vertical gold foul anchor with a crown above it.

Boatswain’s Mate

The same without the crown.

Chief Gunner’s Mate

A vertical foul anchor with two cannon crossed upon it surmounted by a crown, in gold.

Gunner’s Mate

The same without the crown.

Chief Machinist’s Mate

A vertical anchor with a cog wheel on the shank and a crown above it, in silver.

Machinist’s Mate

The same without the crown.

Chief Stoker’s Mate

A vertical anchor with two shovels crossed on the shank and a crown above it, in silver.

Stoker’s Mate

The same without the crown.

Chief Torpedoist’s Mate

An anchor and a mine crossed with a crown above it, in gold.

Torpedoist’s Mate

The same without the crown.

Chief Radio Operator

A vertical anchor with a crown above it, in gold, with a zig-zag of lightning in red across the shank of the anchor.

Radio Operator

The same without the crown.

Telegraphist

Two bars of forked lightning crossed, in gold.

Chief Signal Mate

A vertical anchor with a crown above it, in gold, and two signal flags in red crossed on the shank of the anchor.

Signal Mate

The same without the crown.

Drill Sergeant

A vertical anchor with two rifles crossed on the shank and a crown above it, in gold.

Drill Corporal

The same without the crown.

Leading Seaman

A yellow chevron of one stripe, point down.

Bandsman, first class

A chevron of two stripes with a curl at the point of the upper stripe and an anchor surcharged by a lyre above it, in gold.

Second Leader of Band

The same with a crown above it.

Gun Captain, first class

A flaming shell above a chevron of three stripes, point down, in red.

Gun Captain, second class

The same but with two stripes in the chevron.

Gun Captain, third class

The same but with one stripe in the chevron.

Machine Gun Captain

The same without the chevron.

Range Finder

A triangle with a flaming shell in the center and a range finding instrument above it, in red.

Submarine Mine Planter

A submarine mine in red.

(The Gun Captains, Range Finders, and Mine Planters of the Marine Artillery, who man the coast defense guns, wear the same rating marks in yellow. In Germany the coast defenses, forts and batteries are manned by the Navy and not by the Army as in the United States.)

The overcoat worn by enlisted men of the German Navy is a short double breasted pilot coat with turn-down lapel collar and a double row of gilt service buttons down the front.

For service ashore in landing parties and when on duty at the coast forts in hot weather or tropics, a khaki helmet is worn instead of the white hat with white uniforms and khaki canvas leggings are also worn. For landing parties as infantry or artillery black leather boots are worn with the blue uniforms, the trousers being tucked inside of the boots.

Uniforms of German Marines