Did Hitler wear a steel-lined cap?

[Pax Melmacia]

Seems I read something like that a long time ago. Couldn't have been very comfortable.

[ChristopherPerrien]

No. Perhaps in some of the flying/driving caps he wore, and of course he wore a helmet in WWI.

[tigersqn]

I also remember reading somewhaere that somebody at one time held his forage cap and it seemed "very heavy" to him.
Damned if I can remember where though !

[redartist]

i just saw the russian display the uniform they found in the bunker at the end of the war on the history channel, the cap was pretty flat and didnt hold its shape.

they also showed hitlers teeth and the device that went on goebbels leg.

[redartist]

i just turned over and saw the end of the show again so i took some quick snaps-

http://img294.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... 953lf0.jpg

http://img57.imageshack.us/my.php?image=24865656fp9.jpg

http://img243.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... 913jj1.jpg

http://img185.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... 104jw7.jpg

http://img523.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... 566uc9.jpg

http://img371.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... 473em9.jpg


when the caps are resting on the sticks you can make out the indentation on the top of the cap (so there just fabric)

[Harri]

At least during Hitler's visit in Finland on 4.6.1942 he wore a cap which either was rather large in size and IIRC according to Marshal of Finland Mannerheim's younger adjutant was relatively heavy and probably "armoured".

[pzrwest]

An armored peaked cap wouldn't be much protection when you think about it. Maybe from small falling objects but zero protection from the side front or back

[Ian Hulley]

An armored peaked cap wouldn't be much protection when you think about it

Now a sturdy table leg ....

[SteveFBS]

Although I cannot quote any sources, I have heard several times that Hitler did in fact have a hat that was lined with ballistic steel. Look at this picture of Hitler and Otto Günsche. The side view of Hitler's hat certainly has something odd about it. Could this be the semi-armored visor hat? It certainly has a different look than most of his other peaked caps. Sort of sturdier in some way. What do you guys think?
-Steven S

[pzrwest]

Might be just the wire spring in the top has come out of place is my guess

[Mark Costa]

Hitler had two visor caps of the wartime style (greyish green top / dark brown bottom). Neither ever carried armour plating. Both originally had cap springs in them that made them look very solid in appearance. Sometime in early 1944 he removed the spring from one of these caps and can be seen wearing it on the Obersalzberg and at the Wolfshanze. During public appearances which were rare by then, he continued to wear the other one with the spring still in the lining. One can see both caps being worn by photos taken on July 20th 1944. He first wears the "soft" style and then uses the more formal "solid" style when Mussolini arrives at the Wolfshanze. After that he removed the spring from that cap as well and both caps today as shown in the Russian video, no longer have their springs attached. I might add that removing the springs from visor caps is usually an honor allowed only to front line combatants such as fighter and bomber pilots, submarine and tank commanders. The US military forbids the removal of cap spring from all caps today with the exception of submarine commanders. I am assuming that by 1944 Hitler allowed himself this privlege whereas many of his staff were not allowed to remove the springs on their visors.



Mark Costa

[pzrwest]

Who would stand up to him and point out that according to regulations he should have the cap spring in his cap. The old saying applies here "the boss may not always be right!!!.... but he's always boss!!!!"

[ChristopherPerrien]

I might add that removing the springs from visor caps is usually an honor allowed only to front line combatants such as fighter and bomber pilots, submarine and tank commanders. The US military forbids the removal of cap spring from all caps today with the exception of submarine commanders. I am assuming that by 1944 Hitler allowed himself this privlege whereas many of his staff were not allowed to remove the springs on their visors.



Mark Costa

Well Hitler was a frontline combatant for Germany in WWI so . As to whether or not a Commander in Chief has the authority to "authorize" uniform changes for himself, I can only note about every other such commander in history has done so( Macarthur is a good example of a "crushed" hat. The comment about "hat-blocks" is interesting , I recall such hat-blocks in duty uniforms were not reg back when I was in , but you could get away with them when in some situations(parades, rear enchelon, duties) however having such during normal duties was too presumptuous and akin to "kissing -ass". Now Class A uniform hats normally have such blocks or wire supports and taking them out is altering the uniform. The note about sub commanders is related to both of these statements , a blocked hat is not too functional especially in the close confines of a submarine, and is not in the tradition of submariners. Besides the commander of a sub like any captain of ship is pretty much an absolute power much like the commander in chief ,and rather steeped in tradition. I seriously doubt a sub commander would wear such a "crushed" hat while not on his sub/ship in "formal" situations.

Hitler I am sure used hat-blocks or wire supports in situations that were "formal" in less formal situations he did not, as you note about July 20 1944, but it is expected that sub alterns would at all times still be "on parade", so to speak, while in the presence of their commander in chief, to be less might imply slothfulness or at worse ,disrespect.

The idea of Hitler wearing a steel cap under his hat is meant as an insinuation of some pathological paranoria or cowardice that Hitler had. Hitler as a veteran and very astute about what threats there were to himself , and his knowlege of what protection such a hat would provide, never went went this far into "insanity", and there are many examples in his life history that support he was never the coward or crazy enough to believe in wearing a useless steel cap.

Chris

[berghof]

Having handled two, one that Guensche kept after the Juli attempt, that had loosened the peak, and another belonging to an Italian collector.
Before Herr Guensche's, and Frau Junges untimely deaths, I had chance to discuss the chiefs uniform and caps, and he assured me that no such visor existed with a steel lining. It was in fact Krause and Linge who 'presented' him with the grey uniform just before the outbreak of war. He said words to the effect of ' put that away, no need for it'. But after a few days, he called for them.
The inside is bereft of any makers mark as is often thought 'Holters', but just a white printed monogram almost identical to the formal 'Bruckmann' silverware style. (Closed wing eagle and AH.

[D Humbarger]

Great info Berghof. Danke.