M41 Tropical Field Cap Question.

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YankeeZulu
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M41 Tropical Field Cap Question.

#1

Post by YankeeZulu » 14 Oct 2018, 21:51

I'm completing a DAK Fallschirmjäger uniform out of a Luftwaffe Tropical Tunic I've had for a few years. I previously used it as a light jacket while I was working in the MidEast. It's actually a really good piece of kit if you can source a durable one. Question is- I've noticed many if not most repro tropical M41 caps have red liners. Assuming this is an accurate component of the tropical M41, what was the reason for this if any?
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John G.
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Re: M41 Tropical Field Cap Question.

#2

Post by John G. » 15 Oct 2018, 14:29

Most Luftwaffe M41 field caps had a brown lining..... Army versions had red, and KM versions had green. Of course, there where always exceptions. No reason I'm aware of for the color of the interior....
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YankeeZulu
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Re: M41 Tropical Field Cap Question.

#3

Post by YankeeZulu » 02 Feb 2019, 10:56

Just getting back to this, sorry for the delay.

Some unit SOP's in the US Army would sew a hi-vis panel, American flag, or some other device inside their caps as a far-recognition signal for activities like linking up w/other units on patrol or reentering the wire. The practice was used primarily by SOF-type outfits going back to at least Nam but lately(post 9-11) has seen much more widespread use by conventional unit.

Bright red on the inside of a subdued cap seems really out of place so that's why I asked.
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peeved
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Re: M41 Tropical Field Cap Question.

#4

Post by peeved » 02 Feb 2019, 11:21

According to p.140 of Rommel's Army in Africa by Dal McGuirk
One distinctive feature of the cap was the red cotton lining, a colour selected by the design team at the Tropical Institute of the University of Hamburg as being best suited to the arid climate of North Africa. It was found that this red-coloured lining struck the best balance in trying to minimize the transfer of heat on to the head from the outer surface of the cap while not preventing body heat being passed from the head into the space between the head and the top of the cap.
Markus

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