The German Army instituted a color-coded system to indicate specialties within a given branch of service, called "Waffenfarbe"—literally "arms color." Used extensively by the German Army and Air Force during WWII, the system was also retained in a less detailed form by subsequent German armies. For example, the East German army (NVA) used essentially the same color codes for their uniforms in the period 1956-1990, and the West German "Bundeswehr" also kept some of the basic colors. The United States, too, has a similar system—light blue for infantry, yellow for cavalry, red for signals—which, as far as caps are concerned, is only seen on the formal "dress blue" visor hats.
For most German caps, the Waffenfarbe is indicated by the piping that runs around the perimeter of the top, as well as along the edges of the cap band. Some of these colors were discontinued or changed during the course of the war, so some functions repeat.
Please note: the colors shown below only give you a general indication of the shades involved. Because of variances in computer screens, browsers, etc. (plus the fact that nobody much agrees on what the correct colors are anyway), it is not possible to provide a truly accurate chart. This page will also look better on a PC than on a Mac.
| Color | Shade | Use |
| Gold | General officers in the Wehrmacht and Luftwaffe |
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| Silver | Luftwaffe officers and general officers in the SS |
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| White | Infantry Cartographers Army sport and music schools |
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| Black | Engineers Construction units Railway engineers |
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| Blue | Dark blue | Medical personnel Supply troops |
| Light blue | Transportation Field post office Motor technical school Supply training personnel |
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| Sky blue | Administration | |
| Blue-gray | Specialist officers (Sonderführer) | |
| Brown | Copper | Mechanized reconnaissance Motorcycle personnel |
| Light brown | Concentration camps (SS) | |
| Golden brown | Signals (Luftwaffe) | |
| Green | Dark green | Specialists Reserve officers Administrative personnel |
| Light green | Mountain troops Pioneers Police (Schutzpolizei) |
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| Grass green | Panzer grenadiers Armored infantry Motorcycle units |
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| Gray | Dark gray | Propaganda Himmler's staff (SS, until June '42) |
| Light gray | General officers Himmler's staff (SS, from June '42) |
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| Yellow | Golden yellow | Cavalry Reconnaissance Flight crews (Luftwaffe) |
| Lemon yellow | Signals War correspondents Field post office |
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| Orange | Field police Garrison troops Motor technical school |
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| Pink | Light pink | Motor technical school Transport |
| Rose | Panzer Anti-tank troops |
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| Salmon | Geologists | |
| Red | Bright red | Artillery Flak Rockets |
| Bordeaux | Smoke and chemical troops Anti-gas school Legal services |
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| Crimson | Veterinary General staff |
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| Violet | Chaplains and field bishops | |
| Red/gray (twisted) |
Specialists | |
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