Hello All,

The book "The Collector's Guide to Cloth Third Reich Military Headgear" has about everything you ever wanted to know about all caps, including the U-Boat commanders white cap.

We were discussing the cap peak stiffener... Page 40 -

"Also required by regulations was the Stütze - a support post (strip) - which was sewn into the visor cap directly behind the front seam before the lower edge of the lining material was tacked down. The support post extended vertically from the cap band all the way to the crown and was intended to hold the front of the cap in a straight, upright position. It was often made of a tough, stiff, padded canvas or leather strip and a steel band wrapped with with a flat, wicker-like mesh cloth. The bottom of this white, open mesh cloth is sometimes visible below the lining. Another form of Stütze was a tough strip made from two pieces of leather sewn together, and a steel band covered with a fine cloth and stitched together with heavy thread along the edges. This particular type of Stütze was sometimes attached to the cap only at the bottom (at the cap band) and at the top of the strip (in the cap crown), with the central portion portion left unsecured."

This book also has information about the band, lining, tags, colors, etc... It is available at Amazon.com for $50.

Regards,
Don_

"A man's got to know his limitations..."
Harry Callahan, SFPD