Corps colours of the Luftwaffe (1935–1945)

Corps colours, or troop-function colours (ge: Waffenfarben) were worn in the German Luftwaffe from 1935 until 1945, in order to distinguish between several branches, special services, corps, rank groups, and appointments of the ministerial area, the general staff, and the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (OKW). The corps colours were part of the uniform piping, gorget patches, shoulder straps, arabesque and lampasse ornaments of general and flag officers. They were also part of heraldic flags, colours, standards, and guidons.

Luftwaffe colonel of the general staff, 1941/1942

In the Luftwaffe, there was a strictly defined system of corps colours for collar patches, piping, and coloured edging around the shoulder boards or straps. The chevrons on special clothes for Luftwaffe personnel, e.g. flight suits and jumpsuits, also showed corps colours.

Colours and examples

The table below contains some corps colours and examples used by the Luftwaffe from 1935-45.

Troops, unit, appointment	Corps colour		Example			Remark
Generalfeldmarschall All general ranks from Generalmajor to Generaloberst	White (Weiß)					Generaloberst
				Lampasses (uniform trousers, breeches)
Division "Hermann Göring" Artillery troops and air defence	White (close patch)					Unterwachtmeister
	Deep-red (piping)
Anti-aircraft troops Air force artillery	Deep-red (Tiefrot)					Feldwebel Pennon Flak (anti-aircraft) battalion
Officers in general staff service (Generalstabsoffiziere)	Carmine (Karmesin)					Oberst i.G. (colonel in general staff service)
	Gold-yellow (Goldgelb)		Lampasses (uniform trousers, breeches)
Military judicial service (Militärgerichtsbarkeit)	Purple (Purpur)					Stabsrichter
Field chaplains	Purple (#C154C1)
Aviator engineer(ing) service (Fliegeringenieurdienst)	Pink (Rosa)					From Generalleutnant (engineer) OF7 to Leutnant (engineer) OF1a
Aviator troops: pilots and ground personnel Fallschirmjäger (parachute troops)	Gold-yellow (Goldgelb)					Oberfeldwebel Flying units, battalions
Radar units Air traffic control	Bright-green (Hellgrün)					Hauptgefreiter
Luftwaffe Field Divisions (prior to changing to white under Heer control in 1944)	Hunter-green (Jägergrün)					Troops standard
Universally used by the Militärverwaltung of the Luftwaffe	Dark-green (#00703E)					Main colour of the uniform gorget and collar patches' backgraund
Transport units (Transporteinheiten) Air force reserve (Luftwaffenreserve)	Light-blue (Hellblau)
Air force medical corps (Sanitätstruppe)	Blue (Blau)					Stabsgefreiter
Air communications corps (Luftnachrichtentruppe)	Saddle brown (Braun)					Major Corps standard communications battalion
Construction engineer corps (Baupioniere) Air force engineer corps (Luftwaffen-Pioniere)	Black (Schwarz)		N/A			Stabsfeldwebel

Exceptions & special cases

Special regulations applied to corps colours of units, services, and special troops, attached permanently to the ground services of the Heer.

• Division "Hermann Göring": Kragenspiegel and shoulder strap piping (Schulterklappenvorstoß) "white", collar patches´ piping (Kragenspiegelvorstoß) in corps colours:
  • White (with black border line): infantry,
  • Scarlet: artillery and anti-aircraft defence (Flugabwehr)
  • Golden-brown: communications
  • Black: engineer
  • Rose-pink: armour, antitank (Panzerjäger) and armoured reconnaissance (Panzeraufklärer).
• Air Force divisions: Collar patch main colour: green piping to collar patches and shoulder straps in corps colours:
  • Yellow: cyclists (Radfahrer) and reconnaissance (Aufklärer),
  • Rose-pink: antitank troops (Panzerjäger)
  • Scarlet: artillery and anti aircraft defence (Flugabwehr)
  • Bright-blue: Supply (Nachschubtruppe) and Administration (Verwaltungstruppe)
  • Golden-brown: communications

See also

• Corps colour
• Corps colours (Waffen-SS)
• Corps colours of the German Army (1935–1945)
• Ranks and insignia of the German Army (1935–1945)
• Ranks and insignia of the Luftwaffe (1935–1945)