Waffenfarbe (Austria)

Waffenfarbe(n), also Egalisierungsfarbe(n) (en: corps colours, or egalisation colours | i.e. colours to, on, or/and of service uniforms), are traditional used by the Federal Army of the Republic of Austria (de: Bundesheer der Republik Österreich). The collar patches (de: Kragenspiegel) of the Federal Army report traditional the rank and are also used in the police. However, any defined (particular) corps - or egalisation colour is always in correspondence to the appropriate arm of service, unit or formation.

See also
Austrian Guard Company showing basic colours of the Austrian uniform and Guards Waffenfarbe.

Introduction

With the formation of the Austrian Federal Army of the first Republic (de: Bundesheer der ersten Republik) in 1920/21 the German Reichswehr uniforms and Waffenfarben (corps colours) were adopted as well. However, slight different were only the Grasgrün (en: grass-green) of the Austrian infantry (Reichswehr – white) and the Gelbgrün (yellow-green) of the Austrian hunter troops (Reichswehr – hunter-green). Late in 1933 a new uniform was introduced by almost close orientation to the Austro-Hungarian Land forces 1867-1914. The so-called k.u.k. "Adjustierungsvorschrift" (en: service dress instruction) contains the colour pattern tables from the year 1912 and regulated the Egalisierungsfarben to be worn.

Austrian corps colour today

In Austria collar patches (de: Kragenspiegel) of the Bundesheer (Federal Army) report traditional the rank and the arm of service. They are also used in the police. The corps colours dominate the basic colours of the rank insignia.

Synoptic table and examples

The table below contains some corps colours and examples, actually used by the Bundesheer.

Troops, unit, appointment Corps colour Example
(Paroli)

Ranks
Remark
Guards scharlachrot mit weißem Vorstoß
(en: scarlet(-red) with white edging strip)
      OR-8[1] Oberstabswachtmeister
     
  • Jagdkommando
    (en: skirmishing command)
  • Heeresportzentrum
    (Army sports centre)
gelbgün (yellow-green)       OR-3 Korporal
Jäger
(rifleman)
grasgrün (meadow green)       OF-1a Oberleutnant
  • Panzer (armour)
  • Panzergrenadiere
    (panzergrenadiers)
schwarz (black)       OF-1b Leutnant
Aufklärer
(reconnaissance)
gelb (yellow)       OR-7 Stabswachtmeister
Theresian Military Academy rot
(red)
      OF-D Fähnrich
  • Artillery
  • Air defence
  • AD academy
OR-9 Offizierstellvertreter
Engineer troops stahlgrün
(steel green)
      OR-4 Zugsführer
NBC-Defence hechtgrau
(pike grey)
      OR-2 Gefreiter
Communicators rostbraun
(rust brown)
      OR-9 Vizeleutnant
Aviators
(e.g. pilots)
violett
(violet)
      OR-5 Wachtmeister
Technical service braun
(brown)
      OF-2 Hauptmann
Higher mil. technical service braun mit rotem Vorstoß
(en: brown with red edging strip)
      N/A
     
Higher mil. expert service rot-blau
(en: red blue)
      OF-3 Major
     
General staff service red-black       N/A
     
Intendance service green deep-red       N/A
     
Logistic deep-blue       N/A
Mil. medical service (human medicine) blue black       OF-3 Majorarzt
     
Mil. medical service (veterinary medicine) deep-red black       OF-5 Oberstveterinär
     
Mil. medical service (pharmacology) lilac black       N/A
     
Medical service sky blue       OR-6 Oberwachtmeister
Wirtschaftsdienst
(support service)
 light blue
(index #007BA7)
  OF-4 Oberstleutnant
General officers gold (colour) OF-9 General rank insinia on peaked cap left
basic colours of the uniforms
  • jacket: field grey
  • trousers: stone grey
      OR-2 Gefreiter
     
See also main article
Ranks of the Austrian Bundesheer

Synoptic table and examples to beret colours

One of the features of person in uniform of the Austrian Bundesheer is the beret. Normally, it will be worn to the dress uniform or on special occasions to the field suit. Exempted are only members of the Air Force and the Gebirgsjäger (en: mountain infantry) with an own headgear. The colour of the particular beret corresponds to the appropriate branch of service and/or the particular unit or formation. The colour of the Bundesadler (en: federal eagle) and the eagle double-wing on berets is as follows:

  • grey metallic - recruits and charges (OR-1 to OR-4)
  • silver - NCOs (OR-5 to OR-9)
  • gold - officers (OR-1 to OF-5)
  • gold on red background - general officers (OF-6 to OF-9)
Troops, unit, appointment Caps colour Example Remark, mainly use
jaegergreun (rifleman-green)      
  • Infantrymen (not: Jägerbataillon 25)
  • members of the territorial organization
  • military schools and academy (not: Heereslogistikschule)
schwarz (black)       members of the armored corps, most members of the 3rd - and 4th Mechanized infantry brigade. The image shows an armored officer´s beret with golden federal eagle
Garde (guards) scharlachrot (scarlet-red)       members of the Guards battalion
Red beret rot (red)       members of 25th Jaegerbataillon in Klagenfurt.
Coral-red beret Korallrot (coral-red)       members of the military patrols and military police
Rusty-brown beret Rostbaraun (rusty-brown)       members of the combat support troops
Pike-grey beret Hechtgrau (pike-grez)       members of the NBC-defence school and the "Austrian Forces Disaster Relief Unit"
Dark-blue beret Dunkelblau (dark-blue)       members of the Army logistics school, Combat support command (with all subordinate elements), and the Military medical centre
Yellow-green beret Gelbgruen (yellow-green)       Federal army top-performance athletes (de: Bundesheer-Leistungssportler) of the Army sports centre (de: Heeres-Sportzentrum)
Olive-green beret
(with federal eagle)
Olivegruen
(olive-green)
      members of the Skirmishing command (basic level – characterised by the federal eagle)
Olive-green beret
(with Skirmishing patrol badge)
members of the Skirmishing command that passed the basic Skirmishing command trainings course (advanced level – the federal eagle is replaced by the Skirmishing command badge)
Blue UN-beret UN-blue       soldiers on duty to -, contract of -, or by order of the United Nations.

Federal Police

The Bundespolizei uses corps colours on the so-called distingtion (en: rank insignia) and peaked cap (de: Tellerkappe):

  • usually and police paspore: Krapprot
  • higher service (police legal advisor and public health official): Bordeauxviolett (bordeaux red)

K.u.k. Egalisation colours

K.u.k. Adjustation instruction (de: Adjustierungsvorschrift), edition 1912.

The so-called "Adjustierungsvorschrift" (en: service dress instruction) contains the colour pattern tables from the year 1912. The name ″Egalisierung″ consists of uniform colour at the one hand, and corps colour, egalisation colour (de: Waffenfarbe) or badge colour at the other hand. The system was extremely complicated and was called by slang Farbkastel (en: paint boxlet). Ultimately, in the k.u.k. common army it was very difficult to distinguish the 102 infantry regiments from Hussars, Lancers or Dragoons, as well as services, service branches, specialm services, appointments, etc.

See also


See also

References

  1. The abbreviation "OR" stands for "Other Ranks / fr: sous-officiers et militaires du rang / ru:другие ранги, кроме офицероф"
  • Glossary of German military terms
  • Adolf Schlicht, John R. Angolia: Die deutsche Wehrmacht, Uniformierung und Ausrüstung 1933-1945
    Vol. 1: Das Heer (ISBN 3613013908), Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 1992
    Vol. 3: Die Luftwaffe (ISBN 3-613-02001-7), Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 1999
    (very detailed information and discussion but no coloured images)

Sources

  • Schriften des Heeresgeschichtlifhen Museums in Wien Das k.u.k. Heer im Jahre 1895 Edition Leopold Stocker Graz

1997 ISBN 3-7020-0783-0

  • Rest,Ortner,Illming Des Kaisers Rock im 1. Weltkrieg Edition Militaria Vienna 2002 ISBN 3-9501642-0-0
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