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A photo of a mounted artilleryman of the
field artillery battery ("Marine Feld Batterie") of the
III. Seebataillon taken in Tsingtao prior to the First World War.
He wears the
Seebataillon Dark Blue Home Uniform
(see below right) with collar, cuffs and piping in white with yellow Litzen
on the collar and cuffs. The insignia on the shoulder straps is also yellow and showed an imperial crown above two crossed anchors above the
battalion numeral III. The Marine Feld Batterie had two crossed cannon
super-imposed over their shoulder strap insignia (see
Specialist
Insignia Page). The tunic has plain domed
brass buttons on the front, cuffs and rear skirts.
Notice the curious way in which old
orthochromatic film shows yellow (on the collar Litzen) as a very dark colour, much
darker than natural. This was caused by the inferior
photographic techniques of the time. See the
Pickelhaubes Forum for more information on orthochromatic film.
His trousers are matching
dark blue but do not appear to have any white piping.
The shako of the
Seebataillone was of the same design as for the army's light infantry,
the "Jäger". It was of black leather, with front and rear
peaks. The Seebataillone wore a brass imperial eagle superimposed over
a naval anchor on the front with an oval imperial cockade at the top
(see above right).
Of special note is the
cartouche belt worn over the shoulder and artillery pattern sword,
both unique to the Marine Feld Batterie.
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