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This is a posed studio
photograph taken
in Tsingtao, China sometime between 1900 (but most probably later than
that) and 1914. It shows an
unknown Seesoldat of the III. Seebataillon (who were based at
Tsingtao).
He wears the
Seebataillon 1900 Grey Litewka
which replaced the 1893 Dark Blue Litewkas sometime in the early
1900s. Certainly blue Litewkas were worn during the Boxer Rebellion
and as late as the Herero Rebellion, but grey Litewkas were universal
prior to the First World War. The Litewka had a stand and fall collar
with white collar patches with yellow Litzen, a concealed front and
the same white shoulder straps with yellow insignia as the home
uniform (see right). The 1900 Litewka varied from its
predecessor in that it was pale grey, had plain rather than gathered
cuffs and had two hip pockets. The trousers are from the home uniform
and are dark blue with white
piping.
Notice the curious way in which old
orthochromatic film shows yellow (most noticeably 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.
He wears the Seebataillon
peaked cap (see right) in dark blue with white hatband and
piping and a black leather peak. It has a small imperial cockade at
the front of the hatband. Other ranks usually wore peakless field
caps, but were allowed to privately purchase the peaked version as
usually worn by senior NCOs and officers.
He wears a polished black
leather belt with an other ranks naval belt buckle (brass with a white
metal centre bearing the imperial crown inside a wreathed motto "Gott
mit uns" - see
Belt Buckle Details Page). From the left side of the
belt is hung a bayonet (although the exact model cannot be clearly
seen) with an other ranks bayonet knot (which looks to be possibly all
white in which case it denotes the 1st Company).
He carries a pair of white
gloves in his right hand. This curious addition is commonly seen in
posed photographs of the period. It is believed the practice was
started by the Kaiser Wilhelm II to make his noticeably smaller left
arm appear longer. It then became the fashion amongst the German armed
forces to carry a pair of gloves in one hand.
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