number of unit
R with unit number below
B with unit number below
gothic "S"
"US" with initial letters of school
"L"
"BL"
"FS" and arabic numeral I or II
"WS" and arabic numeral I or II
"VH"
"VK"
2 crossed cannons
Waffenfarben
The following list shows the system of colors used on the shoulder straps and collar patches.
| Colour | Arm of service | insignia |
|---|---|---|
| Karmesin (Carmine) | Officers of O.K.H and O.K.W. | |
| War academy (Kriegsakademie) |
KA |
|
| veterinary officers and NCOs |
`snake` |
|
| veterinary troops |
number of unit |
|
| veterinary research and inspection dep. |
Wehrkreis number in roman style |
|
| Army veterinary academy |
gothic "A" |
|
| veterinary training and research |
gothic "L" |
| Hochrot (bright red) | Generals | |
|
|
Artillery regiments |
number of unit |
| mounted artillery units |
R with unit number below |
|
| artillery observation units |
B with unit number below |
|
| artillery school |
gothic "S" |
|
| artillery NCOs school |
"US" with initial letters of school |
|
| artillery training units |
"L" |
|
| artillery observation training units |
"BL" |
|
| ordnance technician school |
"FS" and arabic numeral I or II |
|
| school for artificers |
"WS" and arabic numeral I or II |
|
| experimental command Hillersleben |
"VH" |
|
| experimental command Kummersdorf |
"VK" |
|
| individual officers |
2 crossed cannons |
|
| army ordnance director |
| Weiss (white) | army map and military survey personnel |
"V" |
|
|
recruiting office personnel |
"W" plus roman WK no. (1942-) |
| army group command |
"G" with group number below |
|
| general command |
roman number of command |
|
| infantry divisional staff |
"D" and division number |
|
| infantry regiments |
number of unit |
|
| infantry regiment "Grossdeutschland" |
"GD" |
|
| garrison battalion Vienna |
roman "W" |
|
| machine gun battalions |
"M" with unit number below |
|
| motorcycle-units |
"K" with unit number below |
|
| mortar battalions |
"GW" |
|
| army AA units |
"Fl" |
|
| infantry training regiments |
"L" |
|
| staff military Auth.o.t.Reichsprotektor |
"WB" |
|
| War college |
"KS" plus letter of school |
|
| NCOs preparatory school |
roman WK number |
|
| NCOs school |
"US" with initial letter of school |
|
| infantry school |
gothic "S" |
|
| army sports school |
gothic "SS" |
|
| army school of music |
Lyre plus arabic number of school |
| Goldgelb (gold yellow) | cavalry units |
number of unit |
| reconaissance mounted |
"A" with unit number below |
|
| motorcycle units |
"R" with unit number below |
|
| army cavalry school |
"RS" |
|
| cavalry schools |
gothic "S" |
|
| military district cavalry school |
roman number of WK |
|
| light division staff |
"D" and divisional number below |
| Zitronengelb (lemon yellow) | signals units |
number of unit |
|
|
fortress signals |
"FP" with unit number below |
| signals training regiment |
"L" |
|
| signals school |
gothic "S" with arabic number |
|
| signals NCOs school |
"US" plus initial letters of school |
|
| army school of dog and pigeon service |
gothic "S" with "HB" below |
| Kupferbraun (copper brown) | reconnaissance motorized |
"A" with unit number below |
| motorcycle units |
number of unit |
| Pink (rose pink) | general armored commands |
roman number of command |
|
|
armoured division staff |
"D" and divisional number |
| rifle brigade staff |
number of unit |
|
| armoured units |
number of unit |
|
| anti tank units |
"P" with unit number below |
|
| armoured trains |
"E" with unit number below |
|
|
|
motorcycle units |
"K" with unit number below |
| armoured training regiments |
"L" |
|
| armour school |
gothic "S" |
|
| army school of motoring |
"MS" |
|
| motor maintenance troops |
"J" |
| Hellgruen (light green) | mountain troop divisional staff |
"D" with divisional number below |
 |
rifle and mountaineering units |
number of unit |
| alpine an mountain troops school |
gothic "S" |
| Grasgruen (grass green) | motorcycle units |
"K" with unit number below |
|
|
armoured infantry units |
number of unit |
| Bordeaux | smoke units |
number of unit |
|
|
smoke training units |
number of unit |
| army gas school |
"L" |
|
| smoke troop school |
gothic "S" |
|
| army gas defense school |
gothic "S" |
|
| military justice |
a short sword |
| Kornblumen Blau (cornflower blue) | military medical academy | "A" |
|
|
medical officers and NCO | staff and serpent |
| medical troops | number of unit | |
| medical training units | "L" | |
| supply officers | mercurys staff |
| Hellblau (light blue) | transport units | number of units |
|
|
transport training units | "L" |
| transport supply officer | gothic "S" |
| Schwarz (black) | pioneer battalions | number of unit |
|
|
fortress pioneers | "Fp" with unit number below |
| rauilway pioneers | "E" with unit number below | |
| pioneer training battalions | "L" with I or II | |
| pioneer NCOs school | "US" with initial letter of school | |
| pioneer school | gothic "S" with arabic numbers | |
| railway pioneer school | gothic "S" outlined in white | |
| railway pioneer training companies | "L" in black outlined in white | |
| technical officers | "T" |
| Schwarz-Weiss (black-white) | armoured engineer companies |
| Orange | engineer officers academy | Cog wheel |
| recruiting personnel | roman WK number (pre 1942) | |
| military field police |
| Graublau (grey-blue) | specialist officers | |
| Hellgrau (light grey) | army propaganda troops |
