East German Landstreitkräfte Unterleutnant Mot.-Schützen Closed Collar Uniform

The uniform displayed here is the early style closed black collar Paradenuniform (Parade Uniform) for an Unterleutnant (Sub Lieutenant) of the Landstreitkräfte (Ground Forces). The white piping signifies the wearer's service in the Army with white base of the shoulderboards and collar insignia representing the Mot.-Schützen (Motorized Infantry) of the East German Army. Black closed collar tunics were predominantly worn during the 1960s and early 1970's eventually being phased out of service in favor for the open collar style tunic.

The visor cap shown here for a Landstreitkräfte officer.  It is the dark gray color of all National Volksarmee issued hats with white piping of the Army. It retains the East German national hammer and compass roundel in the center surrounded by a metal wreath insignia and officer's silver braiding cap cord around the base above the visor.

The interior of the hat is marked with the 'NVA' stamp signifying it's issue to the Ministry of Defense. The letter code shown in this example shown carries an 'N' meaning the visor was manufactured in 1989. The number beneath the NVA stamp represents the size of the hat in centimeters, this example is 56cm or roughly 7"in by American sizing equivalents.

The Kragenspiegeln (Collar Insignia) is absent on this example but would have been sewn to the collar much in the same fashion as display on the previous closed collar tunic example.

Here is a close up of the shoulderboard insignia of an Unterleutnant (Sub Lieutenant) in the East German Army with the white backing of the Motorized Infantry troops. The rank of Unterleutnant is equivalent to a Second Lieutenant in the United States armed forces.

Shown here is a tag still sewn to the sleeve of the uniform showing that it was unissued. Complete with the size K 52-1. The K designation represents a person of short stature, and 52 is the East German equivalent of a size 42 in American military standards. The dash and 1 after the 52 is the East German way of designating the tunic as slightly larger so slightly larger than 52. 

Sleeve cuffs without waffenfarbe piping or parade cuff bars typical of black closed collar uniforms. The lack of piping and cuff bars signifies that this tunic was in unissued condition.

Here's a close up of the NVA stamping inside the jacket.

Here is shot of a pair of unissued breeches to be worn with the  closed collar jacket during parades and other special events.

Heres a photograph of the unissued tag still sewn to the inside of the breeches with a tage saying the size K-52 or K for Short statured persons and the number 52 being 36-43in in the waist by American equivalents.

Loops for wearing suspenders with the riding breeches

NVA stamping on the interior of the riding breeches.