Hex triplet #4D5D53 HSV (h, s, v) (56°, 7%, 14%) | sRGB (r, g, b) (77, 93, 83) Source Mindjunker | |
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Feldgrau (English: field-grey, also field grey) has been the official basic color of military uniforms of the German armed forces since the early 20th century until 1945 or 1989 respectively. However, according to the color code there was no exact scientific definition, so slightly different grey tinctures were possible. Armed forces of other countries selected slight variations or shadows of that color according to the German Feldgrau. Metaphorically, feldgrau used to refer to the armies of Germany (the Imperial German Army and the Heer [en: ground forces, or army] component of the Reichswehr and the Wehrmacht).
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Abstracts
Colloquially, today feldgrau means plainly the color of the German uniform, especially for the time of World War II, but also for the East German National People's Army (here under the description steingrau [en: stone-grey, also stonegrey] ). Certainly, feldgrau was introduced to the Austrian Bundesheer (en: Federal Army) in line to the German pattern as well.
The word feldgrau means "field grey", and by World War I the color was a light grey-green, though there is no specific color, rather a color range of greys to browns, that was one of the first standardized uniforms suitable to the age of smokeless gunpowder.
History
In 1910 the so-called field-grey peace uniform (de: feldgraue Friedensuniform), with colored cuffs, facings, shoulder straps and gorgets was disposed by decree in Prussia, followed by all other German countries and armies, last by the Bavarian Army in April 1916. Formerly, the Germans wore a Prussian blue shade similar to that of the French.
Simultaneous it characterised the end of a variety of different colored uniform in German states. With that new unique “field-grey peace uniform” the Imperial German Army (de: Deutsches Heer) started military campaigns in World War I.
Other countries selected feldgrau as basic color for uniforms, shoulder straps, sleeve insignia, or pieces of equipment etc. as well. So was feldgrau introduced by the Swedish Armed Forces in 1923 in line to the German pattern.
Austria
With formation of the Austrian 1st Federation's Armed Forces in 1929/21 (de: Österreichisches Bundesheer der ersten Republik, lit.: Austrian Federal Army of the first Republic) there was a close orientation to Germany. For instance the feldgrau uniform (providing some camouflage features) and the corps colors of rank insignia adopted. However, slightly different grey shades were possible as well. Pike-grey (de: Hechtgrau, see file "Austrian service cap in 1918") did not prove to provide the anticipated camouflage features.
Today, in line to the national traditions, the textile color of the Austrian 2nd Federation's Armed Forces (de: Österreichisches Bundesheer der zweiten Republik, lit.: Austrian Federal Army of the second Republic) is named feldgrau (also braungrau [en: brown-grey] - uniform jacket), and steingrau (also steingrau-oliv [en: stone-grey-olive], or more popularly NATO-oliv [en: NATO-olive] - uniform trousers).
Chile
The Chilean Army also wears a full dress uniform in feldgrau.
Sweden
The Swedish Armed Forces used a very similar color for infantry uniforms, for example the grey m/39 and later on grey-green as the German ones. The last uniform to use the color was the woollen m/58 winter uniform.
Shades of grey
The table below shows some shades of grey in line to the rough RAL colors