Ritterkreuzträger in Paradeanzug / Waffenrock (Parade Uniform)

The Wehrmacht parade uniform, worn by Germany’s armed forces between 1935 and 1945 during formal ceremonies, military reviews, and state occasions, represented the pinnacle of Third Reich martial elegance and discipline. For the Heer (Army), it typically consisted of a finely tailored field-gray wool service tunic with a dark bottle-green collar, four pleated patch pockets, silver-gray “litzen” collar tabs, and shoulder boards denoting rank. Officers and senior NCOs often wore high-quality doeskin or gabardine versions with ornate silver piping, while the tunic was paired with stone-gray or field-gray straight trousers featuring red or silver side stripes for officers. A polished black leather belt with buckle, riding boots or marching boots, and the distinctive peaked visor cap (Schirmmütze) with silver cords and national insignia completed the ensemble. Luftwaffe personnel wore a similar cut but in blue-gray fabric with unique eagle and rank insignia, while Kriegsmarine officers appeared in dark navy blue. All branches displayed rows of campaign medals, Iron Crosses, and honor badges on the left breast, creating a striking visual of precision and power. These uniforms were deliberately designed to project authority, uniformity, and martial pride, turning ordinary soldiers into symbols of the regime’s military might during grand parades in Berlin, Nuremberg, and across occupied Europe.

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UNTEROFFIZIER

Oberstleutnant Franz Pöschl (1917-2011), a highly decorated officer in the Wehrmacht during the Second World War, earned his Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes through exceptional leadership and bravery while serving with Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 100 of the 5. Gebirgs-Division. Born in Munich in 1917, Pöschl had already distinguished himself in earlier campaigns, including the invasions of Poland, Greece, and Crete, as well as intense fighting on the Eastern Front where he received the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold. His defining moment came during the Battle of Monte Cassino in January 1944, when, as Hauptmann and commander of I. Bataillon/Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 100, he personally led multiple counterattacks under heavy fire to repel assaults by Allied forces, including the French Expeditionary Corps, holding critical positions such as Monte Cifalco and preventing the outflanking of German lines despite sustaining serious wounds. For this extraordinary valor and decisive action that helped stabilize the Gustav Line defenses, he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 23 February 1944. Later commanding Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 143 in the Lapland War, Pöschl rose to the rank of Oberstleutnant before the war's end, his Ritterkreuz standing as a testament to his frontline heroism amid some of the conflict's most grueling mountain and defensive battles.

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uniforms_of_the_German_Army_(1935%E2%80%931945)