Today, we're going to tell you about naval uniforms.
Nation: Japan
Fleet: The Imperial Japanese Navy
Rank: Kaigun Taishō / Admiral
The service uniform of the Imperial Japanese Navy officers took on its final look after World War I, in 1919–1920. The major element of the uniform was a navy blue jacket, having a stand-up collar with hook-and-eye closure. The rank of an officer could be identified by patches on their sleeves and a distinctive pattern of the collar insignia on their jacket. Admirals and marshal-admirals had collar insignia with a wide golden braid and three sakura flowers. Along with the jacket, they wore a cap with a cocarde badge. The cocarde design was the same for all officers: an anchor with a sakura flower, which was approved back in 1883.
Nation: USA
Fleet: The U.S. Navy
Rank: Fleet Admiral
Up to the present day, the general look of the U.S. Navy service uniform has remained almost unaltered since 1919. A double-breasted jacket, that was a part of the so-called «blue» uniform, was introduced in March 1919; its style was similar to the one used in the British Royal Navy. The caps of admirals, senior, and junior officers differed in golden embroidery on their cap peaks, or its absence. The precise rank of an officer could be identified by patches on their sleeves. According to the rules, fleet admirals wore a golden star with one wide and four narrow golden galloons.
Nation: USSR
Fleet: The Soviet Navy
Rank: Admiral
The main Soviet Navy service uniform, the so-called «everyday dress drill order», took on its final concept in 1943. It was the time when distinctive insignia, epaulettes resembling the shoulder marks of the Imperial Russian Navy design, were introduced. The navy blue jacket with a stand-up collar was also inherited from the Tsarist times; its style remained almost unchanged up to 1980s. A cocarde badge was an important element of the officer uniform. It featured an anchor with a chain enclosed in a laurel wreath and a red five-pointed star. Besides this, admirals had a golden braided cord and a golden leaf ornament on their cap peaks.
Nation: Germany
Fleet: Kriegsmarine
Rank: Großadmiral / Grand Admiral
During World War II, the service uniform of the Kriegsmarine officers included a navy blue coat, model 1939, with a turndown collar and without shoulder marks. In 1938, a cap having a typical saddle shape was adopted. A tricolour cocarde badge edged with golden oak branches and the national eagle emblem was pinned to the cap. The emblem was also pinned to the coat, on the right side of the chest. The rank of an officer dressed in this uniform could be identified by the distinctive insignia on their sleeves. Grand admirals wore a golden star and golden galloons—four narrow and one wide ones—on their sleeves. Besides this, admirals' uniform could be distinguished by two rows of golden oak leaves embroidered on their cap peaks.
Nation: Great Britain
Fleet:Royal Navy
Rank:Admiral of the Fleet
In the first half of the 20th century, the main service uniform for the Royal Navy officers was called the «everyday» uniform. The style of the double-breasted navy blue jacket with turndown collar and without shoulder marks hasn't changed since 1889. The cap used by the Navy also remained practically unaltered since the late 19th century. Since 1856, a special cocarde badge with the Imperial crown and a silver anchor enclosed in a golden laurel wreath has been a distinctive feature of this officer headwear. Admiral caps were marked by two rows of oak leaves on their cap peaks. The distinctive insignia on sleeves enabled identifying the officer rank precisely.
Nation: France
Fleet: Marine Nationale
Rank: Admiral
The general look of the French Navy service uniform was only finalised after World War I. As in some other fleets, it was based on a double-breasted navy blue jacket with a turndown collar, but the French coat had narrow passants. Lots of details that varied depending on the officer's rank were a common peculiarity of the French navy uniform. Admirals, senior, and junior officers had different types of shoulder marks. Senior navy rank officers additionally had a special cocarde badge with an anchor decorated with lightning flashes and wings. Each rank had corresponding distinctive insignia on coat sleeves and cap bands. For example, cap bands in the admiral's uniform were embroidered with a special golden design and five silver stars.
