Uniformological analysis of an iconic Evgenii Khaldei photograph showing a captured Kriegsmarine Oberbootsmannsmaat wearing an M40 tropical blouse and Iron Cross 1st Class after the liberation of Novorossiysk.
Captured Kriegsmarine Non-Commissioned Officer with Iron Cross Near Novorossiysk (September 1943)
This striking close-up photograph taken in September 1943 by famous Soviet war correspondent Evgenii Khaldei depicts a decorated German Kriegsmarine non-commissioned officer surrendering in the Myskhako coastal sector following the liberation of Novorossiysk.
This portrait forms a direct continuation of Khaldei's series capturing Axis sailors and soldiers who attempted to evacuate Tsemes Bay on small rafts following the collapse of the German defense lines.
Uniform and Insignia Identification
The photograph provides rare visual documentation of German naval personnel equipment deployed in the Black Sea theater of operations:
- Kriegsmarine M40 Tropical Blouse: The NCO wears an olive-khaki cotton Tropenfeldbluse M40 (Tropical Field Blouse), featuring open lapels and pleated patch pockets. Tropical uniforms were widely issued to Kriegsmarine coastal artillery and naval craft crews operating in Crimea and the Caucasus due to southern climatic conditions.
- Iron Cross 1st Class (Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse): Pinned prominently to the left breast pocket is the Iron Cross 1st Class, indicating significant prior combat actions on the Eastern Front or at sea.
- Rank & Headgear: The shoulder straps identify his rank as a naval NCO (Oberbootsmannsmaat), accompanied by a Kriegsmarine side cap (Bordmütze) with military eagle and cockade insignia.
- Soaked Combat Gear: The dark, drenched trousers confirm he had just been pulled from the waters of Tsemes Bay after his escape raft was intercepted by Soviet coastal patrols.
Naval Clashes in the Black Sea (1943)
Kriegsmarine light forces, including naval ferry barges (MFP / Marinefährprahm), S-boats, and coastal artillery batteries, were heavily involved in supporting the German 17th Army in the Kuban bridgehead. The sudden Soviet breakthrough at Novorossiysk in September 1943 cut off many naval personnel from organized evacuation transports, leading to widespread capture along the Myskhako shoreline.
📍 Location: Myskhako, Novorossiysk, Krasnodar Krai, USSR
📅 Date: September 1943
📷 Photographer: Evgenii Khaldei (TASS)
📰 Primary Source: TASS / WWII Soviet State Photographic Archives
Recommended reading:
- Kriegsmarine Tropical Uniforms: Issuance and variants in the Mediterranean and Black Sea theaters
- Evgenii Khaldei's Caucasus Chronicles: The story behind the September 1943 Novorossiysk photographs
- Kriegsmarine Light Forces in the Black Sea: F-Lighters, S-Boats, and coastal defense units in 1943
- The German Retreat from the Kuban: Naval evacuations from the Taman Peninsula to Crimea