Photos of the Reichsautobahnpolizei (State Freeway Police) in action are rare but they do exist, and they show men in blue uniforms with visor caps that leave no doubt about the relationship of the Reichsautobahn to the Deutsche Reichsbahn of German Railways.

During the Third Reich the Deutsche Reichsbahn was the largest industrial corporation in the world, and the Reichsautobahn was in legal terms, a "daughter corporation" of the Deutsche Reichsbahn.

The photo at the top of this web page shows two Reichsautobahnpolizei or State Freeway patrolmen in uniform, in their patrol car, on the Reichsautobahn near Darmstadt. The uniforms they are wearing are of the typical German paramilitary style of the era with double cuff bands and a swastika armband on the left sleeve. The visor caps are dark blue with a black velvet band and an eagle and swastika above a Reichskokarde on the front.

We believe the Schirmmütze or visor cap we offer here is just such a Reichsautobahnpolizei cap. The dark blue cap is of the typical Deutsche Reichsbahn style with a police style leather cap band attached by two pebbled golden side buttons, and with a 2-1/4 inch eagle and swastika on the front above a Reichskokarde. The black velvet cap band is trimmed top and bottom with red piping. The top piping is blue and made of the same material as the cap.

Inside, the cap is lined with grey material above a grey leather cap band. The sweat protector that was once sewed to the cap lining is completely missing.

The cap has been worn and the lining is somewhat stained as can be seen in our photos. The metal tabs that mount the eagle and swastika and Reichskokarde to the front of the cap do not penetrate the lining of the cap.

The golden eagle and swastika and pebbled side buttons show enough use that silver colored base metal can be seen in places. The cap itself is in very nice condition with no mothing, no rip, no loose stitching. The standard German pressed fiber visor is grey on the inside, black on the outside and has a few small chips in the black along the front edge.

This is a high-styled German Reichsautobahn peaked cap of a rare type in very good used condition. We purchased it in Europe some time ago and this is the first time that it has been offered for sale.