In his Zinnfigur study, Albert Kneuttinger describes the dress of the naval landing detachments in East Africa as a white jumper with white cuffs and blue sailor collar, long white trousers worn as is or inside brown canvas leggings, brown leather equipment, brown haversack, black cartridge pouches. Handbuch der Uniformenkunde states that "the navy always had blackleather equipment." The NCOs wore blue rank insignia on the upper left arm. Officers wore a white coat with stand up collar and gold buttons, and long white trousers.

On the subject of headwear he writes that the sun helmet was introduced for wear in 1885, however the straw hat, which was regulation until then, continued in use up to 1888. At the time of the Arab Rebellion it appears that the sailors of the landing detachments wore both. This mixture of headdress is born out by a photo, reproduced in Die Deutsche Schutztruppe (see below), of the landing detachment from the SMS Leipzig at the Bagamoyo station in 1888, where both varieties can be seen in the same unit. Officers wore a peaked cap or the sun helmet. The peaked cap, with national cockade in front, also had a neckshade that could be worn.

An illustration (based upon a drawing) in the 17 November 1888 issue of Illustrirte Zeitung depicting the action of the landing detachment from the cruiser Mowe at Tanga in East Africa, the photo mentioned above, and several plates published circa 1900 (Moritz Ruhl, Max Hochsprung, etc), show sailors wearing a single cartridge pouch in front like a belly box. The sailors depicted in action in Illustrirte Zeitung all wear white dress with straw hat wrapped in white cloth neckshade. The officer also wears white dress, with long trousers, shoes and peaked cap. The illustration appears to indicate he is wearing the sword belt. This was similar to the silver lace waistbelt, but was black with smaller buckle; the sword suspended from it.

During the period of the Maji Maji War, 1905-1906, it appears that all sailors and officers wore sun helmet. Officers wore white breeches.

German Naval Landing Detachments

Introduction
Naval Officer in White Tropical Dress
German Navy NCO. SMS Elisabeth, Zanzibar, 1886