Luftwaffe Unidentified Luftwaffe badge

[ordersandmedals.ro]

Hello, can anyone help me to identify this Luftwaffe badge? Thank you.

[Robin Lumsden]

Sea Battle Badge (for Air-Sea Rescue Crews etc.)

It was approved in November 1944, but never produced so far as I am aware.

http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Orden/lw-ska.html

[Mogul]

Robin Lumsden is right. This badge was never produced.

[Paul R]

As far as I know, it is a paper only award(certificate). It was approved too late into the war for production to begin.

[Mogul]

As far as I know, it is a paper only award(certificate). It was approved too late into the war for production to begin.

Here is some info from www.wehrmacht-awards.com:

Instituted on 27 November 1944, by order of Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring, the Sea Battle Badge was the last instituted Luftwaffe war badge. Since the Germans had no aircraft carriers or an air branch of the navy, all personnel who performed air related functions fell under control of Göring and the Luftwaffe.

The Sea Battle Badge was to be awarded to crews of Luftwaffe supply ships, air/sea rescue launches, and other special surface vessels. All military, official, and civilian Luftwaffe personnel were eligible. It could not be awarded under conditions that would entitle the participant to be awarded one of the war badges of the navy, or to aircrew personnel.

This badge was awarded based on an accumulation of days at sea, with a day being equal to 10 hours at sea. Award criteria were as follows:

1. Leaders and crews of supply ships and other Luftwaffe surface craft.

a. 60 days sea in the North or East sea, between 5 and 20 degrees longitude

and south of the 60th degree of latitude, or

b. 20 days at sea in the Mediterranean, including the Aegean and Black Sea.

2. Leaders and crews of air/sea rescue launches

a. 20 days at sea with a minimum of one rescue attempt or a three hour sea

duration each day.

b. 10 sea days with a successful rescue.

Technical Information

The intended badge was to be a gilt wreath, with the Luftwaffe eagle and swastika at the top in silver with a sea vessel in the center in dark metal,

tilted 30 degrees to the right. As is the case with all war badges, it was to be worn on the left breast pocket. An award citation would accompany the badge.

Although the badge was officially authorized as well as pictured and described in the Luftwaffe Verordnungs-blatt, there is no factual information that the badge was ever actually produced, with the exception of one or two prototypes. Purported award papers exist, but there is no evidence that the badge was awarded in conjunction with the documents.

[Martin W]

As mentioned above,an approved award but never produced during the war,as far as we know.

This award was produce in the 1957 form though.

Regards,Martin.

[Paul R]

Mogul, thank you for the detailed award criteria. This is good to know.

[ordersandmedals.ro]

Thank you very much, all of you, so that means the badge is a fake, right? Or it was produced in '57 (as Martin says). For what reason they produced the badge in '57, for the former members? It was an official issue? Regards, Nick.

[Laurence Strong]

Most of the WW2 german badges were produced in the '57 version for wear when serving in the Bundeswher. They were identical to the war time issued ones minus the swastika.

[Martin W]

Most of the WW2 german badges were produced in the '57 version for wear when serving in the Bundeswher. They were identical to the war time issued ones minus the swastika.

Larry is correct.

They were also worn in miniature form at veterans reunions,etc.

Here are a couple of pages from a "1957" award catalog showing the various Luftwaffe badges that were manufactured postwar without the swastika.

Regards,Martin.

Edited June 3, 2012 by Martin W