Erik Krogh

Here is the board-made brass U-Boat that came with the grouping.

Mercedes badge reverse.

Mercedes badge obverse.

Here is a photo of the Mercedes emblem in wear on U-195. This photo was found on page 68 of the book "7th U-Boat Flotilla - D?nitz's Atlantic Wolves" by Angus Konstam & Jak Mallmann Showell.

Here's an interesting tradition badge: the Mercedes 3-point star. It is very small (approximately 13 MM) and came in a lot from Detlev Niemann that also included a very finely board-made U-boat in brass (very heavy, for use on a plaque), some photos of U-Boat crews with Albrecht Brandi as CO, and a small folded paper "paper hat" with U-107's "4 aces" logo. I just came across a photo of what is apparently the same small Mercedes insignia being worn by an officer on U-195. U-195 was one of only two Type IX D-1 boats (the other being U-180). If I remember correctly, both of these boats utilized experimental Mercedes diesel engines, hence the Mercedes star as a tradition badge. Here is a sampling of the group, with the Mercedes badge on top.

Just discovered this U-985 (or U-704) tradition badge in wear on page 110 of "Torpedo los!"

Thanks for posting this link, Gordon. It is indeed very interesting. Looking forward to the final report.

Chris, Thanks for your comments! The US "Silent Service" didn't get the same amount of press that the U-Bootwaffe received during WWII, so it appears that many people are not aware of the many brave and colorful exploits of the USN's submarine service. US sub items are still pretty reasonable, with eBay the primary trading site on the internet. Officer's dolphins average about $250, and Combat Patrol pins with three stars go for $150-250. Personalized items, particularly to members of successful boats, command a higher premium. I personally think that US submarine items will be going up in value. A good reference is "US Silent Service - Dolphins and Combat Insignia 1924-1945" by David A. Jones. Best Regards, Erik

Grouping

U-985 tradition badge reverse.

U-985 tradition badge obverse.

Here is a new U-985 tradition badge I just acquired. It came in a small grouping that included an unmarked Deumer zinc U-Boat badge and an officer's GM/SA "German Minesweeping Authority" insignia. Although there is no additional provenance, the grouping seems to be a plausible one. The tradition badge is made from aluminum and has the initials "HW" scratched on the reverse. One could posit that these stand for Kapit?nleutnant Heinz Wolff (U-985's second and last CO), given that there is officer's GM/SA insignia included in the group. However, only a theory... The badge also appears to be missing the tip of the spear going through the lion. Here is the entry in Georg H?gel's book.

Andy, Could be a U-Boat tradition badge, but I couldn't find an exact match in the H?gel book. Here is a well-known photo of Werner Hartmann and some U-37 crew. Note that the trident does not have the same "bend" as yours. Best Regards, Erik

Darrell, Sure is a beautiful badge. Your photos have managed to capture much of the "glow" that a mint Schwerin's fire gilding emits. Congrats on a terrific acquisition! All The Best, Erik

Amazing eyes, Gordon. I would have never picked this out without massive magnification. However, I probably would still not buy one of these from eBay...

Great find, Gordon! eBay has become a favorite hunting ground. It seems that most of the really good items are sold at either way-over or way-under market value. It's always satisfying to acquire such a nice item at a fire-sale price. Best Regards, Erik

Page 334 of Angolia's "Die Kriegsmarine Uniform and Traditions Volume 2"

Note the stitching on the anchors and compare with the picture in the next post.

Reverse

I recently picked up this pair of tropical Obersteuermann shoulder boards. It appears that these are the same boards pictured on page on page 334 of Angolia's "Die Kriegsmarine Uniform and Traditions Volume 2". Please compare posts number 3 and number 4 in this thread.

Terrific and rare document, Gordon! Thanks for posting. Erik

An informal certificate for service aboard USS Whale, replete with beautiful women and smiling dolphins.

A prewar first dive certificate for USS S-21.

A Submarine School certification signed by James Fife, later to rise to Admiral.

Here is a classic portrait of a submarine officer. I have not done any research on him, but he has signed his name "Harold".