Kriegsmarine Destroyer - Mayer or Zimmermann ?

[Gordon Williamson]

Most KM collectors will be familiar with this type of badge, usually attributed to Mayer.

[Gordon Williamson]

However, we know that the Mayer and Zimmermann U-Boats badges are all but identical. In fact the die work IS identical, only the finishing is different, with Zimmermann cutting out all arms of the swas and Mayer only cutting three.

The fittings on this Destroyer also match perfectly , those on a Zimmermann U-Boat.

[Gordon Williamson]

The interesting thing is that every definite Mayer badge I have seen, whether zink or tombak, has had a silver finish to the reverse.

This one is gilded. Jan Arne has an identical piece with gilded reverse.

Comparison shot of L/18 marked Mayer (thanks to Skip Burtonshaw) with typical silvered reverse.

As the Mayer/Zimmermann U-Boat badges show an obvious link between the two firms with only minor differences in finishing ( and the Zimmermann firm is known for links with other firms as their EK/RK products being identical to Godet shows), perhaps this minor difference in finishing shows that these "Mayer-like" Destroyer badges may also be Zimmermann ?

[Martin W]

Gordon,

both of the above makers were from Pfortzhiem.Maybe ,with the possibility of some close family ties,this could be an example of "die-sharing" between the two companies??

Regards,Martin.

[Gordon Williamson]

Gordon,

both of the above makers were from Pfortzhiem.Maybe ,with the possibility of some close family ties,this could be an example of "die-sharing" between the two companies??

Regards,Martin.

Hi Martin,

Yes that's my belief. The interesting thing is that Schickle also, significantly, from Pforzheim, used the same U-Boat Badge design as Mayer and Zimmermann. This Destroyer is also a near perfect match for the illustration in the Schickle catalogue, so maybe the suggestion should be Mayer, or Zimmermann ---or Schickle ?

[Martin W]

Gordon,

after browsing over some old notes i came across this story from someone who visited the town of Ludenschied.He noted that the award manufacturing community were a very tight-knit group.

"It seems that every maker in Ludenschied was kindred with another.A member of the Assmann family married a member of the Deumer clan.Bruninghaus was a close friend of Linden and so on..."

If they shared family members why not badge designs and hardware,etc.

So,i am wondering if the makers in Pfortzheim were as close-knit as those in Ludenschied?

Looking at the U-Boat badges of Mayer,Zimmermann and Schickle i am inclined to think that they probably were ?

Regards,Martin.

[Jan Arne S]

Hi Guys !

Interesting thread !

Here is my Destroyer .

And like it has been said , could very well been a Zimmermann .

Jan Arne