Kriegsmarine U-Boat Badges

[Gordon Williamson]

Thanks for posting this one Michel. (I don't have a Zimmermann yet !)

Michel will know the answer to this, but I wonder if anyone can spot the difference ( very slight) between the Zimmermann U-Boat Badge and the two similar ones from Mayer and Schickle shown earlier in this thread.

[Laurence Strong]

The eagles head is smaller and the neck is longer on the one posted by Mike

Edited April 21, 2005 by Laurence Strong

[Gordon Williamson]

The eagles head is smaller and the neck is longer on the one posted by Mike

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Nope, they are the same. Just the photo makes them look different. Actually, its quite difficult to see on this image, but all four arms of the swastika are cut out. Look at the Schickle and Mayer examples and the top arm of the swastika is solid. What looks like a solid arm on Michel's photo is the pin showing through from the back of the badge.

Edited April 21, 2005 by Gordon Williamson

[Nick]

Maybe I am wrong and it is just the photo, but the swastika on the Zimmerman looks as though it is a seperate piece ?

[Nick]

Sorry you beat me to it !

[Laurence Strong]

Ahh Seen

[Guest Darrell]

This one was recently posted on WA website .... it has a mm that no one has seen before

http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/sho...ead.php?t=99541

[Gordon Williamson]

I'm not a fan of the Schwerin U-Boat badge but if you're gonna have one, this is the best way, minty with original tissue and envelope.

[Gordon Williamson]

This one was recently posted on WA website .... it has a mm that no one has seen before?

http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/sho...ead.php?t=99541

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Bears no resemblance to the style that Steinhauer illustrate in their wartime catalogue. Not that this is conclusive as other makes ( namely e.g. L/18 ) come in two distinct types for the Tombak and later Zink types. Could be Steinhauer started off with this Schwerin type in Tombak and then later changed to the FO style for zink, but I have seen these FO styles before, apparently wartime, but with spurious maker marks on them.

[Gordon Williamson]

Hand made U-Boat badge, made by the crew for their commander.

[Gordon Williamson]

The finest U-Boat Badge of all, on the D?nitz Baton.

[Michel]

Hand made U-Boat badge, made by the crew for their commander.

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Hello Gordon,

Very interesting badge, have you a picture of the back side ?

Best,

Michel

[Gordon Williamson]

Michel

Yes I have the reverse view. I'll edit this post to add the photo when I get home. It was presented to Otto Koehler by the crew of U-377. It was fire damaged which melted the solder attaching the pin fitting which has now disappeared. The badge was recently donated to the U-Boot Archiv by U-Boat historian Jak Mallmann Showell.

[Dave B]

The finest U-Boat Badge of all, on the D?nitz Baton.

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I've had my mitts all over that .....oh look,who is this handsome chap!....no one dare say the baton flame

Dave

[attachmentid=1663]

[Gordon Williamson]

Michel,

Here is the reverse view of the hand made badge from U-377.

[Jan Arne S]

Hi Guys !

Thanks to Gordon W. I just found this Militaria Forum .

And I se a lot of name I have seen on other Forum , and that I have contact with earlier .

U-Boot Badges has always been one of my Favorit Awards , and I post pis of one of my Favortit U-Boot Awards "GWL" in zink .

Jan Arne

[philsidey]

Hi Gordon,

Can you confirm that Frank and Reif did NOT make U boat badges, I have seen a few recently at fairs being sold as original and I must say the the quality is excellent.

Thanks,

Phil

[Michel]

Hi Gordon,

Can you confirm that Frank and Reif did NOT make U boat badges, I have seen a few recently at fairs being sold as original and I must say the the quality is excellent.

Thanks,

Phil

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The quality is good, but some details are wrong and never F&R has made this type of badge.

More, I have never seen or known a F&R coming in a group.

[Gordon Williamson]

Phil,

Michel is absolutely correct. Frank & Reif did not make these badges. I believe all the original known badges from this firm (Army) are mid / late war zinkers with the makers name in relief, so that the name was reverse stamped into the die face.

I don't think this firm (which described itself as "metal stampers" as opposed to award manufacturers, only came into the badge market in the second half of the war. I don't believe they were making Tombak naval badges like this in the first half of the war.

The badge is a fairly close copy of the Schwerin type and can also be found unmarked. The unmarked ones fooled a lot of people when they first appeared and were passed off as unmarked Schwerins.

Hi Gordon,

Can you confirm that Frank and Reif did NOT make U boat badges, I have seen a few recently at fairs being sold as original and I must say the the quality is excellent.

Thanks,

Phil

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[philsidey]

Phil,

Michel is absolutely correct. Frank & Reif did not make these badges. I believe all the original known badges from this firm (Army) are mid / late war zinkers with the makers name in relief, so that the name was reverse stamped into the die face.

I don't think this firm (which described itself as "metal stampers" as opposed to award manufacturers, only came into the badge market in the second half of the war. I don't believe they were making Tombak naval badges like this in the first half of the war.

The badge is a fairly close copy of the Schwerin type and can also be found unmarked. The unmarked ones fooled a lot of people when they first appeared and were passed off as unmarked Schwerins.

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[philsidey]

Phil,

Michel is absolutely correct. Frank & Reif did not make these badges. I believe all the original known badges from this firm (Army) are mid / late war zinkers with the makers name in relief, so that the name was reverse stamped into the die face.

I don't think this firm (which described itself as "metal stampers" as opposed to award manufacturers, only came into the badge market in the second half of the war. I don't believe they were making Tombak naval badges like this in the first half of the war.

The badge is a fairly close copy of the Schwerin type and can also be found unmarked. The unmarked ones fooled a lot of people when they first appeared and were passed off as unmarked Schwerins.

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Thanks for the information, it would appear that a few dealers still think they are genuine and are selling for genuine prices. I can see how people could be fooled into thinking they are real. All the ones that I have seen have been made of brass or tombak. I haven't seen any zinc ones.

[Jan Arne S]

I have a ? for the U-boot Experts .

Have it in any Vets. groups or in early Collection been found U-Boot Badges made of Aluminum ?

Jan Arne

[Michel]

I have a ? for the U-boot Experts .

Have it in any Vets. groups or in early Collection been found U-Boot Badges made of Aluminum ?

Jan Arne

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Hello Jan,

Not to my knowledge, aluminium fragility and oxydation are probably the reasons for that.

But I have one in silver 835.

Regards,

Michel

[Jan Arne S]

Michel ! Thanks for info .

I assumed that it not was any known U-Boot Awards made by Aluminium . But it is always nice to get confirmed .

Reason I ask was that for many Years ago , before I was able to go online on Internett . I had one U-Boot Badge in Aluminium or an other Aluminium Alloy . Other Collectors here in Norway ment it was a fake , so I sold it as a Fake . Strange is that I have never seen any of them later . Detail on front was a bit soft , and pin-setup was like on a zinc badge .

But sadly I have not any pics or scan of the award .

Jan Arne

Edited May 30, 2005 by Jan Arne S

[Richard Sysum]

Hello Everone

Ol Heinrich Niemeyer's u-boat badge is fantastic I am glad that Gordon kindly sold it to me.I think I also have the same style of badge in zinq maybe Gordon can post the pictures if any one would like to see it.

Regards Richard.