Kriegsmarine Hymmen type U-Boat Badges

[Gordon Williamson]

This type badge is known in four forms, Tombak with vertical pin, Tombak with horizontal pin, Zink with vertical pin and a hollow stamped version with horizontal pin.

Close examinaton shows however that they are not all from the same tooling, and so perhaps not all from Hymmen.

Here are three of this type. Top left L/53 marked zink Hymmen piece, top right unknown maker, bottom Tombak Hymmen piece.

[Gordon Williamson]

Starting with the eagles head. Compare the Zink and Tombak Hymmen pieces, which notwithstanding the excess metal left around the head of the latter, show the same die characteristics.

[Gordon Williamson]

The head of the unidentified example howere, has different characteristics.

[Gordon Williamson]

Next the eagle's torso. Again the Zink and Tombak Hymmens show identical characteristics.

[Gordon Williamson]

The unidentified piece is clearly not from the same tooling. Feathering and claws are quite different.

[Gordon Williamson]

The submarine conning towers are different too.

[Gordon Williamson]

A smaller difference, but noticeable. The dividing line between the keel and the rudder is faint on the Hymmen piece but quite distinct on the unknown one.

[Gordon Williamson]

Interestingly, the Hymmen badges were often shunned because they appeared the same as a well known fake available from a certain well known source in Arizona. It appears however that the fake has modelled itself on this unidentified type - note the appearance of the above characteristics of the unidientified badge on this fake. (Photo - Detlev Niemann) and not the much maligned Hymmen.

The fake at 50mm x 39mm is a couple of mm each way smaller than the unidentified piece, and lighter by 5 gr. The smaller size and lighter weight suggest it is cast, probably using this unidentified type as a "master". Note also the fake is fully voided around the neck of the eagle, rather than having the solid look of the originals of this style.

The fakes were available with a range of makers marks including Juncker, Schwerin and GWL.

[Gordon Williamson]

The basic Hymmen design is shown on this wartime propaganda postcard from the "Tag der Wehrmacht" series, complete with characteristic "filled-in" area around the neck.

[genoa41]

The basic Hymmen design is shown on this wartime propaganda postcard from the "Tag der Wehrmacht" series, complete with characteristic "filled-in" area around the neck.

Very interesting and instructive .Many thanks