Unknown Badge Award

[Kriegsmarine Admiral]

What's this award of Char. Vizeadmiral Max Looff?

[Hugh]

Bit of a puzzler.  The fuzziness of the image doesn't help.  The most likely would seem to be the Flotten-Kriegsabzeichen (High Seas Fleet insignia), but it lacks the eagle/swastika on top, so that's out.  Through a process of elimination, the only thing left is the Bandenkampfabzeichen (Partisan insignia), which seems extremely unlikely for a naval officer of this seniority.  I'm looking forward to input from one of our experts to set me straight. 

H

[Eric Stahlhut]

cut-out naval wound badge?

[Kriegsmarine Admiral]

42 minutes ago, Eric Stahlhut said:

cut-out naval wound badge?

How does a cut-out naval wound badge look like?

[GreyC]

Like this:

 

[Eric Stahlhut]

he was wounded whilst serving as captain of the sms konigsberg

http://ww1blog.osborneink.com/?tag=naval-combat&paged=12

[Kriegsmarine Admiral]

Thank you guys. Would you say the wound badge is the black or silver version?

[GreyC]

Hi,

I am actually sceptical that it is either. On second thoughts....

Here is a black one.

GreyC

Edited January 21, 2019 by GreyC

[paul wood]

Looks more like the partisan insignia but how would he get it.

Paul

[GreyC]

Hi Paul,

that echos my thoughts. Maybe not Russia but Greece/Balkans?

GreyC

[paul wood]

Unless he was involved in the Naval planning of an anti-partisan offensive, that could explain the award.

Paul

[Kriegsmarine Admiral]

Looff wasn't active in WW2. He retired in 1922. And he was Placed at the disposal of the Kriegsmarine without being mobilised on 24 May 1939.

I highly doubt he would get the anti-partisan badge.

[paul wood]

Although not mobilised could he be a deskwallah involved in planning?

Paul

[Kriegsmarine Admiral]

I doubt it. I think the naval wound badge makes the most sense. He was wounded in WW1 after all.

[GreyC]

Could it be one of those badges distributed for the paticipants of the early NSDAP get-togethers that were allowed to be worn on the uniforms during early Wehrmacht/Kriegsmarine times?

GreyC

[Claudius]

If anyone cares, the badge below the EK1 looks like the Kolonialabzeichen "Elephant" Order.

[Matthew Macleod]

It's a Naval Wound Badge, IMO.

It was one of the pieces auctioned off earlier in 2018 with one of his uniforms and some of his decorations.

BTW, the picture above has been changed from the original that also shows his Party Badge. See below for higher resolution original.

Here's one more of him showing the same badge.

[Kriegsmarine Admiral]

Great! I can see that is the naval wound badge in gold? Is it confirmed his?

Thanks

[Matthew Macleod]

1 hour ago, Kriegsmarine Admiral said:

Great! I can see that is the naval wound badge in gold? Is it confirmed his?

Thanks

It came as a grouping with the medals corresponding to those won by Looff, ribbon bar, belt buckle and a dress jacket tagged to him. The wound badge was of the post war variety.

It is impossible to confirm with any degree of certainty any unnamed medals as belonging to any particular individual. In that respect, this one is no different- it has been described as that which belonged to him but that's where the facts end.

[P.F.]

Does the Crown Order on this medal bar have the 50 year device?

[laurentius]

Dear P.F.

Yes, it looks like a device for 50 years, which he didn' t have, nor do I think the medalbar belonged to him. Although the combination is the same as the one on the picture, there is a clear difference in ribbonfolds and space between the medals. I highly doubt it's his bar.

Kind regards, Laurentius

[P.F.]

1 hour ago, laurentius said:

Dear P.F.

Yes, it looks like a device for 50 years, which he didn' t have, nor do I think the medalbar belonged to him. Although the combination is the same as the one on the picture, there is a clear difference in ribbonfolds and space between the medals. I highly doubt it's his bar.

Kind regards, Laurentius

I have similar suspicions. This bar and the one in the photo are definitely two different medal bars.

This is supposedly Looff's medal bar.

[laurentius]

Dear P.F.

Although this medalbar comes much closer, I'm still suspicious. Just look at the campaignspanges on the picture in the first post and the campaignspanges in the picture you supplied, there is clearly a difference. In the photograph they are layered like bricks, and in the picture they are just atop eachother. The bar might nonetheless still be original, since I don't think it's a unique combination.

Kind regards, Laurentius

[Claudius]

On ‎24‎/‎01‎/‎2019 at 01:33, laurentius said:

 Just look at the campaignspanges on the picture in the first post and the campaignspanges in the picture you supplied, there is clearly a difference. In the photograph they are layered like bricks, and in the picture they are just atop each other.

I've been carefully looking at the ribbon wrappings, the medal mounting and overlapping.  I think the photo in post 17 and the same medal bar in post 22 are same, however Laurentius is correct about the campaign spanges.  They have been moved. 

The only explanation I can think of is that they were realigned sometime after the photo was taken.  Either by the Looff, his tailor or more likely by a collector who thought they were not symmetrical over the China medal.