Navy U-Boat Badge by 18

German WWII > Awards and Medals > Navy Awards > U-Boat Badge

Kriegsmarine U-Boots-Kriegsabzeichen. Instituted October 13, 1939, the Navy U-Boat War Badge was awarded to those who proved themselves with at least two or more sorties against the enemy, exceptions may be made in the case of a wounded crew member. It is constructed out of a die struck zinc base that has been gold gilded and finished in a protective lacquer coating. The oval shaped obverse depicts a U-Boat that is surrounded by a laurel leaf wreath that is tied together at the bottom and is below a Kriegsmarine eagle with outstretched wings clutching a swastika in its talons. The full-back reverse displays a soldered-on tombak round plate flatwire catch, integral zinc hinge and a tombak coke bottle pin that is marked: “18”. The zinc has absorbed most of the gold gilding. It measures 1 7/8 inches wide by 1 ½ inches tall.

Note: This piece is questionable. “18” is not a valid maker mark. Construction aligns with: Funcke & Bruninghaus, as well as B.H. Mayer / Otto Schickle. A good piece for a uniform. I have seen similar original construction pieces with post-war maker marks: Navy U-Boat Badge by S&L. A non-textbook anomaly...