Mythbusters - Non magnetic EKs for Kriegsmarine.

[Adrian]

This has been the story/myth/sales pitch for many years now.
It is not the case. Many magnetic EKs have been found with provenance showing they were issued to Kriegsmarine personnel just as non-magnetic EKs were issued to the Heer and Luftwaffe.
Here is one such example worn by a sailor.
I will post the photos and ask the owner who has just joined the forum to give the provenance, apologys if you've seen them before......
The EK2 has not suffered from sea air as you would expect by not being permanantly worn. The magnetic EK1, as you can see has suffered from the exposure to a salty environment showing that magnetic EKs were issued to and worn by Kriegsmarine personnel.

[lacipaci]

The soldier, who got these EK-s was Otto Hyken Kriegsmarine officer. He was on the board with Otto Kretschmer in U35, got the Spanienkreuz.
After that he got Asthma, went to a Schnellboat. At that time got the Ek1-2.

[Walkwolf]

As Adrian says, stories of the KM recieving only non-magnetic
EK's is indeed a myth, or sales pitch.

Below is my non-magnetic/brass core EKI. It has a brass
pin as well.The fellow I bought it from said it was
a Kriegsmarine cross..............!