The best DESIGNED Third Reich award.

[Glenn66]

I always drool over a nice, minty DKiG!

[Woolgar]

The Deutsches Kreuz in Gold for me too!! I love its 5 part constuction, large ebony swastika, the wonderful enamaling and most of all the spectacular starburst!!

Nick

[oradour]

It has to be "THE HIGH SEAS FLEET WAR BADGE" (FLOTTEN-KRIEGSABZEICHEN) instituted on 30th April 1941. Designed by Adolf Bock, who trained as a painter, specialising in naval and general maritime themes, upon the outbreak of WW2, he became an official war artist for the Kreigsmarine. This badge captures the very essence of the German Navy, with its battleship breaking through the waves, viewed head-on ! To recognise the work of this artist, these WW2 produced badges bear the wording "FEC. ADOLF BOCK" (designed by Adolf Bock)...Bock died in 1968 aged 78. Sadly I do not own a WW2 badge just a 1957 version, which I show here alongside a library photo of an original. Prost ! Steve.

[Adrian]

There's some interesting answers and views being put forward, thank you. I must agree with the Deutsche Kreuz in Gold, it is a wonderful, 'in your face' award and true, the Mutterkreuz is a great, simple and well designed medal with good use of colour and one of my favourites but my thoughts lie elsewhere. I think some of the best designs are within the range of Kriegsabzeichen.
I like the designs that portray movement and dynamics, The Panzerabzeichen wins in the Heer category for me but as it comes in only silver of bronze it is quite a boring badge unless you're looking at the numbered versions. The Luftwaffe badges are all very nice, my favourite is the Beobachterabzeichen with the hovering eagle looking down and watching, the Fallschirmschützenabzeichen with the diving eagle holding the swastika in clutched talons is also a good one, they both tell a story.
However, I keep coming back to the Kriegsmarine badges, the Flottenkriegsabzeichen is good, a big heavy battleship ploughing through the waves towards you, the Zerstörerkriegsabzeichen, it's sharp prow slicing through the waves and the edge of the badge, the Kriegsabzeichen für Minesuch with the explosion right in the middle but my personal favourite for design is the Schnellboot-Kriegsabzeichen, second pattern. The use of colours on the badge, the movement captured in the waves with the vessel fighting it's way through, bursting from the badge always draws me in. You can visualise the speed and the power encapsulated in just a small piece of metal and at a glance be transported to the scene.

[oradour]

There's some interesting answers and views being put forward, thank you. I must agree with the Deutsche Kreuz in Gold, it is a wonderful, 'in your face' award and true, the Mutterkreuz is a great, simple and well designed medal with good use of colour and one of my favourites but my thoughts lie elsewhere. I think some of the best designs are within the range of Kriegsabzeichen.
I like the designs that portray movement and dynamics, The Panzerabzeichen wins in the Heer category for me but as it comes in only silver of bronze it is quite a boring badge unless you're looking at the numbered versions. The Luftwaffe badges are all very nice, my favourite is the Beobachterabzeichen with the hovering eagle looking down and watching, the Fallschirmschützenabzeichen with the diving eagle holding the swastika in clutched talons is also a good one, they both tell a story.
However, I keep coming back to the Kriegsmarine badges, the Flottenkriegsabzeichen is good, a big heavy battleship ploughing through the waves towards you, the Zerstörerkriegsabzeichen, it's sharp prow slicing through the waves and the edge of the badge, the Kriegsabzeichen für Minesuch with the explosion right in the middle but my personal favourite for design is the Schnellboot-Kriegsabzeichen, second pattern. The use of colours on the badge, the movement captured in the waves with the vessel fighting it's way through, bursting from the badge always draws me in. You can visualise the speed and the power encapsulated in just a small piece of metal and at a glance be transported to the scene.

Spot on Adrian !....
Prost ! Steve.

[Adrian]

Spot on Adrian !....
Prost ! Steve.

I often wonder and feel like us, as collectors, have missed out on some more designs. I mentioned the U-Bootskriegsabzeichen in my opening post. If the Imperial design had not been updated and kept in a similar form for the TR badge, what design could they have come up with to demonstrate this branch of the forces. Looking at the Kriegsmarine badges we all know, what might the designers have come up with for the U-Boot................?

[Woolgar]

There's some interesting answers and views being put forward, thank you. I must agree with the Deutsche Kreuz in Gold, it is a wonderful, 'in your face' award and true, the Mutterkreuz is a great, simple and well designed medal with good use of colour and one of my favourites but my thoughts lie elsewhere. I think some of the best designs are within the range of Kriegsabzeichen.
I like the designs that portray movement and dynamics, The Panzerabzeichen wins in the Heer category for me but as it comes in only silver of bronze it is quite a boring badge unless you're looking at the numbered versions. The Luftwaffe badges are all very nice, my favourite is the Beobachterabzeichen with the hovering eagle looking down and watching, the Fallschirmschützenabzeichen with the diving eagle holding the swastika in clutched talons is also a good one, they both tell a story.
However, I keep coming back to the Kriegsmarine badges, the Flottenkriegsabzeichen is good, a big heavy battleship ploughing through the waves towards you, the Zerstörerkriegsabzeichen, it's sharp prow slicing through the waves and the edge of the badge, the Kriegsabzeichen für Minesuch with the explosion right in the middle but my personal favourite for design is the Schnellboot-Kriegsabzeichen, second pattern. The use of colours on the badge, the movement captured in the waves with the vessel fighting it's way through, bursting from the badge always draws me in. You can visualise the speed and the power encapsulated in just a small piece of metal and at a glance be transported to the scene.

Eloquently put Adrian

Nick

[ObKrieger]

I often wonder and feel like us, as collectors, have missed out on some more designs. I mentioned the U-Bootskriegsabzeichen in my opening post. If the Imperial design had not been updated and kept in a similar form for the TR badge, what design could they have come up with to demonstrate this branch of the forces. Looking at the Kriegsmarine badges we all know, what might the designers have come up with for the U-Boot................?

I am imagining the typical gilted wreath, eagle, and swastika surrounding a resurfacing u-boot. Think of a badge akin to the marine-artillerie abzeichen, only the gun is a u-boot, and the background is water.

[Franz1944]

I think the Campaign shield look great, they each tell a story on the medal. For instance Kirm, the dots represent major cities in the region.

[Woolgar]

I am imagining the typical gilted wreath, eagle, and swastika surrounding a resurfacing u-boot. Think of a badge akin to the marine-artillerie abzeichen, only the gun is a u-boot, and the background is water.

I was thinking of a sinking Allied ship in said gilted wreath

Nick