Heer Marksmanship Lanyard - 1st type

[avenger]

Hello gentlemen! Received this marksmanship lanyard in the mail today. I usually try to wait it out for minty examples, but this very inexpensive piece was too good to pass up. It shows it has been used, while far from falling apart, and that aspect really appealed to me this time. So, I'd like to submit to the forum this example of the 1st type marksmanship lanyard.

I believe the eagle and shield are aluminum, and this piece lacks the rayon (?) backing you often see on the reverse of the cord that were eventually added to these to prevent chaffing of the uniform I believe.

[MAP]

Agree. A nice respectable lanyard. It s got a story behind it. Not some NIB piece taken from a store room by a GI looking for booty

[rbminis]

Hi Scott,
Nice addition and I feel that every TR collection should have at least one.
This one is the early shield and I believe they are made from zinc. You are also correct that the earlier ones did not have the backing strip. This thread shows some of my examples, (have added a couple since the last photo was taken), as well as Wim has posted quite a bit of original literature regarding regulations as well as grades and construction.
Congrats!
Ralph.
https://www.warrelics.eu/forum/order...schnur-168517/

[avenger]

Thanks Ralph! I'd like to eventually get a set of each type like you have there . I'm really fond of the second type for the higher groups, with the big oak leaves and acorns. That's one I'm going to keep my eyes peeled for a nice minty one to perhaps one day go on my future infantry tunic (once I find that too). Ah, the plans of mice and men...

Are you sure these wouldn't be aluminum? If I understand this right, it sounds like they may be (figure a):

[Wilhelm Saris]

In the 1937 Assmann-cataloque the shield is shown as article-number 24595 for the classes 1-4,
being made from Leichtmetall (light-weight metals, which is a sort of aluminum component).
The surface has the altsilber (old look) surface. Also the other classes were made from the same
material. The shield was not in use anymore since about 1939. It was replaced.

Note from the Heeres-Verordnungsblatt from 1936 about the introduction for the shooting
lanyards, as published in number 30 from the Deutsche Militär-Musiker-Zeitung from 1936:





One hardly can see the difference, when observing, between Leichtmetall and Aluminum. Zinc
is not mentioned in any of the available catalogues, but this material eventually could be used
since mid-war.

Image from the 1937 catalogue for the Wilhelm Deumer-concern from Lüdenscheid:



Text-part from the 1939 Friedrich Linden-concern:



The related page with explanation from the well-known "Uniformen der Deutschen Wehrmacht"
from Eberhard Hettler from 1939/1940:



Note the last part where it is said things were changed (the shield).

[avenger]

Wilhelm, that information tells us all we need to know about these doesn't it, ranks and all... Thanks for posting it again to this thread!

I've assumed the updated version to the shield I have was made in zinc, as they often seem to have lost their finish and have that dirty metal look to them I tend to associate with zinc. It's interesting to note I have been incorrect about that assumption.

In any case, these lanyards are even more impressive in person, and I echo Ralph's sentiments that everyone should have least one in their collection.

[Wilhelm Saris]

The altsilber look: a sort of paintlike material was covered over the badge and then rubbed off,
to give it the old look. In German: Die Vertiefungen des geprägten Abzeichens werden eingefärbt
und abgewischt. This procedure one did with for example Neusilber, aluminum or nickled goods
(statement from the Overhoff-concern in the 1970's).

The shield hardly could have been made from zinc, which was used wartime, as the shield-form already
was out of its use in 1938 or so.

[avenger]

Thanks for the info. I learn more here everyday.

On the zinc, what I meant was I was under the impression the replacement style for the lower ranks with swords and oak leaves was zinc based. It doesn't read like that though, so I guess I've been looking at those wrongly and need adjust my perceptions of them.

[Wilhelm Saris]

I do have an Assmann cataloque where, with hand, to many items it was written the material
to be zinc. But not with the symbols for the lanyards. I have no proof so!

[rbminis]

You may be correct Scott, that the early ones were made from aluminum, I just remembered that I have a later one that is suffering from zinc pest. Second from the left.
Ralph.