U-boot Kriegsabzeichen

[NineLives]

Hey guys,
I have this U Boat War Badge. Unfortunately it looks like it has come off a vets trophy board as the pin has been removed and 2 holes have been drilled.
My question is it possible to determine the maker from these pictures?
Thanks in advance

[martinw]

A badge known as the "5-feather type" due to the five horizontal primary wing feathers.All other U-Boat badges have 4 primary wing feathers.
They are made in zinc only but the question remains as to whether they were produced pre-April 1945 ?

The maker also remains unknown.

Regards,Martin.

[NineLives]

Great info
Thanks Martin

[Norm F]

Hi Guys,

I agree with Martin. Not much is known about the "5-feather" U-boat. Personally, I'm inclined to believe these zincers are genuine late wartime production, possibly in Berlin, but it remains unproven at this time.

All we know for sure:
1) They have turned up in groupings from German vets' families in recent years.
2) They have a generally convincing "wartime compatible" construction and bear hardware with features similar to Juncker and Schwerin.
3) They appear in publication in 1957 and so are at least that old.
4) There is a fake hollow Tombak version which has tended to cast a shadow over them, but which may simply be a fake based upon the wartime version.

Here are some attachments:
1) an example from a grouping from a family in Kiel. (They can be found with the dome-head hinge pin or the headless hinge pin.)
2) comparison of the reverse of a 5-feather U-Boat to a Schwerin zincer showing very similar trimming outlines and hardware
3) comparison of a 5-feather U-boat hinge with dome-head hinge pin to similar wartime hardware
4) comparison of one type of catch found on these to similar catches on wartime badges
5) the published image from Klietmann's 1957 publication on German WW2 awards compared with an example from Weitze
6) a comparison of the solid zincer to the post-war fake hollow version

Based upon the above information one might speculate scenarios such as late war Berlin production by Juncker or someone else but the jury is still out. At any rate the hollow version is post-war.

Best regards,
---Norm

[martinw]

Excellent additional information and images Norm.

Many thanks.

Martin.

[NineLives]

Awesome Norm. Thank you so much

[FALLSCHIRMJAGER]

Thanks for that detailed information Norm, I refrained from commenting as the award clearly had good age and manufacture details but I was unsure about it being a period piece. I am still unsure about it but at least I now know the reasons why I feel unsure! Leon.