Two: Kriegsabzeichen für Minensuch-, U-Boots-Jagd- und Sicherungsverbände

[martinw]

I agree with Martin's opinion now the additional images have been posted. A shame because the obverse looked promising.

There is no proof to my knowledge that S.H.u.C.o. made these badges but basing it upon Norm's classification list, this seven wave design is closest to that listed as being (potentially) from that maker.

Aha,thanks Adrian i should refer more to Norm's list in regards to Minesweeper awards.

Cheers,Martin.

[Norm F]

I agree with Martin's opinion now the additional images have been posted. A shame because the obverse looked promising.

There is no proof to my knowledge that S.H.u.C.o. made these badges but basing it upon Norm's classification list, this seven wave design is closest to that listed as being (potentially) from that maker.

Hi Guys,

Yes indeed, two cast reproductions, and as mentioned the second one is a copy of the "S.H.u.Co.-like" Minesweeper. The tentative attribution to Sohni Heubach u. Co. is based upon a constellation of observations which individually are not strong but taken together form a pretty decent hypothesis. I'll lay it out here for your consideration.

1) Firstly consider the following stats:

20 manufacturers of the Destroyer badge.
16 of these also made Minesweeper badges.
The 4 remaining are GWL (whose production shows some connection to Deumer), Friedrich Orth (Vienna), JFS (Gablonz) and,of course, S.H.u.Co.
JFS and SHuCo are the only two makers not known to produce any other KM badges, all the others produced more than one KM badge.

23 manufacturers of the Minesweeper badge.
17 of these also made Destroyer badges.
The 6 remaining are Assmann, Wiedmann, LM (with a possible connection to HA), RSS (Gablonz), RK (Gablonz) and, of course, the "S.H.u.Co.-like".
Assmann and LM are the only ones not known to produce any other KM badge, all the others produced more than one KM badge.

So statistically speaking, it would not be surprising if S.H.u.Co., a known manufacturer of Destroyers, also made another KM badge like the Minesweeper (like most of the other Destroyer manufacturers).

2) Secondly, consider the aesthetic of the S.H.u.Co. Destroyer badge compared with the "S.H.u.Co.-like" Minesweeper. Both have soft-featured, indistinct eagle designs with poorly formed "bulbous" toes. No other Minesweeper maker has a design with these features. Subjective perhaps, but thought provoking.

More in the next post.

Best regards,
---Norm

[Norm F]

3) Thirdly, consider the catch used on the Minesweeper badges. This composite shows the typical catch on the Minesweeper and the identical catch seen on the S.H.u.Co. marked Infanterie Sturmabzeichen and Destroyer badges. Sure, catches can be a stock item, but these all show identical tooling marks with distinctive gouge out of the upper end and small bevel in the lower end. This is not a commonly found catch on other makers' badges.

Furthermore, the catch on the "S.H.u.Co.-like" Minesweeper almost always opens to the left, very unusual for Minesweeper badges (aside from Rettenamaier). The leftward-opening catch is found also on the S.H.u.Co. marked Infanterie Sturmabzeichen.

[Norm F]

4) Finally, consider this unusual variant of the "S.H.u.Co.-like" Minesweeper. This example has the complete setup usually seen on the S.H.u.Co. Destroyer, with the shorter wire main pin, oval catch plate and the other type of round-wire catch that is typical to the S.H.uCo. Destroyer. This badge is a "missing link" of sorts between the Destroyer and Minesweeper setups.

Taken together, all these features point towards S.H.u.Co. although nothing else is really known about these unique Minesweepers. In the Classification System this so-called "straight wave" Minesweeper (Type 5.2.1) is described as "Unknown maker, possibly S.H.u.Co.".

Best regards,
---Norm

[Adrian]

Great information Norm, detailed as always! Thank you.