Kriegsmarine Auxiliary Cruiser Badge – Foerster & Barth

Product Description: This Kriegsmarine Auxiliary Cruiser Badge is a great example of a zinc badge, likely made later in the production run of these scarce awards. It is made all in one piece, and boasts outstanding original finish, with nearly all of the original heavy silver plating and beautiful gilding remaining on the obverse. The original finish has attractive, mellow toning, with lots of original luster. There is only very light wear, which exposes the gray zinc at the highest points of the design. On the reverse, this Kriegsmarine Auxiliary Cruiser Badge shows some bubbling as well as bare areas where the plating has flaked away. There is no maker marking, but this variant is known to have been made by the firm of Foerster & Barth. The hardware setup is standard for this badge variant, with a sheet metal hinge and catch, and a functional broad pin. There are no repairs. This badge has a lovely finish that gives it wonderful visual appeal. The condition is excellent.

Historical Description: The WWII German naval campaign against Allied shipping was not waged only with naval vessels. Eleven merchant ships were also specially equipped by the German Navy with a variety of anti-ship weapons. These armed ships, disguised as peaceful merchant vessels, patrolled shipping lanes. To recognize the bravery of the crews of these vessels, the German Navy commander Grossadmiral Erich Raeder introduced a special award, “Kriegsabzeichen für Hilfskreuzer” (Auxiliary Cruiser War Badge), on April 24, 1941. The badge was designed by Ernst Peekhaus and featured a Viking ship sailing on a northern hemisphere, surrounded by a wreath, and surmounted by a German national eagle and swastika emblem. They were made in silver, Tombak, and zinc. The entire badge was gilt with the exception of the globe, which had a gray finish. The globe could be integral to the badge, or could be a separate piece, affixed with a single rivet. The badge was awarded to the crews of ships that completed successful long-range voyages. It could also be awarded for exceptional leadership on a voyage and was automatically awarded to any sailors wounded in action on such a vessel. Because there were not many of these disguised merchant vessels, the Auxiliary Cruiser Badge was made in limited numbers.

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