Kriegsmarine Destroyer Badge – JFS

Product Description: This Kriegsmarine Destroyer Badge by JFS is a very nice example of this attractive Navy award. It is made of die struck zinc, and boasts outstanding original finish. The wreath and eagle emblem retain nearly all of the original gold lacquered finish, with only extremely slight wear that exposes the base metal at some high points. The ship shows appealing original dark finish. The reverse of this Kriegsmarine Destroyer Badge is flat and smooth, with a stylized “JFS” maker mark indicating manufacture by the firm of Josef Feix & Söhne in Gablonz. The hardware setup is textbook for this maker, and is the classic “Gablonz” style, with a ball hinge and round wire catch that are both crimped in place. The round wire attachment pin is functional, and the crimped-in attachment hook at the top of the reverse is intact. There are no signs of repair. This desirable, maker marked badge is in outstanding condition, with only very light age and wear, and has great visual appeal.

Historical Description: The Kriegsmarine Destroyer Badge (Zerstörer-Kriegsarbzeichen was a wartime decoration of the German Navy. It was officially instituted on June 4, 1940 by Kriegsmarine chief Grossadmiral Erich Raeder, and originally was awarded only to crew members of the vessels in Zerstörer-Gruppe Narvik, who met the stipulated criteria. Over the course of the wear, the regulations for awarding this badge were changed several times, expanding the range of sailors who were entitled to the award. Eventually, this badge would be awarded to crews of other destroyers as well as torpedo boats, and several battleships and cruisers that had participated in operations in Norway in 1940. The badge was designed by Paul Casberg of Berlin, and was initially produced in a brass alloy, then later in zinc. A miniature form was also produced for wear on civilian clothes.

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