Crimea Shield

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The Crimea Shield (known as "Krim" Shield to collectors) was awarded to German soldiers under the command of Generalfeldmarschall Erich von Manstein who fought and conquered Crimea (Krim in German) in between September 1941 and July 1942. The Crimea Shield was instituted on 25th July 1942 and was the most widely distributed of the shields with approximately 250,000 being handed out.

From 21st September 1941 until 4th July 1942 German soldiers faced severe opposition from the Russian army while attempting to capture the important Black Sea ports around Sevastopol. So stubborn was the Russian resistance, that the German army had to use poison gas to extricate many defenders from their underground bunkers.

This particularly difficult campaign was recognized in the form of the Shield.

[edit] Design

The Shield is headed by the German eagle clutching a wreathed swastika. Flanking the eagle are the dates 1941 and 1942, the start and end dates of the campaign. This sits on the backdrop of the Crimean peninsula, where the fighting took place, which has the word "Krim" stamped into it

[edit] Wear

The shield was worn on the upper left arm of the recipients uniform. It was sewn on via the backing cloth but there are occasions where this was removed and the shield was pinned onto the uniform, no doubt for aesthetic reasons.

[edit] Cloth Backing

The colour of the backing cloth is indicative of the branch of the military that the recipient was in.

Green for Army (Heer)

Blue for Air force (Luftwaffe)

Black for Armoured (Panzer units)