U-boat War Badge

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U-Boat War Badge
U-Boat War Badge from World War II
Awarded by German Empire and Nazi Germany
Type	Badge
Eligibility	Military personnel only
Awarded for	Completing two or three U-boat war patrols
Campaign	World War I World War II
Statistics
Established	February 1, 1918 and October 13, 1939
Precedence
Next (higher)	U-boat Front Clasp
Correct wearing of the U-boat War Badge on the tunic of a sailor being presented with the German Cross in gold.

The U-Boat War Badge (German: U-Boots-Kriegsabzeichen) was a German war badge that was awarded to U-boat crew members during World War I and World War II.

History

The U-boat War Badge was originally instituted during the First World War on February 1, 1918. It was awarded to recognize U-boat crews who had completed three war patrols. The badge was worn on the lower left side of the uniform and was oval shaped resembling a wreath of laurel leaves. A submarine lay across the center and the German State Crown (Reichskrone) was inlaid at the top center of the wreath.

On October 13, 1939, the U-boat War Badge was reinstituted again, shortly after the war began. It was very similar to the original badge with the exception of the Prussian crown which was replaced with a German Eagle, a swastika was added, and a more modernized submarine now facing towards the left was used.

There were several ways to be awarded this medal. The most common would be the completion of two war patrols. Although the completion of two war patrols might seem a lowly requirement, but a typical U-boat war cruise would often run into months at a time. As a contrast, the Infantry Assault Badge was awarded after three combat actions, which meant that they could be earned on three separate actions all under a week. Completing two war patrols was not only longer, but it was equally dangerous as the U-boat has to endure constant attacks by Allied aircraft and warships.

During the later part of the war, U-boat losses were so great that many crewmen never made it past the second war patrol. The other occasion when this badge was awarded was on completion of an especially successful first patrol or having been wounded or killed in action. In the event of death, the award was presented to the next of kin.

Classes

The award was bestowed in two classes:

U-Boat War Badge

The U-boat War Badge was given usually after two war patrols. Some of the very successful commanders were awarded the badge after only one patrol, like Rolf Thomsen onboard U-1202.

U-boat War Badge with Diamonds

The U-boat War Badge with Diamonds was a special issue award given to U-boat commanders who had received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. This award was not given based on certain merits and was not an official war decoration, but instead it was given as an additional token of regard to Oak Leaves recipients. It was usually presented after the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves was awarded.

It was instituted in 1941 and the badge was similar in design to the U-boat War Badge. Manufactured by the firm of Schwerin in Berlin, it was made of gilding silver and had nine small diamonds inlaid on the swastika with the medal. Approximately 30 were awarded with Admiral Karl Dönitz being one of the recipients. However, he uniquely wore a special version in which the wreath as well as the swastika was inlaid with diamonds. Dönitz also wore his WWI U-Boat War Badge alongside this badge on his uniform.

Recipients of the U-boat War badge with Diamonds

Fregattenkapitän Albrecht Brandi
Korvettenkapitän Heinrich Bleichrodt
Korvettenkapitän Otto von Bülow
Admiral Karl Dönitz (special grade)
Korvettenkapitän Carl Emmermann on 1 October 1943
Kapitanleutnant Engelbert Endrass on 18 July 1941
Kapitänleutnant Friedrich Guggenberger
Korvettenkapitän Robert Gysae
Korvettenkapitän Reinhard Hardegen on 7 May 1942
Kapitän zur See Werner Hartmann
Korvettenkapitän Werner Henke
Fregattenkapitän Otto Kretschmer
Kapitänleutnant Hans-Günther Lange
Korvettenkapitän Georg Lassen
Fregattenkapitän Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock
Fregattenkapitan Heinrich Liebe
Kapitän zur See Wolfgang Lüth
Korvettenkapitän Johann Mohr
Kapitänleutnant Rolf Mützelburg
Kapitän zur See Karl-Friedrich Merten on 30 January 1943
Korvettenkapitan Gunther Prien
Kapitänleutnant Joachim Schepke
Korvettenkapitän Adalbert Schnee
Kapitän zur See Klaus Scholtz
Kapitän zur See Viktor Schütze
Korvettenkapitän Herbert Schultze on 15 July 1941
Fregattenkapitän Reinhard Suhren on 31 December 1941
Kapitänleutnant Rolf Thomsen
Fregattenkapitän Erich Topp on 11 April 1942

External links

v t e List of military decorations of the Third Reich

Decorations to all services	Clasp to the Iron Cross Eastern Front Medal German Cross German Occupation Medals Grand Cross of the Iron Cross Iron Cross Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Spanish Cross War Merit Cross War Merit Medal West Wall Medal Wound Badge

Army / Waffen-SS	Anti-Partisan Guerrilla Warfare Badge Army Anti-Aircraft Badge Blue Division Medal (Germany) Close Combat Clasp General Assault Badge Honour Roll Clasp of the Army Infantry Assault Badge Panzer Badge Sniper's Badge Tank Destruction Badge Wehrmacht Long Service Award Wehrmacht mountain troops badge

Luftwaffe	Anti-Aircraft Flak Battle Badge Aviator badge Balloon Observer's Badge Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe Ground Assault Badge of the Luftwaffe Luftwaffe Honor plate Parachutist Badge Pilot/Observer Badge

Kriegsmarine	Auxiliary Cruiser Badge Blockade Runner Badge Destroyer War Badge Fast Attack Craft War Badge High Seas Fleet Badge Minesweeper War Badge Naval Artillery War Badge U-boat Front Clasp U-boat War Badge

Campaign Shields	Cholm Shield Crimea Shield Demyansk Shield Kuban Shield Lappland Shield Narvik Shield

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