Description
Authentic WWII Kriegsmarine E-Boat Badge (Schnellbootkriegsabzeichen) – First Pattern, Assmann & Söhne
This is an original Kriegsmarine Fast Attack Craft War Badge, commonly referred to as an E-Boat Badge (Schnellbootkriegsabzeichen), manufactured by Assmann & Söhne. The badge represents a first-pattern example, issued during the early years of the award.
The decoration was instituted on May 30, 1941, by Grand Admiral Erich Raeder, and awarded to Kriegsmarine personnel serving on fast attack craft (S-boats) or torpedo boats. Eligibility criteria included participation in at least 12 operational sorties, an outstandingly successful mission, or being wounded in action.
Designed by Ernst Peekhaus of Berlin, the badge features a side-view of an S-Boat cutting through stylized waves, surrounded by an oval oak leaf wreath tied at the base, and surmounted by a national eagle clutching a mobile swastika. Early first-pattern examples, such as this one, were typically struck in gilded and silvered tombak.
The reverse has a single uniform stay, a horizontal slender banjo-style pinback, barrel hinge, and flat wire catch, consistent with first-pattern production.
A highly collectible Kriegsmarine award, prized for its historical authenticity, first-pattern attributes, and maker-marked provenance, suitable for advanced collectors of WWII German naval militaria.
