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Tag: Third Reich Shields

The Lorient Shield (Projected)

The Lorient Shield (Lorientschild) was a projected WW2 Third Reich decoration planned for participants in the Siege of Lorient (1944–45).

The Lorient Shield (or Lorientschild in German) was a projected World War II German military decoration to be awarded to German forces that took part in the Siege of Lorient, 1944–45.

Although some Lirient Shields were awarded, they were never officially instituted. So, they are very hard to authenticate and there is a lot of discussion online about which ones might be real. 

The Lorient Shield Design

The original Lorient Shields were made crudely in a besieged town. They are believed to be made of stamped brass sheets and even copper, old fish cans, and the bodywork of cars abandoned in the siege. 

More Nazi Germany Shields (Ärmelschilde)

These campaign shields were awarded to members of the Wehrmacht (the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945). They were given for participation in specific battles or campaigns and worn on the left upper arm of the uniform jacket.

See all campaign shields >

The Dunkirk Shield (Projected)

The Dunkirk Shield (Dünkirchenschild) was a projected WW2 Third Reich decoration planned for participants in the Siege of Dunkirk (1944–45).

The Dunkirk Shield (or Dünkirchenschild in German) was a projected World War II German military decoration to be awarded to German forces that took part in the Siege of Dunkirk (1944–45).

In a directive dated September 4, 1944, Adolf Hitler had Dunkirk declared a fortress (this included the port itself and the city of Dunkirk). As part of the defense of the Dunkirk Fortress, which began with the Allied invasion of Normandy, the idea soon arose under the leadership of Vice Admiral Friedrich Frisius to create a kind of memorial shield for the trapped 12,000 to 15,000 German defenders.

Dunkirk Fortress finally surrendered to French, British and Czech units on May 9, 1945. During the siege, Frisius had the so-called Dunkirk Shield made from makeshift metal supplies and distributed to the soldiers of the army, navy and probably also an unknown number of Wehrmacht followers in order to strengthen their sense of community. The “award” of the shield was confirmed by its entry in the pay book.

The Dunkirk Shield Design

The Dunkirk Shield was made from the remaining siege metal supplies (sheet iron and non-ferrous metal). Its width is approximately 34 mm, and its height is 41 mm. The shape corresponds to the shape of a shield, with the Dunkirk lighthouse depicted in the middle. 

The number 19 is stamped on the left, and the year 44 is stamped on the right (1944). You can read DUENKIRCHEN in capital letters about the lighthouse0. On the lower side of the shield, there is an anchor chain and relief from raised sea waves.

An original Dunkirk Shield auctioned by Ratisbon's.
An original Dunkirk Shield auctioned by Ratisbon's in 2017.

More Nazi Germany Shields (Ärmelschilde)

These campaign shields were awarded to members of the Wehrmacht (the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945). They were given for participation in specific battles or campaigns and worn on the left upper arm of the uniform jacket.

The Crimea Shield - German WW2 Medals, Badges and Awards

The Crimea Shield

The Crimea Shield (Krimschild) is a WW2 German military decoration awarded to military personnel who fought against Soviet Red Army forces.

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The Narvik Shield - German WW2 Medals, Badges and Awards

The Narvik Shield

The Narvik Shield (Narvikschild) is a WW2 German military decoration awarded to German forces that took part in the battles of Narvik.

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See all campaign shields >

The Budapest Shield (Projected)

The Budapest Shield (Budapestschild) was a projected WW2 Third Reich decoration planned for participants in the Siege of Budapest.

The Budapest Shield (or Budapestschild in German) was a projected World War II German military decoration to be awarded to German forces that took part in the Siege of Budapest from December 1944 to February 1945.

The Budapest Shield was apparently approved by Adolf Hitler but abandoned with the loss of the city (as there was seemingly no hope of a reqconquest). 

The Balkans Shield Design

There are no descriptions of this proposed shield. All the ones you will see online are fantasy replicas made after WW2.

More Nazi Germany Shields (Ärmelschilde)

These campaign shields were awarded to members of the Wehrmacht (the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945). They were given for participation in specific battles or campaigns and worn on the left upper arm of the uniform jacket.

German WW2 Nazi Awards: The Warsaw Shield

The Warsaw Shield

The Warsaw Shield (Ärmelschild Warschau) is a German military decoration for those who took part in the suppression of the Warsaw uprising.

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See all campaign shields >

The Balkans Shield (Projected)

The Balkans Shield (Balkanschild) was a projected WW2 Third Reich decoration planned for participants in battes in the Balkans.

The Balkans Shield (or Balkanschild in German) was a projected World War II German military decoration to be awarded to German forces that took part in the battles of the Balkans, from 1944 to 1945.

In the book by Dr. Klietmann German Awards, the shield is described on page 156/57 as follows:
 
“Such a shield was neither donated nor awarded. However, the creation of such an award was apparently thought of because the Reich stage designer Benno v. Arent completed one on III.7.1945 Drawing of a draft of the Balkan Shield. It seems as if this was requested by the Führer’s headquarters, but the military events that followed in quick succession prevented further decisions regarding this foundation”.

The Balkans Shield Design

The book “Awards of the German Reich 1936-1945” mentiones the shield and includes the drawing by the Reich stage designer Benno v. Arent (signed March 7, 1945).

Dr. Klietmann describes 2 template patterns:

“One pattern exists in olive-brown tinted metal, the other is silver-plated…” 

A possible Balkan Shield prototype.
A possible Balkan Shield prototype. Ex- Klietmann/Blass collections. The image shows the original Benno von Arent sketch and the original matrix. Image courtesy of Robin Lumsden and the War Relics Forum.

More Nazi Germany Shields (Ärmelschilde)

These campaign shields were awarded to members of the Wehrmacht (the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945). They were given for participation in specific battles or campaigns and worn on the left upper arm of the uniform jacket.

The Crimea Shield - German WW2 Medals, Badges and Awards

The Crimea Shield

The Crimea Shield (Krimschild) is a WW2 German military decoration awarded to military personnel who fought against Soviet Red Army forces.

Read More »
German WW2 Nazi Awards: The Warsaw Shield

The Warsaw Shield

The Warsaw Shield (Ärmelschild Warschau) is a German military decoration for those who took part in the suppression of the Warsaw uprising.

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See all campaign shields >

The Stalingrad Shield (Projected)

The Stalingrad Shield (Stalingradschild) was a projected WW2 Third Reich decoration planned for participants in the Battle of Stalingrad.

The Stalingrad Shield (or Stalingradschild in German) was a projected World War II German military decoration to be awarded to German forces that took part in the Battle of Stalingrad from 1942 to 1943.

In October 1942, the Army High Command (OKH) was convinced that Stalingrad would be captured quickly. At the suggestion of Adolf Hitler, a Stalingrad shield should also be created as a commemorative badge, similar to the Crimea shield and the Narvik shield. 

An order was issued on October 26, 1942 to the 6th Army fighting in Stalingrad. However, Friedrich Paulus, Commander-in-Chief of the 6th Army, replied to the OKH:

“A sad chapter. We’ve barely taken half of the city and we’re killing ourselves with the rest. Given the current fighting strength of the troops, it is impossible to predict whether we will achieve the goal we have set. Instead, we are presented with trivial, hasty stories like a Stalingrad sign.”

After the encirclement of Stalingrad and the subsequent surrender of the 6th Army, the foundation of the shield was no longer pursued.

The Stalingrad Shield Design

There were a few different design drawings made for the shield. In the exposé for a planned but unrealized Stalingrad book from March 1943, two of these shield designs intended “for the Führer” are described:

“The shield, surrounded by an eagle, shows either the Stalingrad silo with the storm flag of the 71st Division in the middle of the rubble field or the figure of an upright soldier who unites the spears aimed at his chest with his arms. The figure is placed in the ruins in an oversized size. The word “Stalingrad” is written across the sign.”

The decoration received design proposals but it was never instituted, manufactured, or awarded. Today, you can find post-war fantasy reproductions, sometimes inspired by the design proposals. 

The Stalingrad Shield was neither manufactured nor awarded. There were also no test mintings. 

More Nazi Germany Shields (Ärmelschilde)

These campaign shields were awarded to members of the Wehrmacht (the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945). They were given for participation in specific battles or campaigns and worn on the left upper arm of the uniform jacket.

The Crimea Shield - German WW2 Medals, Badges and Awards

The Crimea Shield

The Crimea Shield (Krimschild) is a WW2 German military decoration awarded to military personnel who fought against Soviet Red Army forces.

Read More »
German WW2 Nazi Awards: The Warsaw Shield

The Warsaw Shield

The Warsaw Shield (Ärmelschild Warschau) is a German military decoration for those who took part in the suppression of the Warsaw uprising.

Read More »

See all campaign shields >

The Warsaw Shield

The Warsaw Shield (Ärmelschild Warschau) is a German military decoration for those who took part in the suppression of the Warsaw uprising.

The Warsaw Shield (or Ärmelschild Warschau in German) is a World War II military decoration of Nazi Germany, awarded to Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS servicemen who took part in the suppression of the 1944 Warsaw uprising. The Warsaw uprising lasted 63 days from 1 August 1944. Polish resistance attempted to liberate Warsaw as German forces withdrew. However, the approaching Red Army temporarily halted outside the city, enabling the Germans to regroup and defeat the uprising. 

Although authorized, approved and announced (the Warsaw Shield was  instituted on 10 December 1944 by Adolf Hitler, with full award regulations published in the Reich Law Gazette), production had not begun prior to the end of the war and the award was never issued. Dies were prepared, but were destroyed in an air-raid and no shields were actually produced before the end of the war. However, some sample matrices for the shield survived and have been used as the basis for the post-war manufacture of unofficial examples.

The Warsaw Shield Design

The award was designed by Benno von Arent. It was going to be a 50 × 62 mm bronze-colored shield with a large Wehrmacht-style eagle with folded wings grasping a writhing snake. A mobile swastika is superimposed on the eagle’s neck with, immediately below, a narrow banner with the legend WARSCHAU 1944. 

The shield was to be worn on the left upper arm of the uniform. 

More Nazi Germany Shields (Ärmelschilde)

These campaign shields were awarded to members of the Wehrmacht (the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945). They were given for participation in specific battles or campaigns and worn on the left upper arm of the uniform jacket.

The Narvik Shield - German WW2 Medals, Badges and Awards

The Narvik Shield

The Narvik Shield (Narvikschild) is a WW2 German military decoration awarded to German forces that took part in the battles of Narvik.

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See all campaign shields >

The Kuban Shield

The Kuban Shield is a World War II military decoration awarded to those who fought at the Kuban bridgehead in the Soviet Union.

The Kuban Shield (or Ärmelschild Kuban in German) is a World War II military decoration of Nazi Germany, awarded to those who fought at the Kuban bridgehead in the Soviet Union from February 1943 until it was abandoned in October 1943.

The criteria for award of the shield to military personnel:

  • Served in the bridgehead for 60 days; or
  • Been wounded while defending the bridgehead; or
  • Had been engaged in a single major operation at the bridgehead.

The Kuban Shield Design

The shield is designed in a similar fashion to the Crimea Shield and was struck in sheet metal or zinc and treated with a bronzed wash.

It features a German eagle with outstretched wings clutching a laurel wreath with a swastika. On each side the wreath are the numbers 19 and 43. Directly below the eagle is written KUBAN in block capital letters. Below this name is a stylized map of the Kuban region, with a line representing the defensive line that the men fought to preserve with the location of the bridgeheads – KRYMSKAJA, LAGUNEN, and NOWOROSSIJSK.

The shield was worn on the upper left sleeve of the tunic. A back plate, which held in place a piece of cloth matching the recipients’ branch of service, was applied to the shield:

  • Green for Heer (army)
  • Blue for Luftwaffe (air force)
  • Black for Panzer units (armoured units)

More Nazi Germany Shields (Ärmelschilde)

These campaign shields were awarded to members of the Wehrmacht (the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945). They were given for participation in specific battles or campaigns and worn on the left upper arm of the uniform jacket.

The Crimea Shield - German WW2 Medals, Badges and Awards

The Crimea Shield

The Crimea Shield (Krimschild) is a WW2 German military decoration awarded to military personnel who fought against Soviet Red Army forces.

Read More »

See all campaign shields >

The Lappland Shield

The Lappland Shield (Lapplandschild) is a World War II German military decoration awarded to military personnel who fought in Lapland.

The Lappland Shield (or Lapplandschild in German) is a World War II German military decoration awarded to military personnel which had been fighting a two-front campaign against the advancing Finnish and Soviet Red Army forces in Lapland between November 1944 and the war’s end in May 1945.

The badge was awarded to men of General Franz Böhme’s 20th Mountain Army who had “honorably served” for six months in the region or had been wounded during operations therein. It was authorized in February 1945 and was the last officially instituted German campaign shield of the war.

The Lappland shield continued to be awarded after the end of the war in May, 1945 by the unit commander.

The Lappland Shield Design

The badge consists of a basic shield with flat top and rounded bottom. It incorporates an eagle at the top but without a swastika. Directly below this, in capital letters, is written “LAPPLAND” and beneath it appears a map of the region.

Four small holes were punched in the shield to allow it to be sewn on the upper left sleeve of the uniform, however, it had no back-plate or uniform cloth section attached.

More Nazi Germany Shields (Ärmelschilde)

These campaign shields were awarded to members of the Wehrmacht (the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945). They were given for participation in specific battles or campaigns and worn on the left upper arm of the uniform jacket.

German WW2 Nazi Awards: The Warsaw Shield

The Warsaw Shield

The Warsaw Shield (Ärmelschild Warschau) is a German military decoration for those who took part in the suppression of the Warsaw uprising.

Read More »

See all campaign shields >

The Demyansk Shield

Demyansk Shield is a World War II German military decoration awarded to military personnel who fought in the Demyansk pocket.

Demyansk Shield (or Ärmelschild Demjansk in German) is a World War II German military decoration instituted on 25 April 1943 by Adolf Hitler and awarded to military personnel who fought in the Demyansk pocket, achieved through the use of an airbridge.

The pocket of German troops had been encircled and cut off by the Red Army around Demyansk, south of Leningrad, during World War II on the Eastern Front. It was not bestowed after 1 July 1944.

Requirements for army, Waffen-SS and auxiliary units included honorable service in the besieged area for 60 days or wounded in the besieged area. For Luftwaffe personnel — 50 combat or re-supply missions over the besieged area.

The Demyansk Shield Design

The Demyansk shield features at its apex an eagle with swooped down wings clutching a laurel wreath that surrounds a swastika in the obverse. This is flanked by two pillboxes with gun ports. Below this is capital letters is written DEMJANSK.

The central portion of shield features a head-on single engine aircraft, two crossed swords and at the base, the year 1942. Two minor variations of the aircraft’s propeller exist with either a curved or straight propeller.

The shield was die struck and produced in silver-washed zinc and later in plain zinc. It was affixed to the upper left sleeve of the uniform via a cloth that matched the color of the uniform of the recipient:

  • Light green-grey (field-grey) for Heer (army)
  • Blue for Luftwaffe (air force)
  • Black for Panzer units (armoured units)
  • Field-grey for Waffen-SS

More Nazi Germany Shields (Ärmelschilde)

These campaign shields were awarded to members of the Wehrmacht (the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945). They were given for participation in specific battles or campaigns and worn on the left upper arm of the uniform jacket.

The Narvik Shield - German WW2 Medals, Badges and Awards

The Narvik Shield

The Narvik Shield (Narvikschild) is a WW2 German military decoration awarded to German forces that took part in the battles of Narvik.

Read More »

See all campaign shields >

The Crimea Shield

The Crimea Shield (Krimschild) is a WW2 German military decoration awarded to military personnel who fought against Soviet Red Army forces.

The Crimea Shield (or Krimschild in German) is a World War II German military decoration instituted on 25 July 1942 and awarded to military personnel who fought against Soviet Red Army forces and captured the Crimea region between 21 September 1941 and 4 July 1942 under the command of Generalfeldmarschall Erich von Manstein.

The Wehrmacht’s Army Group South advanced through the Crimean peninsula between the Autumn of 1941 and Summer of 1942. The hostilities that ended with the German capture of Sevastopol on 4 July 1942.

The Crimea Shield was the most widely distributed of the various German ones, with approximately 250,000 of them being awarded. It could be awarded to all members of the Wehrmacht and to Luftwaffe and other units affiliated to the campaign in the specified dates. The following conditions needed to have been met for the award:

  • Served in the area for at least 90 days; or
  • Been wounded while serving in the area; or
  • Had been engaged in at least one major operation against the enemy.

Romanian troops serving in the Crimea were also eligible for the award.

The Crimea Shield Design

The Crimea shield is headed, on the obverse, by the German eagle clutching a laurel wreath surrounding a swastika. Flanking the eagle are the dates 1941 and 1942, which represent 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 across it.

A special pure-gold version of the Crimea Shield was also produced and first bestowed upon Marshal Ion Antonescu, the military dictator of Romania, at the end of the Siege of Sevastopol on 3 July 1942. It was awarded to him in Bucharest by Erich von Manstein, on Adolf Hitler’s behalf. The second and last Golden Krimschild was awarded to von Manstein himself, on 24 November 1942.

More Nazi Germany Shields (Ärmelschilde)

These campaign shields were awarded to members of the Wehrmacht (the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945). They were given for participation in specific battles or campaigns and worn on the left upper arm of the uniform jacket.

See all campaign shields >