I posted this S&L U-Boat classification on GCA in 2011 and figured it's time now to port it over here on WAF to go with the Schwerin and Juncker Timeline threads. We've already discussed some of this system in several past threads (most notably this one), but it warrants its own thread with further illustration of the variants.
For a long time the S&L U-boat badge evaded detection since like most S&L war badges they are mostly unmarked. This is ironic, given that the zinc version is one of the most common of U-boat badges. Currently, as with most S&L war badges, attribution is based on an array of circumstantial evidence.
The evidence can be briefly summarized as follows:
1) The S&L catalog from late 1940 or early 1941 indicates that they offered a U-Boat badge (along with the Destroyer and Minesweeper badges).
2) The S&L unmarked zinc U-boat has been found in the S&L sales cases, and also on the early post-war Lüdenscheid sample boards that have come to market in recent years, in the company of other maker-marked S&L products.
3) The Tombak version of this design bears the distinctive catch of Steinhauer & Lück.
4) Every hardware variation found on both Tombak and zinc versions is also found on other S&L-attributed products.
5) The rare "4" marked zinc example of this design has appeared.
I'll re-post some info on the first two points and then proceed with the classification system with illustrations. Once again many thanks to those who have posted their images over the years from which I've compiled the composite illustrations for educational purposes.
Best regards,
---Norm
For a long time the S&L U-boat badge evaded detection since like most S&L war badges they are mostly unmarked. This is ironic, given that the zinc version is one of the most common of U-boat badges. Currently, as with most S&L war badges, attribution is based on an array of circumstantial evidence.
The evidence can be briefly summarized as follows:
1) The S&L catalog from late 1940 or early 1941 indicates that they offered a U-Boat badge (along with the Destroyer and Minesweeper badges).
2) The S&L unmarked zinc U-boat has been found in the S&L sales cases, and also on the early post-war Lüdenscheid sample boards that have come to market in recent years, in the company of other maker-marked S&L products.
3) The Tombak version of this design bears the distinctive catch of Steinhauer & Lück.
4) Every hardware variation found on both Tombak and zinc versions is also found on other S&L-attributed products.
5) The rare "4" marked zinc example of this design has appeared.
I'll re-post some info on the first two points and then proceed with the classification system with illustrations. Once again many thanks to those who have posted their images over the years from which I've compiled the composite illustrations for educational purposes.
Best regards,
---Norm
Comment