Eboat badge first type?
Hi KM collectors,
What's Your opinion on this eboat, is it first pattern? What's the maker? Thank You.
Regards, Bono
What's Your opinion on this eboat, is it first pattern? What's the maker? Thank You.
Regards, Bono
-
-
Hi Bono,
It is indeed a 1st pattern S-Boat in zinc.
As to maker and time of production, this is one of those areas where you might get a variety of opinions because no one knows for sure.
It belongs to one of the two groups of badges that are generally attributed to the "flatback maker", more recently Alois Rettenmaier. The "classic" flatbacks have round-cornered rectangular catch plate, rightward opening catch (usually) and wider flanged sheet metal hinge and often show linear striations on the reverse. The second category of "flatbacks" have the setup of your S-Boat badge with the longer, sharp-cornered catch plate, leftward opening catch and narrower flanged sheet metal hinge, and they sometimes show semi-scooped reverses.
The "classic" group are generally attributed to Rettenmaier these days based upon a lot of circumstantial evidence beyond the scope of this thread but which can be reviewed from the pinned "Useful Threads". The second group, including your S-Boat, could also very well be from Rettenmaier as there are a lot of similarities in production and also some hybrid forms that show features of each, but it's unknown for sure and subject to opinion. Here's just one thread that shows the Minesweeper and U-Boat badges from each group:
http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=676282
Also subject to opinion is whether they were wartime or post-war assembly, which ends up a question of faith in the end. Whether wartime or not, personally I believe they were never official wartime awards purchased by the KM, but lots of what we collect is in that category anyway, and LDO shop wares are fair game too. The Minesweeper badge I have from the same category as your S-Boat looks "wartime-compatible" but the finish dissolves quite easily with acetone so I have my doubts.
Hope that helps.
Best regards,
---Norm -
Nice post Norm.Comment
-
Thank You Norm for great explanation.
Regards, BonoComment
-
For further illustration, here are some compilations showing the two groups of badges. The first is the flatbacks with the "classic" setup while the second is the group containing the S-Boat. The U-Boat, Destroyer and Minesweeper in the two groups show identical obverse designs and all badges are characterized by major hand-trimming and filing of the margins.Comment
-
Here are some images of "hybrid" examples with some stylistic elements of each group.
The top two with the "classic setup" (Hilfskreuzer and Minesweeper) have a semi-scooped reverse reminiscent of the S-Boat. The two scoop-back 1st pattern S-Boats on the bottom are the same type as Bono's but notice that the one on the right has the more "classic" round-cornered catch plate.
The 3 Minesweepers show the sharp-cornered setup on the left and the "classic" setup on the right; the one in the middle has the narrow-flanged hinge and leftward opening catch of the first badge but combined with the "classic" catch plate of the badge on the right.
It's these kinds of features that suggest both groups may be from the same maker, while the variety of finishes and hardware (and general poor quality) raises the suspicion of variation over a long period of production, possibly extending into the post-war period.
Best regards,
---NormComment
-
More comparisons, this time showing the variations of hinge in the Destroyer and Minesweeper "flatback" badges. The narrow flanged hinge is on the left, the wide flanged hinge is in the centre and the oval flanged hinge is on the right. Oval hinges like those on the right were certainly used in wartime on some products but there must have been tons of leftovers or they continued to be manufactured after the war because they're very common on post-war reproductions of Staegemeir and others.
Best regards,
---NormComment
-
Now I know what You mean, once again thank You.
The devil is in the details!Comment
Comment