U Boat badge unknown maker = Schwerin?

[Frank Heukemes]

There is an exceptionally well designed U-Boat badge whose maker is unknown so far.
I have seen a badge with this design on Kai Winkler´s site with a Schwerin maker mark. Could this indeed be another Schwerin design (after they realized their dove like eagle was crap)?

This is the badge design I am referring to (picture copyright by French member Michel):

[Frank Heukemes]

Reverse, Winkler´s Schwerin marked badge has teh exact same reverse setup too.

[Thomas Durante]

Hi Frank,

I always thought this eagle looked like the early Juncker eagles on the EK2 spange, the one with the scalloped date box. Just a thought.

Tom D.

[Frank Heukemes]

Here is Winkler´s badge:

[Frank Heukemes]

Reverse

[Frank Heukemes]

maker mark

[Terrence]

I was curious about the talons gripping the top of the swastica and the bearded eagle. It seems to me that these chacteristics are consistent with other Juncker eagles (e.g., the Juncker unmarked auxillary cruiser badge). That and the trend of not marking their badges, would also support the Juncker theory. Keping in mind that I am just beginning to learn about these badges. Could someone ask Kai if he would mind letting someone post a pic of the badge you are refering to Frank? (never mind, I see you just posted them). I have two of these badges. One in tombak (pic attached, photo credit to Tom Huss), one in zinc (well plated zinc).

Best regards,
T

[Terrence]

reverse

[Terrence]

Frank, was there any relationship between Juncker and Schwerin that would have permitted JUncker to design badges for Schwerin or perhaps sell these the dies to them?

T

[Terrence]

Congratulations Frank, I believed you have pretty strong evidence that supports the Schwerin maker as the solution to this long mystery.


Best regards,
T

[Philippe DB]

[QUOTE=Frank H]Could this indeed be another Schwerin design (after they realized their dove like eagle was crap)?

[QUOTE]

Dear Frank,

Thats a bit of an enigma isn't it. Saw this badge a couple of months ago and send pics to Gordon to ask for his opinion. I never heard back so I guess it probably was a bit of a mystery to him too.

I think there are only two possibilities here

1. We have somebody running arround with a Schwerin stamp like we know happened to the unmarked Juncker AC badges. Seems unlikely to me because this U-boat is clearly much more different fom the Schwerin than it is the case with the AC badges of these to makers.

2. Your theory, Schwerin upgrading their "crapy" eagle design. The points in favour of that theory IMO are that the eagle on this U-boat without a doubt is the most complex to be found on any U-boat. So when they re-worked it they wanted to be sure it was up to the competition. In reworking the badge they payed attention to other details. Look at the deck gun by far the best attempt to really make it look like a canon.

Based upon a specific PAB I know, that doesn't come close to the accepted PAB design but IMO is 100% original, it is my believe that manufacturers (designers) at least experimented with better badges design but that probably only very few ever reached production status.

Maybe this U-boat badge was one of them?

KR
Philippe

[Terrence]

I would like to hear more about the Schwerin stamp on the Juncker AC. Was the fake stamping confirmed? Since I have one of these u-boat badges in zinc, it would seem to be more than a limited production.

Regards,
T

[Philippe DB]

Hi Terrence

Since you posted the last reply in this thread I'm sure you read it,

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...ght=Juncker+AC

I never met the guy who stamped the badges but based on the evidence we gathered in the above mentioned thread I'm confident myself that this is what happened.

KR
Philippe

[Terrence]

Ahh yes... I read it in the context of having purchased my first unmarked AC which I identified from that thread as a Juncker (and later confirmed by Bill Stump). Now I read it in the context in which it was written (i.e., the schwerin stamp). Thank you for posting a link to the thread Philippe. Damn good memory too!!

Best regards,
T

[Terrence]

I just re-read that post. Do the Schwerin stampings for the u-boat and the AC look similar?

What became of the theory #2: "2. Schwerin bought unmarked Juncker badges and sold them with the SW 68 stamp to clearly state that they were different from there own original production."

interesting....

T