Army Oberfeld. with Minesweeper badge

[erichcraciun]

When and how would this man have transferred out of the KM? Any ideas?

Erich Craciun

[François SAEZ]

Can he be still be in the KM? Coastal artillery?

[Rick Research]

I'm beginning to think you're giving Robert Noss a run for the "Weirdest Photos " title!

Another Offizier-Anwärter... my first thought on seeing the pointed straps was that he was wearing an early Marine-artillerie/shore units uniform but nuh uh-- they had ANCHORS on their buttons, and he doesn't!

There is a photo (I think in one of the Angolia & Schlicht Kriegsmarine books) of a Fähnrich ( of (Ing) if I remember correctly) wearing an army General Assault Badge on his blue uniform-- so I guess "strange transfers" went both ways!

[erichcraciun]

Thanks, Rick.

But wait - it gets worse.....

He is this gentleman as a Coastalartillerie Kanonier with no awards. Foto dated 10.11.1940

[erichcraciun]

And then another foto dated sometime after Oktober 1941 shows the same man as an Ltn. z. S. and wearing the EKI and II, SILVER wound badge AND the Infanteriesturmabzeichen. Was this man at Dieppe or perhaps on the Krim during the winter of 1941/42?

Any idea?

[Ian Jewison]

Erich,

I think the first photo is probably 44 or 45....he might well have transferred due to many Lw and Km going to Heer and SS units late in the war due to lack of fuel, no aircraft, ships etc...... I have a few Soldbücher in this catagory and will check out more later......
Re: KM wearing Heer awards, again I have one example where the guy won EK II, Narvikschild, Zerstörerabz. whilst serving on Zerstörer Z 22 “Anton Schmitt” which was sunk 10.4.1940. He won the Inf.Sturmabz. as a member of Marine Regiment “Narvik” a unit formed from Kriegsmarine personnel whose ships had been destroyed.............

/Ian

[jslavick]

Kuban Pocket Photo

I have a photo of some Kriegsmarine sailors who were fighting as infantry men in the Kuban pocket getting a "pep talk" from a General. One of the sailors was an auxiliary cruiser crewman, and one of his comrades wears the minesweeper badge and the infantry assauly badge. Interesting stuff.