WWII GERMAN SHIELD - KUBAN -
This battle shield was created on September 21, 1943. The shield was
issued to commemorate the campaign launched in the Crimean area after
February 1943. The award came attached to a piece of cloth to allow its
bearer to saw it to the sleeve of the tunic. The back of the award had
a sheet of paper glued to it.
Qualifications for the Kuban shield
The Army, Navy and Luftwaffe personnel were entitled to receive this award.
Qualifications for Army personnel to earn the shield included the following criteria:
- Continuous service for a period of two months in the Kuban region.
- The recipient was wounded while serving in the area.
- The soldier participated in one or more major battles.
Note that the criteria for the Navy and Air Force may vary from the ones listed here. That information
is not known to the author at this time.
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The "Military minute" is a series of instructional videos created by MilitaryItems.com for the purpose of
providing basic information about military collectibles. The idea is to expose people to the exciting
world of military collectibles.
The video presentation coupled with detailed photographs and written information, including a military
collectible's price guide, and anatomical breakdown of each piece enhances the visitor's experience.
Whether you are a long time collector, a beginner or simply have an interest in the history and value of
each collectible, we hope that you find the information presented here useful.
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Anatomy of the Kuban shield
The award consists of a shield with a large eagle crowning it. The eagle has the wings
fully spread. The head is facing to the right. As with many other awards, the eagle is clutching
a swastika. The date 1943 is written. The number "19" is placed to the left of the swastika
while the number 43 is to the right.
The shield is secured to a piece of wool cloth. The color of the cloth indicated the branch of
service to which the award was issued. Paper could have been used to line the back of the shield
(refer to photo). The name "KUBAN" is placed in large, block font right below the swastika.
A map is displayed from the middle of the shield on down. This represents the area where the campaign
took place. Notice the detail on the eagle and wreath.
The shield was sewn to the arm of the uniform.
This page is a recognition and identification guide for WWII German badges and awards. Multiple
detailed photos of a specific sample are provided. Descriptions point out clearly defined points
that should be noted.
One of the most commonly asked questions is "How much is my WWII German badge worth?". A price
guide is included here to address this question. The value of the badges and awards is reviewed
over a period of several years. A trend can be observed. The present worth of the German
badges in the collector's market is illustrated.
This service is provided free of charge to the visitor/enthusiast courtesy of
MilitaryItems.com,
a company dedicated to the preservation of military history and to providing quality military
antiques and collectibles to museums, institutions and the general public.
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By the Numbers
It is hard to determine the exact number of Kuban shields that were produced. However, thanks to the record keeping
maintained by the Wehrmacht, it is possible to find how many shields were actually issued.
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There were a total of 145,000 shields issued during the war. The total number is divided among the different
branches of the service. The author does not know the breakdown.
The Kuban shield was issued along with an award document. Not all documents were identical. variations can
be found from unit to unit. A few things that all documents would have in common are the signature of the
officer who awarded the shield and the state seal.
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Collecting Third Reich Shields
Collecting Third Reich memorabilia is a field that has been growing since the days the GI's rummaged around Europe
bringing back military souvenirs. German soldiers wore many of their awards on their uniforms when they went to
battle. Once the soldier was killed or captured, the American soldiers would take the awards as war trophies.
Eventually all these pieces came back to the United States where military history enthusiasts began to collect them.
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In trying to determine if you should collect Kuban shields there are certain factors that should be
considered.
The adjacent table outlines some of the advantages and disadvantages of collecting the Kuban shields.
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The Kuban shield was produced by several manufacturers and in different configurations.
The following section displays some of the different types that were produced. It is a good idea to take a look to
as many examples as possible in order to learn more about the subject.
This is a Kuban shield.
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This award is currently being
reproduced.
It is becoming more difficult to be able to tell the fake ones from the real ones because the quality
of the reproductions is improving. The collector must become familiarized with the construction style
and materials employed in the manufacturing of this badge. Attention to the details is critical in
order to be able to determine the authenticity of the badge.
If you have an interest is seeing other badges and awards of the Third Reich, you can do so by going
to our
WWII German Badges and Awards
identification guide. Where we cover Heer (Army), Navy (Kriegsmarine) and
Air Force (Luftwaffe) items.
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