WWII GERMAN NAVY BLOCKADE RUNNER BADGE -
This is a German Kriegsmarine award. As issued during WWII. The badge was instituted by Hitler on April 1st of
1941. This was a time where the Allied forces were trying to place a chokehold on Germany and its conquered lands
by creating a Naval blockade.
The badge was created as a way to recognize the effort of the merchant navy ships who braved the blockade and
passed it successfully delivering supplies to Germany.
Blockade Runner Badge Design
The design of the badge consists of a circle outlined by the links of a chain. The center shows a cargo ship parting the ocean
with an eagle in the front. The eagle is in flight with wings extended and is clutching a swastika. The ship displays an anchor
and four rows of port holes. Nine holes are found on the top layer and six in the lowest layer.
The deck of the ship has a single smoke stack and displayes three rows of windows with the upper two having squared windows and
the bottom section round windows.
The back has a single thick pin. Coke bottle shape. A heavy duty block hinge is soldered at one end. A thick catch is found
on the opposite side.
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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Qualifications for the Blockade Runner Badge
The Blockade Runner badge was issued to merchant marines and Navy personnel. The recommendation for the award for the merchant
marines came from the "Reich Commission on Sea Travel". While the recommendation for Navy sailors was issued by senior
officers and approved by the Commander in Chief of the Navy.
The qualifications for the award include:
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Num |
Qualification |
1 |
To have evaded the enemy blockade and successfully brouhgt a ship into German or German held territory.
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2 |
To have scuttled a ship in order to avoid capture by the enemy.
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3 |
To have served on a ship that was destroyed by enemy action while at sea.
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4 |
To have displayed courage in combat in an effort to avoid the ship from being captured by enemy forces.
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The Blockade Runner badge was issued in a box which often included the stickpin. All badges had a certificate of award which
usually had a facsimile of the badge displayed on top of the document. The signature of the awarding officer was found on
the bottom. It is important to note that there were variations in the design of the document award. It is possible to find
one that does not match the description presented here.
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WE BUY German German Navy Blockade Rubber Badges and related items - All types of WWII German Kriegsmarine badges. Whether
it is the Blockade runner or other type. Any items having to do with the German navy.
The process gets started by you sending us an
Email .
We will respond to your inquiry normally within 24 hours and in many cases much faster.
We can tell you what you have, what it is worth and how much we can pay you.
One item or an entire collection -
Email Us .
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Collecting Third Reich Badges
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 Blockade Runner badges there are certain factors that should be
considered.
The adjacent table outlines some of the advantages and disadvantages of collecting the Blockade Runner badges.
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BLOCKADE RUNNER BADGE EXAMPLES |
The following is a series of different examples of the Blockade Runner badge. It is a good practice for any military collector
or enthusiast to become familiarized with as many examples as possible of a particular collectible. This will arm you with the
knowledge of how to detect fakes.
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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