A Kuban Shield with cloth backing
The Kuban Shield was a medal that was awarded by Germany during World War II.
Description[]
The Kuban Shield was established on September 21, 1943 to honor those who had fought maintaining the Kuban bridgeheads before the eventual retreat. To receive the award, Heer personnel had to have served in the campaign for at least 60 days, have been wounded in the campaign, and finally have fought in at least a single major operation. Other branches such as the Luftwaffe or Kriegsmarine had a point system based on what they had accomplished similar to the Flak Badge.
The badge itself consisted of a shield design, similar in appearance to the Crimea Shield with the Wehrmacht eagle holding a swastika surrounded by oak leaves. Below were the words Kuban 1943 and the three main bridgeheads which the Wehrmacht fought to keep open.[1]The zigzag pattern represents the defensive line that the Wehrmacht had created to keep the bridgeheads under their control. Typically, the medal was created out of zinc with a bronze wash to give its distinctive color. The backing cloth piece of the medal was in different colors for different branches with the Heer receiving green, the Luftwaffe receiving blue, and the Panzer Corps receiving black. The measurements of the shield are 63.5mm long and 50.8mm wide.
| “ | To commemorate the heroic battle in the Kuban bridgehead I institute the Kuban Shield. The Kuban Shield is to be worn on the left sleeve of the uniform. The Kuban Shield is awarded as a battle badge to all members of the armed forces and those under command of the Wehrmacht who, since 1 February 1943, were honorably engaged in the battle for the Kuban bridgehead on land, in the air or at sea. The awards will be made in the name of Generalfeldmarshall von Kleist. The recipient will also receive a certificate of possession. Implementation of the award is through the high command of the Armed Forces - Adolf Hitler, September 20th, 1943 | ” |
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