Reproduction of the Krim Shield.
Old silver finish.
4 fixing lugs on back.
High-quality craftsmanship.
Made in the Philippines.
Registered postage included.
The Crimea Arm Plaque (German: Ärmelschild Krim or Krimschild) is a German military award of the Third Reich, created on July 25, 1942, and awarded to all soldiers of Wehrmacht troops during the Second World War who participated in the Battle of Crimea.
The Crimea arm plaque was awarded to German soldiers under the command of Generalfeldmarschall Erich von Manstein who fought and conquered the Crimea (Krim in German) between September 1941 and July 1942.
From September 21, 1941 to July 4, 1942, German soldiers faced severe opposition from the Russian army while attempting to capture the important Black Sea ports around Sevastopol.
After the cessation of hostilities, a badge was finally adopted on July 25, 1942 to commemorate the struggles of the 11th Army. This particularly difficult campaign was recognized in the form of an arm badge.
The commemorative arm badge was awarded on July 25, 1942, and was the most widely distributed of the arm badges (Ärmelschild), with around 250,000 issued.
The Crimea arm plaques were awarded to all members of the Wehrmacht and subordinate armies who fought from September 21, 1941 to July 4, 1942 in the southern Crimea, i.e. on the Perekop Isthmus, whether on land, air or sea, “honorably” during one of the following conditions:
- Participate in one of the battles listed in the regulations:
1) at Perekop, from September 21 to 30, 1941
2) Breakthrough in the battle of Iouchoun, October 18 to 27, 1941
Battles of the Crimea,
3) follow-up, Kerch breakthrough, October 28 to November 16, 1941
4) first attack on Sevastopol, December 17-31, 1941
5) Battle of Theodosia, January 15-18, 1942
6) defensive battle on the Parpatch position, January 19-May 7, 1942
7) Recapture of the Kerch peninsula, May 8-21, 1942.
8) the capture of Sevastopol, from June 7 to July 4, 1942.
- Wounds
- Continuous residence (south of the Guenitchesk-Salkovo-Perekop line, including all locations) of three months, in Crimea
Crimean arm plates were also awarded to soldiers of the Romanian Armed Forces.
Crimée arm plates were usually made by stamping an iron plate, and later in zinc. The badge is rounded in shape, with an imperial eagle with outstretched wings at the top edge. Below the eagle's wings on the left is the year 1941, and on the right, the year 1942, date of the beginning and end of the campaign. The main part of the badge features the geographical representation of the Crimea, with its northern extension (now called Kherson and Zaporitzhia). On the Crimean relief, the word Krim is stamped diagonally from bottom to right, in capital letters.
Only 2 gold badges were issued:
- Field Marshal Erich von Manstein
- Field Marshal Ion Antonescu
The badge was worn on the upper left arm of the recipient's uniform. It was sewn onto a cloth through the lining of the garment, but on some occasions this was removed and the badge was then pinned directly onto the uniform, presumably for aesthetic reasons.
Canvas backing
The color of the backing is indicative of the recipient's branch of the army:
- Green for the Army (Heer)
- Blue for the Air Force (Luftwaffe)
- Black for the armored force (Panzer units)
The badge was worn on the upper left arm of the uniform.
