Legion Condor – BACUFFZ

Hi Gents,

Took me long this time to write another post but I was handicapped and couldn`t use my right hand.

What happened…. something bit me in my hand, some sort of Insect but we did not find out what ist was. Happened on a Monday morning, on Tuesday morning I was in the hospital with a hand like “HellBoy” and, as the doctors told me “close to Heavens door”. Anyway, they cut down my wedding ring and put me 3 days on hard medication to survive the blood poisoning…..Took me another week to use my hand again and now I can write slowly.

I Hope the responsible „whatever“ died after it bit me…..

Back to our hobby !

I scanned the net and checked different platforms for news on medals and badges. Found several interesting post on GCA, WAF and MFF. One posting let me think…..and finally I found out that I had never thought about it. It was all about cased wounded badges of World War II.

Easy area you think, you have already a black one, a silver and gold wounded badge and maybe this beautiful version…..uhhhh Legion Condor wounded badge…….but let`s start in the beginning. We have to get the terminology right. A lot of you talk about the legion condor wounded badge and the wounded badge of World War II. That is not the right way to put it down. We have to say it that way: Wounded Badge 1. pattern and the Wounded Badge 2. pattern.

The wound badge was originally established on March 3^rd, 1918 by King Wilhelm II to recognize the sacrifice of those wounded during World War I. The badge was instituted in three classes with the class bestowed reflecting the number or severity of the wounds received. On May 22^nd, 1939 Hitler re-instituted award of the black and silver WWI pattern wound badges, with the addition of the swastika, for bestowal to German volunteers, (Legion Condor), who had participated in the Spanish Civil war from 1936 – 1939. Of Note: Only one hundred eighty-two black and one silver badge were awarded to Condor Legion veterans.

With the outbreak of WWII, on September 1^st, 1939, Hitler once again re-instituted another slightly modified version of the wound badge by altering the World War I pattern helmet on the badge to the newly designed M35 style helmet. The badge was awarded to both military and uniformed non-military personnel and later, (March 1943), to civilian personnel who received wounds as a result of enemy actions. The black wound badge was the lowest of the three classes and was awarded for one or two wounds.

The silver wound badge was awarded for three or four wounds, or if the wound was very severe, ie: loss of limb, blindness, etc..

The gold wound badge was the highest of the three classes and was awarded for five or more wounds, or if the individual was totally disabled. It was also awarded posthumously if the individual was killed in battle.

Interesting fact is hat the wounded badge 1st pattern was given out until 1940 because there were not enough second pattern finally made by the companies to give them to all soldiers who earned the badge.

So now let`s go back to the cased badges. If you examine a wounded badge 2nd pattern in gold it normally will come in a black case with white inlet.

If you were lucky enough to get a golden wounded badge 1. pattern which is also “hohl verbödet” (which means a hollow badge where the maker put a piece of metal on the back side to let it look like a flat back badge)and it is cased, this little friend will come in a black case with white inlet…..but be careful……it is like in your bedroom….the size matters.

Pictures collection Jelle

The cases for 1. pattern and 2. pattern are not the same size and I will show that with a few pictures from my collector Friend Heinrich.

As you can see the 1st pattern case is smaller, has an imprint on the top of the case and is higher than the standard black WB case. Everything is only in millimeter size but you can see it.

Pictures collection Heinrich

Shortly after start searching about WB cases I found an interesting post in the WAF where some other collectors posted their cases of.

Pictures collection Gary

Here was a statement that the wounded badges 1st pattern gold case was also used for the Wounded Badge July 20, 1944. The same maker and the same size was the information. I hope we can proof that one day or some of the collector`s who owns one will provide me with pictures and sizes.

Thanks to Henrich, Gary, Jelle and Hans for helping me out with basic information and good pictures!

That’s it so far, hope you will get back after all the DSGVO (EU General Data Protection Regulation) storm in the internet.

Thanks for reading, please help the blog to get more readers and more writers……Let the other collectors know what you can find here.

Take care

Best

Sascha

Today a nice photo from the time of the Spanish Civil War.

Recognizable here is a group of three tanks consisting of a Pz.Kpfw. I Ausf. A and two T-26 model 1935/36.

The vehicles obviously belong to a unit of the „Nationalists“ or to the so-called „Legion Condor“ („Panzerabteilung „Drohne” „).

The opposing „Nationalists“ and „Republicans“ was supported at the beginning of the Spanish Civil War, among others, by countries such as Germany and Russia with arms.
At the beginning of October 1936, Germany delivered about 40 pieces Pz.Kpfw. I Ausf.A, and about 20 pieces of Ausf.B. (until 1938 a total of about 45 Ausf.A and 77 Ausf.B).

Pz.Kpfw. I Ausf. A and two T-26 model 1935 – 1936

Russia, on the other hand, initially supplied about 50 T-26s (totaling about 280 units by 1938) to the Republicans.

The relatively good firepower of the Soviet T-26 on the part of the „Republicans“ were predominantly opposite the Pz.Kpfw. I and L3/33 / L3/35 supplied by Germany and Italy to the „Nationalists“.

By the end of the war about 178 T-26s had been captured by the „Nationalists“, of which about 50 were supposed to have been used again.

The two in the picture behind the Pz.Kpfw.I recognizable T-26, are obviously such captured vehicles.
They already bear the common mark, the Spanish flag (red, yellow, red) on the cannon cover and on the turret roof recognizable by the opened door hatches, the black crosses mounted on a white background. These served as a detection signal for the own air force.

The visible in the foreground Pz.Kpfw. I Ausf.A carries the Spanish flag as a marker on the front plate to the right of the driver’s view hatch. In addition, here is a very nice emblem of the tank unit in white color recognizable. This emblem evidently consists of a crossed musket and crossbow and a vertical halberd.

Noteworthy on Pz.Kpfw. I is the heavily used and worn front wheel (rubber lining) of the track drive. This probably shows clearly that no new vehicles, but already used vehicles have been delivered to the „Nationalists“.

The pictured german soldiers of an infantry unit wear the usual for this time uniformation of the „Legion Condor“. The soldier at the turret of the middle T-26 wears uniforms usual for members of a tank unit, in particular recognizable by the black beret.

At present, no details can be given as to the exact unit and the time of the recording.
Whether this is a training unit or already a fighting unit is also not known to us.

Supplementary instructions and information are always welcome to us as well as in the photos shown above.

_____________________________________________________________________

Heute mal ein schönes Foto aus der Zeit des spanischen Bürgerkriegs.

Erkennbar ist hier eine Gruppe von drei Panzer bestehend aus einem Pz.Kpfw. I Ausf. A und zwei T-26 Modell 1935/36.

Die Fahrzeuge gehören offensichtlich zu einer Einheit der “Nationalisten” bzw. zur sogenannten “Legion Condor” (“Panzerabteilung “Drohne””).

Die sich verfeindet gegenüber stehenden “Nationalisten” und “Republikaner” wurde zu Beginn des spanischen Bürgerkrieges unter anderem durch Länder wie Deutschland und Russland mit Waffenlieferungen unterstützt.
Deutschland lieferte hierbei zu Beginn im Oktober 1936 etwa 40 Stück Pz.Kpfw. I Ausf.A, und etwa 20 Stück der Ausf.B. (bis 1938 insgesamt etwa 45 Ausf.A und 77 Ausf.B).

Russland lieferte dagegen zu Beginn etwa 50 Stück T-26 (bis 1938 insgesamt etwa 280 Stück) an die “Republikaner”.

Der vergleichsweise guten Feuerkraft des sowjetischen T-26 auf Seiten der “Republikaner” standen überwiegend die von Deutschland und Italien an die “Nationalisten” gelieferten Pz.Kpfw. I und L3/33 / L3/35 gegenüber.

Es sollen bis Kriegsende etwa 178 T-26 durch die “Nationalisten” erbeutet worden sein, wovon etwa 50 Stück wieder verwendet worden sein sollen.

Die beiden im Bild hinter dem Pz.Kpfw.I erkennbaren T-26, sind offensichtlich solche erbeuteten Fahrzeuge.
Sie tragen bereits die gängige Markierung, der spanischen Flagge (rot, gelb, rot) an der Kanonenblende und auf dem Turmdach anhand der geöffneten Turmluken erkennbar, die auf weißem Untergrund angebrachten schwarzen Kreuze. Diese dienten als Erkennungssignal für die eigene Luftwaffe.

Der im Vordergrund sichtbare Pz.Kpfw. I Ausf.A trägt die spanische Flagge als Markierung an der Frontplatte rechts neben dem Fahrersichtluke. Zusätzlich ist hier noch sehr schön ein Emblem der Panzereinheit in weißer Farbe erkennbar. Dieses Emblem besteht offenbar aus einer sich kreuzenden Muskete und Armbrust und einer senkrechten Hellebarde.

Beachtlich am Pz.Kpfw. I ist das stark gebrauchte und verschlissene vordere Laufrad (Gummierung) des Kettenlaufwerkes. Dies zeigt vermutlich deutlich, das keine neuwertigen, sondern bereits gebrauchte Fahrzeuge an die Nationalisten geliefert worden zu sein scheinen.

Die im Bild erkennbaren deutschen Soldaten einer Infanterieeinheit tragen, die für diese Zeit übliche Uniformierung der “Legion Condor”. Der Soldat am Turm des mittleren T-26 trägt die für Angehörige einer Panzereinheit übliche Uniformierung, insbesondere erkennbar an dem schwarzen Barett.

Zur genauen Einheit und dem Zeitpunkt der Entstehung der Aufnahme können derzeit keine Angaben gemacht werden.
Ob es sich hierbei um eine Ausbildungseinheit oder bereits um eine kämpfende Einheit handelt ist uns ebenfalls nicht bekannt.

Ergänzende Hinweise und Angaben hierzu sind uns wie auch bei den zuvor gezeigten Fotos jederzeit sehr gern willkommen.

Text made by R.A.

Schlagwort: Legion Condor

Wounded Badge Case first pattern GOLD

10 Pz.Kpfw. I Ausf. A and two T-26 model 1935/36