The Auxiliary Cruiser War Badge () was a

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

military decoration awarded to officers and men of the

Kriegsmarine The (, ) was the navy of Germany from 1935 to 1945. It superseded the Imperial German Navy of the German Empire (1871–1918) and the inter-war (1919–1935) of the Weimar Republic. The was one of three official branches, along with the a ...

for service on Auxiliary Cruisers or the supply ships that supported them for a successful large voyage. The award was instituted on 24 April 1941 by

Grand Admiral Grand admiral is a historic naval rank, the highest rank in the several European navies that used it. It is best known for its use in Germany as . A comparable rank in modern navies is that of admiral of the fleet. Grand admirals in individual n ...

Erich Raeder Erich Johann Albert Raeder (24 April 1876 – 6 November 1960) was a German admiral who played a major role in the naval history of World War II. Raeder attained the highest possible naval rank, that of grand admiral, in 1939, becoming the fir ...

Design

Viking longship Longships were a type of specialised Viking ships, Scandinavian warships that have a long history in Scandinavia, with their existence being archaeologically proven and documented from at least the fourth century BC. Originally invented and use ...

sailing over the northern hemisphere of the globe surrounded by a laurel wreath of oak leaves. At the apex of the badge was a

German Eagle The coat of arms of Germany displays a black eagle with a red beak, a red tongue and red feet on a golden field, which is blazoned: ''Or, an eagle displayed sable beaked langued and membered gules''. This is the (German for "Federal Eagle"), for ...

clutching a

swastika The swastika (卐 or 卍) is an ancient religious and cultural symbol, predominantly in various Eurasian, as well as some African and American cultures, now also widely recognized for its appropriation by the Nazi Party and by neo-Nazis. It ...

. The wreath, eagle and ship were in gilt and the globe area gray coloured. Versions were produced in bronze and later in zinc. A special presentation version, featuring 15 small diamonds inlaid on the swastika, was presented in January 1942 by Grand Admiral Raeder to ''Kapitän zur See''

Bernhard Rogge Bernhard Rogge (4 November 1899 – 29 June 1982) was a German naval officer who, during World War II, commanded a merchant raider. Later, he became a Konteradmiral in West Germany's navy. Rogge became a ''Vizeadmiral'' (vice-admiral) by the end ...

, commander of the successful German auxiliary cruiser ''Atlantis''.

Notes

References

* * Klietmann, Kurt-Gerhard (1981) (in German). ''Auszeichnungen des Deutschen Reiches. 1936–1945.'' Stuttgart, Germany: Motorbuch . {{Subject bar , portal1=Military of Germany , portal2=World War II Military awards and decorations of Nazi Germany