The Kuban Shield () 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 opposing ...

military decoration of

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

. It was awarded to

Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the '' Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previo ...

forces who fought at the

Kuban bridgehead The Kuban Bridgehead (german: Kuban-Brückenkopf), also known as the "Goth's head position" (), was a German military position on the Taman Peninsula, Russia, between the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea. Existing from January to October 1943, the ...

in the Soviet Union from February 1943 until it was abandoned in October 1943. The award was instituted on 21 September 1943.

Design

The shield was struck in sheet metal or zinc and treated with a bronzed wash. Similar in design to the Crimea Shield, it features a German eagle with outstretched wings clutching a laurel wreath containing a swastika. On each side the wreath are the numbers and . Directly below the eagle is written in block capitals. Below this is a stylized map of the Kuban region, with a line representing the defensive line that the men fought to preserve with three locations on the bridgehead marked - , , and . The shield measures 52mm wide and 62mm in height. A back plate, which held in place a piece of cloth matching the recipients’ branch of service, was applied to the shield: * Green for Heer (army) * Blue for

Luftwaffe The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...

(air force) * Black for Panzer (armoured) units The shield was worn on the upper left sleeve of the tunic. Where the recipient received more than one campaign shield, the earlier was worn above any later awards. After an initial ban, the

Federal Republic of Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated between ...

re-authorised the wear of many World War II military decorations in 1957. These included the Kuban Shield, re-designed by removing the eagle and swastika emblem. Members of the

Bundeswehr The ''Bundeswehr'' (, meaning literally: ''Federal Defence'') is the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. The ''Bundeswehr'' is divided into a military part (armed forces or ''Streitkräfte'') and a civil part, the military part con ...

could wear the shield on the ribbon bar, represented by a small replica of the award on a field grey ribbon.

Criteria for award

The shield was awarded for service at the Kuban Bridgehead between 1 February 1943 and 9 October 1943, when the bridgehead was finally evacuated. To qualify,

Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

personnel had to have: *served at the bridgehead for 60 days, or *been wounded while defending the bridgehead, or *been engaged in a single major operation at the bridgehead. Qualification by members of the German

Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It in ...

and

Air Force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an ...

was determined by a points system, with points gained for different operations against, and contact with, the enemy. Approximately 50,000 service personnel qualified for the shield, with up to five examples issued to each recipient, enabling them to be permanently attached to each tunic and greatcoat.

Notes

References

* * * * * {{Subject bar , portal1=Military of Germany , portal2=World War II Military awards and decorations of Nazi Germany Awards established in 1943 History of Kuban 1943 establishments in Germany German campaign medals

Design

Criteria for award

See also

Notes

References