This pattern of badge was introduced in 1957 and was authorised for wear by members of the Bundesmarine who had qualified for the 1939 pattern badge during World War Two but due to the Swastika being forbidden in post-war Germany, were unable to wear their original awards. It was also worn by veterans of the Kriegsmarine U-Boat arm who no longer served in the Navy.

The U-Boat Badge of the Bundesmarine is not an award as such but merely signifies that its wearer is a member of the submarine service. It does retain some of the basic features ( i.e. a Submarine motif laid over a wreath of oakleaves) of the older U-Boat badges but in this case the wreath is circular and the boat much larger and of modern design. It was m,achine embroidered in golden yellow yarn on dark blue for lower ranks and hand embroidered in gold wire for officers. Ir was also produced on white backing for the summer uniform, and as shown below, on olive drab for working dress.

Germany's first submarine to go into service after WW2 was a refitted wartime type XXIII which was used for training purposes. Renamed "Hai" (Shark), it had its own unique cap tally ribbon. The full list of "name" ribbons is as follows

Unterseeboot Hai worn from August 1957 to December 1959

Unterseeboot Hecht worn from October 1957 to December 1959

U-Boot Wilhelm Bauer worn December 1959

These early ribbons were made in Gothic script form

These ribbons were also manufactured from 1960 in the new block letter form but by this time were unofficial commomorative pieces and not to be worn on the cap. They were joined by a fourth "named" vessel , so that the following may be encountered in block letter form.

UNTERSEEBOOT HAI

UNTERSEEBOOT HECHT

U-BOOT WILHELM BAUER

UNTERSEEBOOT HANS TECHEL

UNTERSEEBOOT FRIEDRICH SCHÜRER

 

 

Current German Naval Tally Ribbons have reverted to the original Imperial style, with block letters instead of the Gothic letters used during the 3rd Reich period. ( Gothic letters were used for a short period during the very early postwar period also.).

A number of ribbons are also currently available which identify specific boats by number, e.g. UNTERSEEBOOT U10. These are basically unofficial "souvenir" ribbons and are not permitted to be worn

The following "Variant" ribbons are in fact simply weaving errors at the manufacturers factory and are not officially issued ribbons.

1 UBOOTGESCHWADER (Only one numeral)

1UBOOTGESCHWADER1 (No space between word and numerals)

3UBOOTGESCHWADER3 (No space between word and numerals)

 

The following ribbons were manufactured, but never officially issued for wear.

 

I am grateful to Herr Markus Bodeux for providing information on the various types of ribbon and dates of wear, for the U-Boats of the Bundesmarine. Herr Bodeux is co-author of a major two volume work shortly to be published, tracing the entire history of German naval cap ribbons from the original Royal Prussian navy to the Bundesmarine of today.