Description
KUBAN Shield. This one was removed and has some remains of field gray wool at the edges indicating that it was on an Army or a Waffen-SS tunic. The shield has a good look.
The Kuban Shield was instituted by Hitler on September 20, 1943. It was a campaign shield that was awarded to German troops who participated in the battles of the Kuban bridgeheads between February and October, 1943. To earn this shield, one had to participate in a major battle, be wounded, or have at least 60 days of uninterrupted service in the campaign, either on land, in the air, or on the water. There were 12 separate battles that counted as major battles for the purposes of awarding this shield. The shield was made of die struck metal, with a bronze wash, and featured a stylized map of the Kuban region, with the names of the bridgeheads, Krymskaja, Lagunen, and Noworossijsk. The shields were issued on a wool backing cloth, in a color suited to the uniform of the recipient’s service branch. LH10861