The Kuban Shield
The Kuban Shield was a German combat badge designed as a sleeve shield during World War II. It was established by Adolf Hitler on September 20, 1943, and awarded by Field Marshal Ewald von Kleist to the German participants in the fighting along the Kuban bridgehead.
The design of the Kuban shield
A sheet metal shield punched in the typical shape of a coat of arms. The bronzed shield features the imperial eagle with a swastika in its claws at the top. Below the eagle's wings is the year "1943." Below that is the inscription "KUBAN." In the field below, a zigzag line symbolically represents the front line. To the right and left of this line are the place names of the major battles for the Kuban bridgehead: "LAGUNEN," "KRYMSKAJA," and "NOVOROS-SIJSK." The shield itself measures approximately 52 x 62 mm, with the cloth backing approximately 64 x 77 mm.
The prerequisite for the award
The Kuban Shield could be awarded to all members of the German Wehrmacht, or persons subordinate to its High Command, who participated in the fighting along the Kuban Bridgehead and who honorably participated in the fighting on land, at sea, or in the air between February 1, 1943, and October 9, 1943, and who met one of the following requirements:
- Honorable participation in a major battle
- Injured during the fighting
- Continuous deployment of at least 60 days in the combat zone
Award numbers of the Kuban Shield
Approximately 55.000 shields were awarded. Each recipient usually received several, with a separate shield for each uniform.
Wearing the Kuban shield
The Kuban shield, like all Wehrmacht sleeve shields, was worn on the left upper arm of the uniform. The shield was backed with a cloth in the uniform color, e.g., gray-green for the Army, blue-gray for the Air Force, black for the special uniforms of tank crews, etc. This cloth backing was then sewn to the uniform itself. Wearing multiple sleeve shields, e.g., the Narvik shield , Cholm shield , Crimea shield , or Demyansk shield , was possible. However, special rules applied to this.
Value and purchase of a Kuban shield
Due to the large variety of different versions, a value can only be determined individually. Generally, however, you can expect to pay around €150 for a single shield in good condition. However, for extensive estates, e.g., including certificates, photos of wearers, uniforms, etc., the value can reach over €1.000.
