Kriegsverdienstmedaille.

[S.ChrisKelly]

The War Merit Medal, established 19 August 1940.

 

Addenda:

☆ Images 1, 2 & 3 show a rare miniature 1957 version group.

☆ Images 8, 9 & 10 show an unusual award to Friedrich Russmeier, when he was a "room foreman" (zimmerpolier).

☆ Image 11 shows what may be a hallmark.  These medals were generally manufactured without hallmarks.  This is the second medal from the right in images 12 & 13. The hallmark may be a "6", which belongs to Fritz Zimmermann of Silberburgstrasse 58a, Stuttgart.

 

 

 

Addendum:

 

Translation of the postcard in image 10:

 

"Dear Mrs. Russmaier, I have just returned from Russian captivity and wish you the warmest greetings from your husband. I will write your exact addresses of the relatives of my comrades on the way today for a while only very briefly. if you want to hear more, then please confirm my lines. I hope that this message brings you joy and I send my best regards.

Yours (signature)

Oberneuland 17 August 1946."

 

(Oberneuland is a suburb of Bremen, Germany)

 

Addendum:

 

Translation of the postcard in image 10:

 

"Dear Mrs. Russmaier, I have just returned from Russian captivity and wish you the warmest greetings from your husband. I will write your exact addresses of the relatives of my comrades on the way today for a while only very briefly. if you want to hear more, then please confirm my lines. I hope that this message brings you joy and I send my best regards.

Yours (signature)

Oberneuland 17 August 1946."

 

(Oberneuland is a suburb of Bremen, Germany)

 

Image 9: 

Osterholz is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Wesermarsch, Cuxhaven, Rotenburg and Verden, and by the city of Bremen.

 

A War Merit Medal hallmarked... and for sale.

 

Source:

https://www.bunkermilitaria.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=45743&Store_Code=BM&Category_Code=

 

[S.ChrisKelly]

A genuine War Merit Medal ribbon bar, with Luftwaffe blue material backing.  These are very rare.  Most recipients of the Kriegsverdienstmedaille were not military personnel, and thus had no reason or desire to wear this award as a ribbon bar.

 

Source:

https://griffinmilitaria.com/product/single-place-1939-war-merit-medal-ribbon-bar/

 

 

 

[S.ChrisKelly]

A War Merit Cross with Swords Second Class, with the "6" hallmark on the suspension ring.

 

Source:

https://gielsmilitaria.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=61&product_id=11576&sort=p.price&order=ASC&limit=75

[jmd62]

Excellent pieces, thanks for sharing!

[Salvage Sailor]

On 5/11/2023 at 3:24 PM, S.ChrisKelly said:

A War Merit Cross with Swords Second Class, with the "6" hallmark on the suspension ring.

 

Source:

https://gielsmilitaria.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=61&product_id=11576&sort=p.price&order=ASC&limit=75

 

Excellent examples, thanks for posting them

 

Here is one bar mounted:  

This was among the mementos of a USN sailor who served in the Mediterranean (1942-1944, Oran, Algeria, Sicily, etc) on a repair vessel.  I sold off his uniforms, photographs and other items but kept the bar as it had an interesting mix of ribbons including the Italo-German campaign ribbon (Afrika Korps)

 

Left to Right:  Iron Cross 2nd Class, War Merit Cross 2nd Class w/swords, Eastern Front medal, Romanian Crusade Against Communism, Italo-German Campaign

 

 

The bar was unattributed and I'd say the Landser served on the Southern front in Russia and then later in North Africa before the Italian surrender when this award was verboten to wear.

 

 

[S.ChrisKelly]

A rare 1957 version Kriegsverdienstmedaille (KVM) from the collection of George Stimson, from page 220 of "The War Merit Cross" by Gordon Williamson and Josef Charita (R. James Bender Publishing, 2008, ISBN 1-932970-06-01).

 

[S.ChrisKelly]

Something wicked this way comes...

 

A KVM awarded to ᛋᛋ-Unterscharführer Alfred Küster, born 10 July 1907, approximately seven months after his promotion to ᛋᛋ-Rottenführer, while assigned to KL-Auschwitz.

 

 

Source:

https://www.gunboards.com/threads/kl-auschwitz-soldbuch.151160/

 

Dec 28, 2009

 

Alfred Küster was born 1907 in Lessnau. In 1941, he was 34 years old, still single, and working as a farmhand in his native village.

He was a big fellow, 182cm tall and shoe size 45, but he also had bad teeth. In February 1941 he joined the 2nd company of the SS guard garrison in KL Auschwitz.

On December 1, 1941 he was promoted to Sturmmann, and when he had two years service in Auschwitz he was promoted to Rottenführer.

In the spring of 1943 he was transferred to the new work camp in Auschwitz III/Monowitz, the notorious forced labour camp in Jaworzno, Poland; this camp, had +/- 5000 inmates of which 80% were Jews. The survival rate was very low because of the harsh working conditions in the coal mines. On September 1, 1943 he was awarded a Kriegsverdiensmedaille for his service in Jaworzno. After serving three years in Auschwitz he was promoted to Unterscharführer.

When Auschwitz closes down in January 1945 he ended up in an ad hoc formed battlegroup in Breslau.

It is there that he was wounded by shrapnel on February 24, 1945, and admited to a field hospital inside fortress Breslau. At 23.00 on April 21, 1945 he died from the shrapnel wound he recieved two months earlier.

 

 

[S.ChrisKelly]

Surprisingly, the KVM has been reproduced...

 

Source:

https://www.warmilitaria.it/en/medals-with-ribbon/19-war-merit-medal-1939.html

 

[S.ChrisKelly]

Accessories, to include a rarely - seen military award document (Urkunde) for the KVM, and genuine minatures, available for private purchase.

 

Source:

Pages 45 & 46, "The War Merit Cross" by Gordon Williamson and Josef Charita (R. James Bender Publishing, 2008, ISBN 1-932970-06-01).

It is generally accepted that as many as 4.5 million War Merit Medals were awarded, 1940 - 1945.  Alledgedly, the KVM was struck in zinc at some point, due to exigencies and shortages in the last year of the Second World War.  Personally, in 45 years of collecting and researching, I have never seen one in zinc.  Most examples are available in tombac, and commonly encountered with an un - hallmarked, split suspension ring.

 

Below is some basic metallurgy which may be helpful.

 

TOMBAC

"Tombac, or tombak, is a brass alloy with high copper content and 5–20% zinc content. Tin, lead or arsenic may be added for coloration. It is a cheap malleable alloy mainly used for medals, ornament, decoration and some munitions. In older use, the term may apply to brass alloy with a zinc content as high as 28–35%.

 

The term tombak is derived from tembaga, an Indonesian/Malay word of Javanese origin meaning copper. Tembaga entered Dutch usage concurrent with their colonisation of Indonesia. Likely, the term was used generically to describe Indonesian high-copper brass items, including gamelan gongs. It is one of the very few Indonesian loan words used in English or German.

 

"Gilting tombac":

Copper 82%, zinc 18%, lead 1.5%, tin 3%

Copper 82%, zinc 18%, lead 3%, tin 1%

Copper 82%, zinc 18%, lead, tin 0.2%".

 

(More applicable to both the War Merit Cross as well as the 1, 5 & 10 Reichspfennig coins issued 1940 - 1945)

 

ZINC/OXIDATION/CORROSION

"Zinc pest (from German Zinkpest), also known as zinc rot and zamak rot, is a destructive, intercrystalline corrosion process of zinc alloys containing lead impurities. While impurities of the alloy are the primary cause of the problem, environmental conditions such as high humidity (greater than 65%) may accelerate the process.

 

It was first discovered to be a problem in 1923, and primarily affects die-cast zinc articles that were manufactured during the 1920s through 1950s. The New Jersey Zinc Company developed zamak alloys in 1929 using 99.99% pure zinc metal to avoid the problem, and articles made after 1960 are usually considered free of the risk of zinc pest since the use of purer materials and more controlled manufacturing conditions make zinc pest degradation unlikely.

 

Affected objects may show surface irregularities such as small cracks and fractures, blisters or pitting. Over time, the material slowly expands, cracking, buckling and warping in an irreversible process that makes the object exceedingly brittle and prone to fracture, and can eventually shatter the object, destroying it altogether. Due to the expansion process, attached normal material may also be damaged. The occurrence and severity of zinc pest in articles made of susceptible zinc alloys depends both on the concentration of lead impurities in the metal and on the storage conditions of the article in the ensuing decades. Zinc pest is dreaded by collectors of vintage die-cast model trains, toys, or radios, because rare or otherwise valuable items can inescapably be rendered worthless as the process of zinc pest destroys them. 

 

Since the 1940s, some model railroad hobbyists have claimed, with varying degrees of success, that a method of "pickling" zinc alloy parts by soaking them in vinegar or oxalic acid solution for several minutes before painting and assembling them could prevent or delay the effects of zinc pest."

 

Sources:

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tombac

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zinc_pest

 

 

 

 

 

[S.ChrisKelly]

This is a collection from the first source cited.  These two sources were interesting and educational.

 

Sources:

 

https://www.warrelics.eu/forum/kriegsverdienstkreuz-forum/kriegsverdienst-medaille-war-merit-medal-568898/

 

https://www.warrelics.eu/forum/kriegsverdienstkreuz-forum/unusual-kriegsverdienstmedaille-696780/#post1844923

 

[S.ChrisKelly]

Ribbon bars of the KVM, both with Luftwaffe blue-gray wool backing.

 

[SARGE]

Excellent information on the metallurgy of these awards.  Thanks for the helpful info.

 

 

[S.ChrisKelly]

More on metallurgy...  Here's what lies beneath the surface...

 

Source:

https://www.germanmilitaria.com/Heer/photos/H066387.html

 

 

[S.ChrisKelly]

Similar metallurgy?

 

[S.ChrisKelly]

Post #13...

 

Contacted the owner, and got no further useful information. 

 

Possible the spots could be a metallic material splattered across the medal, rather than a broken surface plating.  I can't tell definitively from the images.

 

These medals are known to have been struck from tombak, and heavily plated/finished.  The key indicator is, like the War Merit Crosses, the welded ring at the top.  Zinc medals were always struck in one piece, with the suspension loop integral to the medal itself.

 

"Buntmetall" is a German word generally used to describe a non-ferrous metal alloy that is "colored", and described as "heavy" [as opposed to aluminum, which is lightweight], and resists rust/corrosion.

 

In many instances, "buntmetall" is used interchangably with  "tombak".  Both are generally, largely, copper-based.

 

 

Images for further study:

 

Sources:

 

1. Obvious corrosion.

https://www.lakesidetrader.com/item.php?ID=23008

 

2., 3. & 4.  

https://www.alansmilitaria.co.uk/en-GB/german-medals-and-decorations/civilian-war-merit-medal/prod_10199

 

5., 6., 7. & 8. Curious offset/off-center factory mounting of the suspension loop.

https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/medal-war-merit-medal-1939-1945/nasm_A19751378000

 

9. & 10.  A group of KVMs in various states/grades.  Sold at auction as a lot of 12.

https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/a-collection-of-12-nazi-war-merit-medals-83-c-74d4ee6a71

[S.ChrisKelly]

Uncommon Austrian-style mounting:

 

Source:

https://dutchmilitaria.com/product/kriegsverdienstmedaille-an-dreieicksband-war-merit-medal-austrian-mount-rare/

 

[S.ChrisKelly]

Further information on metallurgy:

 

Tombak

Tombak is a brass alloy with a high copper content: at least 72% copper with a maximum of 28% zinc.

 

As the percentage of zinc increases, the alloy becomes harder. The alloy`s color also becomes lighter, moving from red to golden yellow to light yellow.

 

Application areas for tombak mainly include the arts, decorative items and metal leaf. The five and ten cent coins made when the German mark was still used consisted of tombak-plated steel.

 

Source:

https://fashion-en.decorexpro.com/metally-i-splavy/osobennosti-i-sostav-tompaka/

 

Standard tombak types:

 

CuZn10

EN: CuZn10; UNS: C22000; BS: CW 501L (CZ 101); ISO: CuZn10

90% copper, 10% zinc.

Very good mechanical properties

Tombak that appears similar to gold (color 1).

Electrical conductivity: 24.7 m/Ω mm².

Suitable for stamping, die-cutting, hammering, embossing.

 

CuZn15

EN: CuZn15; UNS: C23000; BS: CW 502L (CZ 102); ISO: CuZn15

85% copper, 15% zinc.

Tombak that appears similar to gold (color 2.5).

Very workable when cold.

Suitable for stamping, die-cutting, hammering, embossing.

Electrical conductivity: 21.1 m/Ω mm².

 

Source:

https://www.schlenk.com/markets-products/metal-foils/materials/tombak-and-brass-foil-c22000-c23000

 

Tombak is a Malay term, it means an alloy of Copper and Zinc, of Low zinc content (usu. 10%). From the Dutch and British in the East Indies/Malay Peninsula, it came into general European usage. Generally classed as a Red Brass ( Cu + Zn), it is strangely known in Industry as “Manufacturing Bronze” despite having NO Tin (Sn) in its alloy.

 

'"Guilding (incorrect) Gilding Metal (Sic) is a 95/5 Mix of copper and zinc, and used as a Base for coating with a very thin coat of Gold. Since it was first introduced in the Middle Ages by the Goldsmiths “Guild” in Europe, it is often Misnamed “Guilding” Metal.

 

Gilding Metal and Tombak are used interchangeably in the Ammunition Trade, depending on the Language used.

Also, the alloy Proportions may not strictly by 90-10 or 95-5, but may be something in between, as Liquid brass can quickly lose its zinc by “burning off.” ( Zinc has a lower melting point than Copper or brass itself.).

 

Source:

https://forum.cartridgecollectors.org/t/what-is-tombak/23664/2

 

 

 

[S.ChrisKelly]

A forum discussion on KVM medal bars, and a few examples from the source:

 

https://gmic.co.uk/topic/58530-war-merit-medal-medal-bar/

 

 

[S.ChrisKelly]

Further metallurgy...

 

"Buntmetall"

Non-ferrous metals is a collective term for a subgroup of heavy non-ferrous metals excluding precious metals and light metals. They include metals such as:

 

Cadmium (Cd)

Cobalt (Co)

Copper (Cu)

Nickel (Ni)

Lead (Pb)

Tin (Sn)

Zinc (Zn).

 

These base heavy metals are colored themselves or form colored alloys such as brass, bronze and gunmetal, which are also counted among the non-ferrous metals.

[Translated:  The source website is in the German language].

 

Source:

https://de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buntmetall

 

 

[S.ChrisKelly]

Standard issue envelopes:

 

Sources:

Image 1:

https://www.tracesofwar.com/awards/85/Kriegsverdienstmedaille.htm

 

Image 2:

https://www.aboutww2militaria.com/war-merit-medal-kriegsverdienstmedaille-1939-bag-issue.html

 

Image 3:

https://www.ma-shops.com/moeller/item.php?id=13641

 

Images 4 & 5:

https://originalgermanmilitaria.com/product/war-merit-medal-with-packet-2/

 

 

Military issued award documents:

[S.ChrisKelly]

Designer of the KVM:

 

Richard Klein (January 7, 1890 – July 31, 1967) was a German artist, known for his work as a medallist from the start of World War I in 1914, and mainly for his work as a favoured artist of the NS regime. Klein was director of the Munich School of Applied Arts and was one of Adolf Hitler's favourite painters.

 

His medallic designs included the Sudetenland Medal, Austria Anschluss Medal, and Memel Medal, collectively known as the German Occupation Medals, plus the War Merit Medal and the Wehrmacht Long Service Award.

 

Sources:

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Klein_(artist)

 

http://artinstamps.blogspot.com/2014/12/richard-klein.html?m=1

 

[S.ChrisKelly]

Further information on metallurgy:

 

What is Rust?

Rust occurs when a metal is exposed to moisture or air. This causes a red or orange coating to appear on the surface of metals - usually iron and its alloys. Without the presence of iron, a metal can’t rust. Rust is defined as iron oxide, a compound of iron and oxygen.

 

There are three types of rust - red, black and white.

 

Red Rust

Red rust is produced from a mixture of oxygen, iron or steel, water and time. The iron or steel usually deteriorates fast when red rust is present compared to other types of rust.   

 

Black Rust

Black oxide or black rust is the harder layer beneath red dust. Black rust usually occurs in a low oxygen environment. It binds to the base material and provides partial protection from further oxidation.    

 

White Rust

This form of powdery white rust usually occurs on zinc plating after being exposed to the atmosphere. 

 

What is Corrosion?

Corrosion occurs when materials deteriorate due to chemical or other reactions. It can affect a range of different materials such as wood, copper, and bronze. Ceramics and polymers can also be impacted by corrosion, but that’s known as degradation.

 

From uniform attack to selective leaching, there are multiple forms of corrosion that you should be aware of.

 

Uniform Attack

Uniform attack is the most common form of corrosion. It occurs when a chemical or electrochemical reaction proceeds uniformly over an exposed surface. Uniform attack causes a metal to become thinner and eventually fail. It causes the greatest destruction of metal per tonne.

 

Galvanic Corrosion

When two different metals are immersed in a corrosive or conductive solution, and the metals are in contact or electrically connected, an electron flow occurs between them. The less resistant metal becomes anodic, with the more resistant metal becoming cathodic. The cathodic metal corrodes very little or not at all.

 

Crevice Corrosion

Intense localised corrosion occurs within crevices where stagnant solution occurs, such as under bolts and rivet heads.  

 

Pitting

Usually recognised as relatively small holes, pitting can appear on piping as a rough surface. This intense form of corrosion can cause failures to occur extremely suddenly.

 

Intergranular Corrosion

Intergranular corrosion occurs in the grain boundaries of stainless steel, which is mainly caused by chromium depletion.

 

Erosion Corrosion

The accelerated rate of deterioration or attack on a metal is caused by relative movement between a corrosive fluid and the metal surface. Grooves, gullies and rounded holes appear and failures can occur in a fairly short time frame.

 

Stress Corrosion Cracking

Cracking occurs due to the simultaneous presence of tensile stress and a corrosive medium. The metal or alloy is unattached over most of its surface, but fine cracks occur which can cause stress to the medium.

 

Selective Leaching

The removal of one element from a solid alloy causes the corrosion process, such as the selective removal of zinc in brass alloys.

 

Where Do Rust and Corrosion Occur?

Any iron and alloy is at risk of rust. Metal objects that come into contact with water are most at risk, such as water tanks, water pipes and several other materials that can corrode. 

 

There are several ways to prevent rust. Storing metals in low-moisture areas or inside temperature and humidity-controlled environments will significantly slow down the effects of rust. For most metals, there is no escaping damaging effects of the environment. Coatings such as paint, oil, galvanising, powder coating and blueing can protect metal surfaces.

 

Sources:

https://www.helixsolutions.net.au/news-and-resources/article/corrosion-vs-rust-what-s-the-difference-and-can-they-be-prevented#:~:text=Red Rust,or steel%2C water and time.

 

[Image]

https://stalingradfront.com/catalog/t1n2821.product

 

 

 

[S.ChrisKelly]

Further information on metallurgy... 

 

Collectors may encounter the word "coupal", "cupal", or "kupal" in medal descriptions. 

 

CUPAL is a plating of copper on aluminum. The two metals are inseparably welded together in a special process. CUPAL is therefore not an alloy, but a composite material from the group of non-ferrous metals. CUPAL is tested in many ways and proven over many years as a replacement material for pure copper, tombak and brass.

 

CUPAL is a cold rolled and plated composite material between aluminum as the carrier material and copper as cladding material. 

 

Manufacturing process:

The CUPAL composite material is produced by cold roll bonding. After a surface preparation adapted to the particular material, aluminum and copper are tightly connected by high pressure in a plating and rolling frame. The material solidification caused in this way must be reduced by an appropriate heat treatment to achieve the desired properties. Here, the adhesion strength between aluminum and copper is improved as a result of a diffusion bonding at the same time. By limiting the annealing time and annealing temperature, an uncontrolled alloy layer formation is suppressed.

 

Due to the submicroscopically thick alloy layer, CUPAL can be further processed by cold forming, such as folding, flanging, bending, embossing, shaping, stretch and deep drawing. In case of a strong increase in strength due to cold forming, the original formability can be obtained again by a heat treatment. 

 

Sources:

1.

https://www.promet.com/en/products/sheet-metal-technology/cupal-metal-sheets.html

[narrative information & image]

2.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_copper_alloys

[reference]

Images 1 - 4:

An original KVM.

http://www.wwiidaggers.com/WARMERIT.htm

 

Images 5 - 8:

A rarely encountered miniature KVM with its original ribbon.

https://dutchmilitaria.com/product/miniature-kriegsverdienstmedal-kvkm-mini-war-merit-medal-rare/

 

Images 9:

Genuine KVMs in various stages of preservation/wear.

https://www.gettysburgmuseumofhistory.com/gettysburg-battle/world-war-ii-militaria/original-wwii-bronze-german-war-merit-medal-2nd-class-with-ribbon-certified-by-the-gettysburg-museum-of-history/

 

Depending on sources, original KVMs run approximately $25 USD to $70 USD.  The reproduction KVM shown in post#8 is $13.93 USD!

[S.ChrisKelly]

KVM medal bar to an Austrian veteran of the First World War.

 

Source:

https://www.germanmilitaria.com/Heer/photos/H040686.html

War merit medal grouping to locomotive "stoker" or in German "Heizer" August Kirchner. Award document dated 30 January 1943, with the original medal and the rare 16mm miniature medal + stickpin.

 

Source:

https://gielsmilitaria.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=13233

[S.ChrisKelly]

Interesting, genuine photograph from A Collector's Guild, in Canada.

 

[www.germanmilitaria.com]

 

ᛋᛋ-Totenkopfdivision NCO, a veteran of World War One, with a Wound Badge in Black.  Ribbon bar shows awards of both the Iron Cross Class II and the 1914-1918 Honor Cross with Swords.  Buttonhole ribbon is a KVM...  Apparently his only Third Reich award.  Likely, this ᛋᛋ-Unterscharführer is  concentration camp staff.