KRIM SHIELD BELONGING TO SS OBERSTURMFUHRER ARTHER ERDMANN

More about the product

The “Krim Shield” (German: Krimschild) was a World War II German campaign award issued by Nazi Germany to members of the Wehrmacht and associated forces who fought in the Crimean campaign on the Eastern Front between 1941–1942. It is more properly called the “Crimea Shield” in English.

It was one of several German “campaign shields” worn on the sleeve of the uniform, alongside awards such as the Demyansk, Cholm, Narvik, and Kuban shields.

Design

The shield was typically made from stamped sheet metal with a bronze finish. It featured:

• A German eagle and swastika at the top
• The dates “1941” and “1942”
• A map of the Crimean Peninsula
• The word “KRIM” across the map

It was worn on the upper left sleeve of the tunic with a cloth backing matching the service branch:

• Field-grey for Army
• Blue-grey for Luftwaffe
• Black for Panzer troops

Award Criteria

The Krim Shield was instituted by Adolf Hitler in July 1942 and awarded to personnel who participated honorably in the fighting in Crimea from September 1941 to July 1942. This included Army, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, and some Romanian allied troops.

Recipients generally qualified through:

• Front-line combat service
• Sustained service in the campaign
• Being wounded during operations

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