Description Kriegsmarine Blockade Breakers badge `Sonnderklasse`. The `Abzeichen Fur Blockadebrecher` was instituted on 1st April 1941. It was the first badge that was primarily a civilian combat award. Its recipients were mostly merchant vessel crews. It featured a ship with a mounted Nazi eagle breaking through a wreath of chains. This badge clearly shows the stylized influence of the `art deco` movement of the period. The reverse features the correct wide pin and marks. Maker marked “Fec. Otto Placzek Berlin Ausf. Schwerin Berlin. SONNDERKLASSE `special quality` All sonnderklasse badges are made in Europe. Many of these badges are made using the original moulds (or remakes of them) and tools which were bought from the factories when they closed, mostly in the 1960`s and 70`s. Even some of the original flaws have being preserved to gain the highest level of authenticity. The old metals like nickel and zinc and kriegsmetal are not really possible to recreate so metals of similar properties and weights are used. All pins and catches are accurate for each badge and made using the original tools. They are also very strong. These are Museum quality reproduction as close to an original as you can get for a fraction of the price.
