Germany, Kriegsmarine. A Rare Lot of Award Documents to Oberbootsmannsmaat Paul Breidenbach, Spanish Civil War & Tirpitz Service

(Kriegsmarine Verleihungsurkunden). A rare and fascinating lot of 11 award documents and notices to eventual-Oberbootsmannsmaat Paul Breidenbach, a serviceman with a lengthy Kriegsmarine career which included service in the Spanish Civil War and on board the famed battleship “Tirpitz”, including:

1. An award document for the Spanish Cross in Bronze, constructed of off-white paper stock with black ink, named to Breidenbach as a Matrosenobergefreiter, issued in Berlin on 6 June 1939, featuring an embossed seal and certified by a facsimile signature of the Führer, measuring 25.5 cm (w) x 35.5 cm (h), demonstrating folding creases and minor discolouration, in very fine condition.

2. An award document for the Memel Medal, constructed of off-white paper stock with black ink, named to Breitenbach as a Matrosenobergefreiter of 6. Torpedobootsflottille and crew member of torpedo boat “Iltis” (later sunk by the Royal Navy during the Action of 13 May 1942), dated 26 October 1939 and certified by a facsimile signature of Otto Meissner, measuring 21 cm (w) x 29.5 cm (h), demonstrating folding creases and minor discolouration, in better than very fine condition.

3. A preliminary award document for the 1939 Iron Cross II Class, constructed of off-white paper stock with handwritten and typewritten inscriptions, named to Beidenbach as a Matrosenobergefreiter, dated 15 June 1940, issued at Narvik and certified by the handwritten signature of Fregattenkapitän Fritz Berger (Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross, 4 August 1940), measuring 14.5 cm (w) x 21 cm (h), demonstrating some material fatigue and running of ink, in very fine condition.

4. An award document for the Destroyer War Badge, constructed of off-white paper stock with black ink, named to Breidenbach as a Matrosenhauptgefreiter serving on board the destroyer “Erich Koellner” (scuttled on 13 April 1940 after being damaged by the Royal Navy during the Battle of Narvik), certified by the handwritten signature of Kapitän zur See Erich Bey (Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross, 9 May 1940), measuring 15.5 cm (w) x 22.5 cm (h), in near extremely fine condition.

5. An award document for the Narvik Shield, constructed of off-white paper stock with black ink, named to Breidenbach as a Matrosenhauptgefreiter serving on board the destroyer “Erich Koellner”, dated 10 November 1940, measuring 19.5 cm (w) x 13.5 cm (h), demonstrating some soiling, in better than very fine condition.

6. An award document for the Minesweeper War Badge, constructed of off-white paper with black ink, named to Breidenbach as a Matrosenhauptgefreiter, issued in Bergen on 17 February 1941, certified by the handwritten signature of Vizeadmiral Otto von Schrader (Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross, 19 August 1943), measuring 15 cm (w) x 21 cm (h), demonstrating some soiling, in better than very fine condition.

7. An unofficial Polar Certificate, constructed of off-white paper with multi-coloured ink, issued to Breidenbach for his fifth journey to the Polar Circle with the battleship “Tirpitz”, dated 12 March 1943, measuring 21 cm (w) x 28 cm (h), in near extremely fine condition.

8. An award document for the Tirpitz Commemorative Pin, constructed of off-white paper with multi-coloured ink, dated 24 August 1943 and certified by the facsimile signature of Kapitän zur See Hans Karl Meyer, measuring 10.5 cm (w) x 15 cm (h), in extremely fine condition.

9. An award document for the High Seas Fleet Badge, constructed of off-white card stock with black ink, named to Breidenbach as an Oberbootsmannsmaat for his team on board the battleship “Tirpitz”, dated 11 September 1943 and certified by the handwritten signature of Admiral Oskar Kummetz (Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross, 18 January 1941), measuring 14 cm (w) x 20.5 cm (h), in extremely fine condition.

10. An award document for the Black Grade Wound Badge, constructed of off-white paper with black ink, named to Breidenbach as an Oberbootsmannsmaat serving on the battleship “Tirpitz”, issued 3 April 1944 for a single wound, award on board the “Tirpitz” on 12 April 1944, certified by the handwritten signature of Kapitän zur See Wolf Junge (German Cross in Gold, 6 December 1944), measuring 14 cm (w) x 20 cm (h), in extremely fine condition.

11. An award document for the 1939 Iron Cross I Class, constructed of off-white paper stock with multi-coloured ink, named to Breidenbach as an Obertbootsmannsmaat, issued on board the battleship “Tirpitz” on 20 April 1944, certified by the handwritten signature of Kapitän zur See Hans Karl Meyer, measuring 14 cm (w) x 20 cm (h), in extremely fine condition.

12. A pamphlet for the Tigerverband Honour Shield, constructed of off-white paper stock with black ink, undated, measuring 21 cm (w) x 15.5 cm (h), in extremely fine condition.