History

The Naval Combat Badge of the Small Battle Units was founded by Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz on November 30th, 1944, and was conferred upon members of the Small Battle Units (Kleinkampfverbände), a branch of the Navy which consisted of frogmen, one-man torpedoes, midget submarines and other unconventional combat devices. The branch was formed in fall of 1943, and the personnel or “K-Men” saw their first action at Anzio in April 1944.

The award was instituted in seven grades and was conferred based upon the number of actions an individual participated in.

Class I is an embroidered badge that features a swordfish and a circle of rope. It was conferred for small acts of merit, such as participation in the planning of an action.