Rarely seen on the current market, U-Boat crews were known to add custom made badges to their caps to match the emblems of their boats. While a popular addition, few survive, the bulk having gone to the bottom with their crews as fortunes turned against the German submarine warfare campaign. 1) "Seahorse" cap, with a stitched national emblem on blue background and cockade (no background), a nickel finished seahorse badge, and traces of an illegible white number on the interior. The seahorse insignia was used first on German U-boat U-97, commanded by Udo Heilmaann. U-97, a Type VIIC U-boat in operation 1940-1943, performed 13 patrols and 2 wolf pack actions, and scored 17 kills before being lost to Australian depth charges. 2) Enlisted overseas cap, with diamond profile cockade patch, "54/HBB" in white on the interior, and a bronze polar bear badge. The polar bear was used by U-108, a Type IX-B U-Boat commissioned in 1940 which performed 11 patrols and scored 25 kills (just shy of 128,000 tons), operated off the American East Coast and in the Caribbean, finally being damaged beyond repair in 1944. Both U-97 and U-108 were among the submarines assigned to assist the Bismarck and the Prinz Eugen in their attempted breakout into the Atlantic. Relevant photocopied research materials are included with the lot.

1) Very fine showing some discoloration around the cockade, mid staining along the sweat line on the inside and tight stitching. 2) Very good, with mild wear.