Austria Hungary WWI Cap Badge U-Boot Deutschland & Bremen Merchant Submarine Uboat 1916 Marked Ges Gesch

Austro-Hungarian Empire: WW1 Patriotic Cap 
Badge featuring the two sister Merchant U-boats 
(Submarines) "Deutschland" and "Bremen" of
U-151 Class. Both were launched in 1916.
The badge depicts the shape of only one U-boat
(U-Deutschland) while the sister ship "Bremen" 
is depicted by the "Key", the Coat of Arms of the 
Hanseatic City of Bremen.
Marked Ges. Gesch.(Registered Design) on the 
reverse.
The Merchant Submarines were non combat 
vessels designed to brake the Allied blockade 
and bring in strategic raw materials for the 
Central Powers.
Since they were civilian unarmed vessels with a 
civilian crew they thus enjoyed full international 
protection as a merchant ship.
The U-151 Class consisted of 7 ships but only 2 
were unarmed and used as merchant submarines 
(U-Boat Bremen and U-Boat Deutschland).
U-Bremen was lost on her maiden voyage while
U-Deutschland made two round trips to the US as
merchant submarine. In 1917 she was armed just
like the other 5 submarines of the U-151 class and
was used as a long range submarine.
By the end of the War she sank 43 merchant ships
and damaged 3 more.
U-Deutschland surrendered on Nov. 24 1918.
A scarce enameled badge of high quality.

WW1 1914 1918

Item 100% original

Condition as on the photos
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