The METZ 1944 Cuff Title

[TP Alexander]

Date:
12-22-2005
Thread:
http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...ight=Metz+1944
Started by:
djpool
Photo Attribution:
djpool
Caption:
2005 will definately be a collecting year that I won't forget. This METZ 1944 CT pretty much sums up my year. I want to thank Bob Hritz for offering it to me, Scott Pritchett and Bob again for their technical assistance and to my wife for lending me the money. .....

Judgement:
Real

[TP Alexander]

Date:
12-22-2005
Thread:
http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...ight=Metz+1944
Started by:
djpool
Photo Attribution:
djpool
Caption:
2005 will definately be a collecting year that I won't forget. This METZ 1944 CT pretty much sums up my year. I want to thank Bob Hritz for offering it to me, Scott Pritchett and Bob again for their technical assistance and to my wife for lending me the money.....

Judgement:
Real

[TP Alexander]

Date:
12-22-2005
Thread:
http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...ight=Metz+1944
Started by:
djpool
Photo Attribution:
djpool
Caption:
2005 will definately be a collecting year that I won't forget. This METZ 1944 CT pretty much sums up my year. I want to thank Bob Hritz for offering it to me, Scott Pritchett and Bob again for their technical assistance and to my wife for lending me the money...

Judgement:
Real

[TP Alexander]

Date:
12-22-2005
Thread:
http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...ight=Metz+1944
Started by:
djpool
Photo Attribution:
djpool
Caption:
2005 will definately be a collecting year that I won't forget. This METZ 1944 CT pretty much sums up my year. I want to thank Bob Hritz for offering it to me, Scott Pritchett and Bob again for their technical assistance and to my wife for lending me the money.

Judgement:
Real

[TP Alexander]

Date:
12-22-2005
Thread:
http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...ight=Metz+1944
Started by:
djpool
Photo Attribution:
djpool
Caption:
2005 will definately be a collecting year that I won't forget. This METZ 1944 CT pretty much sums up my year. I want to thank Bob Hritz for offering it to me, Scott Pritchett and Bob again for their technical assistance and to my wife for lending me the money.
When I found out about the CT from Bob I read Scotts excellent article on the CT as well as every book I had that featured it. The one thing that stood out was how very little variation there was among the featured original CTs. From the front the only variation I could see was the spacing between the letters T and Z. When I looked at the backsides it appears that at least 2 different settings were used to embroider the CT. The spacing of the letters may be tied to which setting was used.
I know Bob posted a few pictures on the General wehrmacht Awards Forum but here are some more detailed pictures as well as some comparisons against CTS used in Scotts article.

W/R Jim

Judgement:
Real

[TP Alexander]

Date:
02-13-2005
Thread:
http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...ight=Metz+1944
Started by:
upbeek
Photo Attribution:
upbeek
Caption:
hi guys is there any chance this is real ???chay

Judgement:
Repro

[TP Alexander]

Date:
07-03-2003
Thread:
http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...ight=Metz+1944
Started by:
C.O.Sargent
Photo Attribution:
CSP
Caption:
If I were considering buying a METZ 1944 cuffband and it did not look like this...I would recommend not buying it.

Judgement:
Real

[TP Alexander]

Date:
07-03-2003
Thread:
http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...ight=Metz+1944
Started by:
C.O.Sargent
Photo Attribution:
CSP
Caption:
If I were considering buying a METZ 1944 cuffband and it did not look like this...I would recommend not buying it.

Judgement:
Real

[TP Alexander]

This thread is being put in place to support and centralize all research and photos, concerning the METZ 1944 cuff title, that is on this Forum. By doing so, it is hoped to simplify one's search for information in regards to this award.
In terms of rarity it is probably as rare, or more so, then the CHOLM Shield. Surviving examples may have been lost due to being made of cloth, whereas the CHOLM is metal, enduring the travails of age and time and still surviving. Moths don't eat metal!
The battle for Metz took place from 27 September – 13 December 1944.
In November of 1944, the strength of the Metz garrison, at the beginning of the new attacks by Allied forces, was probably not much over 14,000 officers and men. Its combat strength was somewhat lower, between 9,000 and 10,000. (Cole, Hugh M. (1950). The Lorraine Campaign. Historical Division, United States Army.)
The number of awards made and the total production run numbers are unknown. Anyone having information concerning production runs, number of awards made or information concerning the Jaquard embroidery machines used, is urged to comment.
Information that will help make this thread better would include pictures of the front and back, the inside reverse stitching of the title itself and the ends, front and back, if necessary. Close ups are of great value. If you have a Metz award document, pictures would be appreciated. If there is a SOLDBUCH or WEHRPASS with an entry concerning the award, please submit a photo of the front inside of the book and the page with the award information. There is one thread, with an explanation of an unofficial French award, given to the French and American troops that captured the city and I felt that it should be included for posterity. There is no picture of the actual award. If someone has a picture of it, please submit it, with the usual prerequisites being observed!
Threads added by Association Members would be of most use to the membership at large, if you will remember to not use an outside server. If you are a guest or a MEMBER and would like to submit something, contact me and I will add the photo, so as not to have it lost to posterity by using some hosting website other than the WAF!
As for this reference, only threads that are pertinent to the discussion have been culled. Threads that were missing photos because of non-association membership, where the photos were no longer available, were not used. There was no information that has not been duplicated in threads that were used. This same explanation holds true for threads started around 2003/2004 where photos were lost because of the change over to the new server.
Finally, being only human, I may have missed some threads concerning the cuff title that should have been included. I used the SEARCH function and entered the key words METZ 1944. There were 5 pages of postings. Over 95% of them were not germane to the discussion at hand. If you feel that you had one that I missed and would like to have the information and/or photo added, please feel free to join the discussion and resubmit it.
I will show the photos, starting from the earliest thread. Credit will go to the originator of each photo and I will include a link to the thread.
First of all, here is a link to the excellent article by COL. Scott Pritchett:
http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/camp...itles/metz.htm

Thank you,
Tim Alexander

Addendum:
Where there is a "Judgement", be warned that it is not my judgement, but the opinion from contributors to the thread.