Bronze Eagle Statue for Naval Aviator of the Imperial German Navy “Honor Prize for Successful Victor in Aerial Combat”

The Ehrenpreis für den Sieger im Luftkampf der Kaiserlichen Marine (Honor Prize for the Victor in Air Combat of the Imperial Navy), also known as the Ehrenpreis der Marineflieger (Honor Prize for Naval Fliers), stands as one of the rarest and most coveted awards from German military aviation during the First World War. Instituted by a daily order (Tagesbefehl) dated January 3, 1917, by the Kaiserliche Marine (Imperial German Navy), this prize represented the Navy’s independent recognition of its aviators’ combat achievements. Prior to this date, successful naval airmen could receive the Army’s Ehrenbecher (Honor Goblet), but the growing strategic importance of maritime aviation demanded a distinct naval honor.

The award takes the form of a three-dimensional bronze sculpture depicting two fighting eagles, a motif also found on the Ehrenbecher awarded to Army aviators. The two-part bronze construction is mounted on an octagonal black wooden base. Individually engraved metal plaques on the base record the recipient’s name, the date of the distinguished action, and the specific reason for the award — whether the destruction of an enemy aircraft, the sinking of a warship or merchant vessel, or another verified combat success. This was a non-portable award, not worn on the uniform but preserved as a trophy of honor. It was presented in a large hinged presentation case or etui.

The Kaiserliche Marine maintained its own aviation forces, the Marineflieger, during World War I, operating separately from the Army air service. These units flew from coastal stations including Zeebrügge, Ostende, Norderney, and other bases. Their missions encompassed reconnaissance, air combat over the North Sea, English Channel, and Baltic, and — of particular strategic significance — anti-shipping operations. By war’s end, German naval aviators had achieved approximately 270 aircraft victories, along with the destruction of 2 airships, 1 destroyer, 3 submarines, 4 speedboats, and additional vessels.

This particular example is dedicated to Oberleutnant zur See Hans Albrecht Wedel (1888–1917), commander of Torpedo Squadron II, 1st Naval Air Division, based at Zeebrügge. The front plaque reads “Dem Sieger im Luftkampf 1. Mai 1917 Ob. Leutnant z.S. Wedel” (To the Victor in Air Combat, May 1, 1917, Oberleutnant zur See Wedel), while the rear plaque bears the inscription “Für Vernichtung eines englischen Handelsdampfers” (For Destruction of an English Merchant Steamer). According to the official 1918 victory list, Wedel and his torpedo officer Leutnant der Reserve Wulf Krüger achieved their first aerial victory on May 1, 1917, and on the same date sank the British freighter “Gena” of 2,784 GRT off the coast of Suffolk. The sinking of the “Gena” represented the largest success of German torpedo aviators up to that point in the war.

Wedel’s squadron went on to achieve further notable successes, including the sinking of the “Kankakee” (3,718 GRT) on June 14, 1917, the largest vessel sunk by German naval aviators during the entire war. However, Hans Albrecht Wedel himself would not long survive these triumphs. He was killed in a landing accident at Zeebrügge on September 30, 1917, at the age of just 29. His early death serves as a stark reminder of the extraordinary hazards faced by naval aviators, not only in aerial combat but in the routine operations of their dangerous profession.

Another documented recipient of the Ehrenpreis is Flugzeug-Leutnant Hermann Becker, whose award is dated July 26, 1918. Becker later served in the Luftwaffe and was executed in 1945.

The award period spanned from January 1917 through November 1918. Following Germany’s defeat, the Imperial Navy’s aviation units were completely dissolved by the end of 1920 under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. The Kaiserliche Marine itself was replaced by the Reichsmarine of the Weimar Republic. Surviving Ehrenpreis awards became historical artifacts of the highest significance. During the Third Reich era, the Luftwaffe later created a similar though distinct award, the Ehrenpokal für besondere Leistungen im Luftkrieg (Honor Goblet for Special Achievement in the Air War), inspired by the World War I aviation honors.

The extreme rarity of these awards on the collector market is well documented. Major militaria dealers report handling only five to six examples over more than 30 to 35 years of business. This scarcity, combined with the personal attribution to an identifiable and historically significant recipient such as Oberleutnant zur See Wedel, elevates this Ehrenpreis to the highest echelon of collectible military awards and renders it a unique testimony to the history of German naval aviation in the First World War.