Medaile Dobrého střelce

Medal Good shooter
Medalja Dobrom strelcu

The second half of the 19. the century was even in the army the age of the development of firearms hand weapons that require mastery of shooting and overall knowledge of the tactical-technical capabilities of the rifles, which were the basic weapons of a soldier.

In each army was the access to the training of the soldier of the individual, but in every army had one goal, i.e. to teach the soldier a weapon to control and fight with her and surely kill the enemy. For a simple soldier in every army has also established a visible reward, which showed that the soldier is an expert at fighting with a rifle (specialist). In the army of the austro-Hungarian regards to us known performance badges, in the armies of the Russian and Bulgarian on the shooting badges and in the army of republika srpska, these badges are replaced by a visibly non-medal on a ribbon, then we can talk about the kind of honours.

The medal was from the decision of the Serbian minister of war founded in 1883 (Službeni vojni list br. 37. 24. IX. 1883). First, the oldest medals are minted from iron – see picture

Description of the medal:

Avers:
Medals with a diameter of 35 mm having in its center of the shooting target banked the royal crown. Shooting a target is superimposed on crossed rifles mauser (M-80 Mauser-Koka) with mounted bayonet. The whole is framed by půlvěncem of laurel and oak leaves down tied into bows.

Reverse:
In the middle of the medal there is a decorative cartouche with the inscription in cyrillic: Dobrom strijelcu (Good or outstanding shooters). The actual cartouche is surrounded by rays. At the edge of the medal is a fine perlovec. Tab is embossed at the same time with the medals, so firm and flat.

Embossing iron medals in the next period (after about 1890) replaced by quality stamping of base metal, usually made of gilded bronze, or tombaku.

After the end of the war in 1918 the estate or departmental badge becomes oficielním honors SHS and royal Yugoslavia. The medal, which is already confirmed as the state honors are on the back side appears in a decorative cartouche contains an inscription in cyrillic and Latin script – see the picture. On the front side appears the single wreath only from laurel.

Completely latest type of medal has already rifles (carbines) of the modern type - see picture.

Medals differ from each other by small details, embossing decorations (the most famous is the Griesbach and Knaus) is already made from tombaku. Maker's mark "G. K." located on the front side of the medal in its lower part. The diameter of the medals is between 35-37 mm.

Ribbon:
Triangular ribbon has a width of 40 mm, the first medals are on a ribbon of red color, but most of the later works is on the ribbon of the national colors (slavic tricolor).

After the cessation of fighting on the balkan peninsula in 1945, it seemed that the medals will never be restored. But already in 1953 in the socialist Yugoslavia appears shooting medal with name: Odličnom strelcu (an Excellent shooter).

The medal had a total of three degrees and was intended for all soldiers without distinction of rank beyond the delicious fulfilment of the tasks of combat preparation.

This medal is interesting that her embossing is carried out so that it is not possible to talk about the front or rear side. They differ from each other only inscription, which is executed in the cyrillic alphabet or the Latin alphabet, and depended only on the choice of the soldier. Latin was understood by the Croats and Slovenes, the Serbs and soldiers from montenegro, but also of Bosnia, they prefer the cyrillic alphabet.

A medal is certainly not necessary to describe because it is very descriptive target and crossed rifles sufficiently representative and decisive.

Literature:
P. Car, T. Muhic: Catalog odlikovanja even znakovlja Srbije i Jugoslavije 1858-1941.
Archive: Ing. Petříček
Archives: Alt
Archives: And Tore

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