Kaiser Wilhelm II established the Wound Badge (Verwundetenabzeichen) on March 3, 1918 for wounded or frostbitten troops. The award came in three classes — black, silver, and gold — with the level of award depending upon how often a soldier was wounded or frostbitten. The Wound Badge in Black was for those that had been wounded/frostbitten once or twice while in action, while three or four wounds qualified one for the Wound Badge in Silver. The Wound Badge in Gold was reserved for those that had been wounded five times or more.

An equivalent award for those serving in the Kaiserliche Marine called the Marineverwundetenabzeichen was established on June 24, 1918, again in three classes. All of the awards to the U-boat commanding officers listed below were in black. It’s very likely that additional U-boat commanders received the Marineverwundetenabzeichen; the list below only includes those officers that commanded a U-boat during the First World War that were still in naval service in 1929.