Luftwaffe Ground Assault Badge by Hammer & Söhne

German WWII > Awards and Medals > Luftwaffe Awards > Ground Combat Badge

Erdkampfabzeichen der Luftwaffe by J.E. Hammer & Söhne of Geringswalde 1943-45. Instituted April 1, 1942, the Luftwaffe Ground Combat Badge was awarded to all soldiers, NCO’s and officers who accumulated at least three different fighting days on which they fought with bravery. It is a two-piece badge, constructed out of a die struck zinc base that has been silver washed and chemically blackened. The oval shaped obverse features black clouds with a lightning bolt coming out of it into mountains, this is all below a Luftwaffe eagle clutching a swastika within one of its talons and is all surrounded by an oak leaf wreath that is tied together at the bottom. The fullback reverse displays a soldered-on sheet metal hinge, round wire pin and replacement catch. The obverse stamped buntmetal eagle is missing, or was never added, leaving a hole. It measures 2 3/16 inches tall by 1 11/16 inches wide.