Silver Tank Destruction Badge

Product Description: This Silver Tank Destruction Badge is a nice and very attractive example of this scarce and desirable combat award. This is a rare Type 1 variant, with a canvas backing. The woven strip is clean, with original luster and only slight age to the surface. The materials and construction technique used here are textbook in every way. A couple of strands at the bottom of the strip are loose from very minor fraying. The metal tank emblem retains the original factory applied dark finish, and shows only very light surface wear, revealing hints of the base metal. The reverse of this sought-after original Silver Tank Destruction Badge shows the backing of tightly-woven dark gray canvas fabric. The outline of the original backing plate and prongs are visible through the backing. These badges have become increasingly hard to obtain in recent years. This one displays very handsomely, and remains in excellent condition.

Historical Description: The Tank Destruction Badge (Sonderabzeichen für das Niederkämpfen von Panzerkampfwagen durch Einzelkämpfer) was officially instituted by Adolf Hitler on March 9, 1942, to recognize the achievements of soldiers who were able to single-handedly destroy an enemy tank in combat using hand-held weapons. The award was authorized to be granted for soldiers who destroyed tanks in combat actions dating back to June 22, 1941, the date of the German invasion of the Soviet Union. The criteria were strictly written and did not authorize issue of the award to crews of anti-tank cannons, but only to individual soldiers who destroyed tanks with weapons such as grenades, mines, or Molotov cocktails. The Tank Destruction Badge was issued in the form of a woven cloth strip, silver in color, that would be sewn to the upper right sleeve of the recipient’s uniform. Mounted to this cloth strip was a metal emblem representing a German Panzer IV tank, with a dark finish. The badge was issued for destruction of one tank, and soldiers who destroyed more than one tank could be awarded and wear a corresponding number of Tank Destruction Badges. On December 18, 1943, the German Army command instituted a second grade of this award, the Tank Destruction Badge in Gold. This was a gold woven cloth strip, with a metal tank emblem that had a silver finish. The Gold grade of this award was bestowed for the single-handed destruction of five enemy tanks.

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