Infantry Assault Badge in Bronze – RK

Product Description: This Infantry Assault Badge in Bronze is an absolute gem. It’s made of fine zinc, and still retains all of the original, beautiful bronze finish. Light golden highlights contrast handsomely with chocolate brown shades in the recesses of the design. This outstanding badge still looks as it would have when it was made. There is no sign that the badge was ever issued or worn, and all of the crisp detail is intact. The reverse of this Infantry Assault Badge in Bronze retains the original factory applied dark finish. There is no maker marking, but this variant is known to have been produced by the maker R.K. (Rudolf Karneth). The round wire attachment pin is functional, and the hinge and catch show no repairs. This is an extremely nice award that would be virtually impossible to upgrade. It remains in exceptional, near mint condition.

Historical Description: The Infantry Assault Badge (Infanterie-Sturmabzeichen) was instituted on December 20, 1939, by German Army commander Generalfeldmarschall Walther von Brauchitsch. The design of the badge featured the iconic K98 rifle, the standard German Infantry weapon of WWII, surrounded by oak leaves and surmounted by a German Army eagle and swastika emblem. The creation of this design has been attributed to the C.E. Juncker firm in Berlin. The badge could be awarded to members of the Heer and SS-VT (later the Waffen-SS) who participate in ground combat as infantry. To earn this award, soldiers had to participate in three or more assaults, counterattacks, or reconnaissance missions, or to have participated in hand to hand combat in an assault, or to have participated in three days of reestablishing combat positions. These actions had to take place on separate days to meet the award criteria. On June 1, 1940, a Bronze grade of this award was instituted, for motorized infantry. The criteria for the award were the same, only for motorized units. The earliest versions of the Infantry Assault Badge were made of Tombak or other high-quality alloys, with a plated finish. Later production awards were generally zinc alloy, with a bronze or silver wash that often faded with wear and time.

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