25 Engagement General Assault Badge – JFS

Product Description: This 25 Engagement General Assault Badge is an outstanding example of a very scarce badge, that is missing from most collections. It is made out of zinc, as one expects to see with these. The obverse has a fantastic look, with 95 percent of the original finish intact! The silvering on the wreath remains strong and bright, with virtually no wear, and only the slightest hint of fading due to age. The bold and striking eagle and swastika emblem retains great original darkening, and boasts clean, smooth surfaces. The reverse of this 25 Engagement General Assault Badge also has incredible and nearly pristine original finish, and has textbook crimped in hardware. It’s nicely maker marked, with the stylized “JFS” maker logo indicating manufacture by the firm of Josef Feix Söhne, in Lüdenscheid. The sheet metal hinge and catch and “Coke bottle” pin are absolutely correct, functional and unrepaired. The aluminum rivets are also textbook and all original. This attractive badge remains in a very strong excellent condition. It would be difficult to upgrade.

Historical Description: The German General Assault Badge was instituted on June 1, 1940. When the first Heer (Army) combat badges were instituted they only recognized those in the Infantry and Panzer (Tank) units.  This left the supporting elements of the German Army without an award to recognize their combat achievements.  Initially the General Assault Badge was intended for Combat Engineer units, but later this was expanded to include other units such as Panzerjäger’s (Tank Hunters), Cavalry Units, down to Medical Personnel who assisted the Infantry or Panzers during combat engagements.  Eligibility also continued to grow to include members of the Luftwaffe (Air Force), Kreigsmarine (Navy), Waffen-SS, and Combat Police units. 

 The requirements for the General Assault Badge were the same as that of the Infantry Assault Badge and the Panzer Assault Badge.  The soldier must have taken part in three combat assaults on three separate days.  Three assaults in one day would only count as one assault.  Before the institution of the Tank Destruction Strip, awarded to soldiers who destroyed a tank by means of explosives or mine, the single-handed destruction of an enemy tank would also earn the soldier the General Assault Badge.   

 The Standard General Assault Badge consists of an Oakleaves wreath surrounding a large National Eagle grasping the swastika with crossed bayonet and stick grenade underneath.  The General Assault Badge can be found in several different base metals such as Brass, Copper Coated Aluminum, Copper Coated Zinc, and Zinc.  The use of the different types of base metal was directly impacted by the war as it progressed. Shortages forced manufacturers to switch from quality base metals like brass to lower quality base metals like zinc.

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