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Condition: Excellent
Maker: R.K. (Rudolf Karneth)
Pattern: 25
Base Material: Zinc
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Product Description: This 25 Engagement General Assault Badge is an extremely impressive example of this rare badge that is missing from most collections. It has a bold, striking look. This bade is made of zinc, as all of these were. The wreath retains approximately 90 percent of the original silver wash, which is outstanding, especially for a zinc badge. The large, imposing eagle and swastika emblem with crossed bayonet and grenade has smooth, clean surfaces, with most of the original dark burnishing still present. The reverse of this desirable 25 Engagement General Assault Badge is maker marked, with a stylized “RK” in a circle, indicating manufacture by the firm of Rudolf Karneth in Gablonz. Virtually all of the original finish on the reverse remains intact. The hardware is textbook Gablonz style, with a banjo pin, and crimped in hinge and catch. The four rivets are without damage, and this badge is completely untouched, with no alterations or repairs. The pin still functions. This is just a wonderful badge, in excellent condition.
Historical Description: The Numbered General Assault Badge was instituted on June 22, 1943. The instituting of the new grades of the General Assault Badge was in a direct response to the increasing number of soldiers which had continued to tally “combat days”, after they had met the initial requirements of the standard version. The different grades created by the German High Command were “25”, “50”, “75”, & “100”. The requirements for the Numbered General Assault Badge were very similar to the standard version, except the number of combat days required corresponded to the number of the award. For example, the General Assault Badge with a “25” box would have required the soldier to have 25 combat assaults on 25 different days. Many soldiers in the German Army did not live to see the required “combat days” for the higher grades, most specifically the “75” & “100” grades.
The numbered grades used the same design pattern as the standard version. However, these grades of the General Assault Badge have more enhanced features such as an enlarged eagle, enhanced wreath, plus the addition of a number box at the bottom of the wreath to denote grade.
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