Condition: Excellent
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Product Description: Key word – Ground Assault Badge
This is a fantastic example of a desirable type of Luftwaffe Ground Assault Badge. The front is extremely crisp, with razor-sharp detail, and loads of finish, as well as attractive toning, and patina from age. The eagle and wreath retain nearly all of the original silvering, and the lightning and ground are chemically darkened. The back also has nearly all of the original dark finish, and a raised maker mark. The manufacturer of this badge is MuK 5, MuK stands for “Metall und Kunst” (metal and art). The eagle on this badge is a separate piece secured with three rivets, a desirable configuration. The rivets are tight, there are some small traces of what appears to be red paint in some areas on the back of this badge. The hardware setup on this is crimped in and features a desirable wide pin. The combination of crisp detail and honest patina from age on this Ground Assault Badge give this example loads of character. It’s is just a really nice uncleaned badge with a lot of eye appeal.
Historical Description: In the early days of WWII, the German Air Force had few units intended to serve as infantry. As the war progressed, and especially after the disastrous first winter on the Eastern Front, more and more Luftwaffe personnel were being engaged in ground combat on the front lines. To recognize the combat experience of these soldiers, Luftwaffe chief Hermann Goering introduced the Luftwaffe Ground Assault Badge on March 31, 1942. The badge had been designed by Sigmund von Weech and featured a Luftwaffe eagle and swastika emblem atop a wreath, within which was a storm cloud striking the earth with a bolt of lightning. Those Luftwaffe soldiers who had previously been awarded German Army ground combat badges such as the Infantry Assault Badge, General Assault Badge or Panzer Assault Badge, were to exchange them for the new Luftwaffe badge. To earn this badge, Luftwaffe soldiers had to survive three ground combat actions on three separate days, be wounded in a ground combat action, or to have earned another decoration in such an action. Luftwaffe soldiers killed in ground combat were to receive the award posthumously. Personnel who could receive this award included paratroopers, members of the Luftwaffe Field Divisions, assault gun crews, and even Flak crews tasked with using their anti-aircraft guns against ground targets. On some of these badges, mostly early versions, the Luftwaffe eagle is a separate piece, riveted on. Later in the war, the eagle was most often integral to the badge.
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