Infantry Assault Badge – Juncker

Product Description: This Infantry Assault Badge is a desirable piece, with outstanding character and visual appeal. It’s made of zinc, and retains good original silver finish. The obverse shows some honest wear, but virtually all of the fine detail remains present. The original silver finish shows typical “tiger striping” resulting from evaporation from the zinc base metal over time. The intact silvering shows attractive toning. The reverse of this Infantry Assault Badge is flat and smooth and shows uncleaned patina over the original finish. It is unmarked, but this variant is attributed to the desirable maker Juncker in Berlin. The hardware is completely intact and unrepaired, and is correct Juncker style, with a sheet metal hinge and round wire “C” catch with base plate. The round wire attachment pin is functional. This is a great representative example of this award. The condition rates as excellent.

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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