Luftwaffe Ground Assault Badge by Osang

Product Description: This Luftwaffe Ground Assault Badge by Osang is a one-look original, that shows its age. It’s a desirable two-piece type, made of zinc with a separately applied eagle. The front of the badge shows honest wear, but retains fine detail, especially on the eagle. The wreath still retains about half of the original slivering, with wear to the high points revealing the gray color of the zinc. The clouds and lightning strike retain most of the original dark finish. There is an even buildup of age patina. The reverse of this Luftwaffe Ground Assault Badge by Osang also has an old patina with some oxidation. The hardware setup is textbook, with a steel pin. The catch plate is still present, but the catch itself is broken. The badge is stamped with the manufacture mark “G. H. Osang Dresden.” Despite the broken catch, this Luftwaffe Ground Assault Badge by Osang remains an honest, worn example, made by a desirable maker, and with an attractive, “been there” look.

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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