1940 General Assault Badge by Assmann
Price: Sold
Description: Die struck, solid backed, alloy construction award with a silver finish. The nicely detailed badge features a cut-out, high relief Wehrmacht styled eagle with down-swept wings positioned above a crossed bayonet and stick grenade, and encompassed by an embossed, vertically oval, oak-leaf wreath. Cast one-piece pin & catch assembly; reverse wreath shows manufactures 6 ‘ejector-pin’ marks and well marked with the embossed manufacturer’s logo, “A”, indicating manufacture by Assmann.
Price: $235
Background: The General Assault badge was introduced on June 1st 1940, by Generaloberst Walther von Brauchitsch, for award to support personnel who were ineligible for the Infantry or Panzer Assault badges. Criteria for award of the badge was basically the same as the criteria for award of the Infantry and Panzer Assault badges with the main qualification being participation in three separate assaults in a supporting role. On its introduction the badge was only intended for award to combat engineers and was designated, Pionier-Sturmabzeichen, (Engineer’s Assault Badge). Shortly afterwards the award of the badge was extended to other support personnel including artillery and assault gun personnel, anti-tank and anti-aircraft personnel and medical personnel. Of Note: Before the introduction of the Tank Destruction Strip in March 1942, personnel who had single handedly destroyed an enemy tank with Infantry weapons were awarded the General Assault Badge.
