Type Badge Status Obsolete | Campaign(s) World War II Established 31 March 1942 | |
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Eligibility Military personnel of the Luftwaffe Awarded for achievement in ground combat | ||
The Ground Assault Badge of the Luftwaffe (German: Erdkampfabzeichen der Luftwaffe) was a World War II German military decoration awarded to Luftwaffe personnel for achievement in ground combat. It was instituted on 31 March 1942 by the commander-in-chief (Oberbefehlshaber der Luftwaffe) Hermann Göring.
Contents
Design
The medal, designed by the graphic and textile artist Sigmund von Weech (1888-1982), features an oak leaf wreath with at its apex a Luftwaffe eagle, grasping a swastika, flying above a storm cloud, from which a lightning bolt strikes rough ground.
Award criteria
The general criteria for its presentation was the participation in three separate combat operations on separate days. Luftwaffe soldiers who had already been awarded medals or orders of the Heer such as Assault Badge or the Infantry Assault Badge, were required to exchange their badges for the Ground Assault Badge of the Luftwaffe.
Grades
As the war progressed it became necessary to further distinguish those soldiers who had already exceeded the awarding criteria. To accomplish this distinction four numbered grades were introduced on 10 November 1944 based on the number of combat operations.