This award was established for infantry on November 25, 1942 by decree of Adolf Hitler. This was caused by the increasing brutality of the war and the need to maintain the will to fight. This award was the highest award given specifically to infantry. The foundation was made in 3 stages of bronze, silver and gold. The ordinance provided for a bronze screed for 15 days of hand-to-hand combat, a silver screed for 30 days of hand-to-hand combat and a gold screed for 50 days. For this, lists signed by the company commander were compiled. However, by the end of the war, this was hardly preserved. For the wounded who could no longer continue the fight, there were special rules: bronze 10, silver 20 and gold 40. A special holiday was associated with the presentation of the golden clasp. In addition, it must be checked whether a soldier is eligible for a higher award, such as the German Cross. In the case of fallen soldiers who met the requirements, the screed was awarded subsequently and sent to the relatives of the victims. On the other hand, soldiers who were captured or missing lost the right to screed. The number of awards is estimated at about 37,000 for bronze, 9500 for silver and 630 for gold. Due to the small number of awards, melee braces had a high reputation. Especially the gold belt of close combat was similar to a knight's cross. Source: J. Nimmergut, Deutsche Orden und Ehrenzeichen before 1945, vol. IV, 2001.
Wide gold plated zinc clasp. At the back is a horizontal iron pin.
Front side:
Downside:
Photos of www.militaria-berlin.de
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Front side: army edging in gold
Reverse: Army edging in gold
Awards of World War II