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In order to recognize the courage of soldiers who participated in hand to hand combat, the General Assault Badge was introduced on November 25th, 1942 by Adolf Hitler. Designed by Wilhelm Ernst Peekhaus of Berlin, and was instituted in three classes to include bronze, silver, and gold.
The badge was presented based on the number of combat days as follows,
• Bronze class for 15 combat days
• Silver class for 30 combat days
• Gold class for 50 combat days
The above was taken from the reference linked below.
This is a one piece resin casting which shows excellent details. It arrived in a © Ziploc bag with a self adhesive label identifying the contents and vendor. I rubbed the backing on sandpaper cemented to a sheet of heavy glass to give it a rough surface and also thin the little bit of flash that was present.
After washing away the sanding dust and release agent, I spray painted the badge flat black and waited several hours. After that, I used Rub n Buff.
The Infantry Assault Badge compares very well with the photos and the measurements present on the reference page. Also noteworthy are the separation of the recessed area behind the grenade and bayonet which should be blackened steel, and the slight convex shape when viewed from the side.
My thanks go to Track Base for the sample.
References:
http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/war_badges/heer/close_combat_bar.htm
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