General Assault Badge
Encyclopedia
The General Assault Badge was awarded to personnel of the German Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...

 (army) who were not in infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...

 or tank
Tank
A tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...

 units during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

.

Instituted on 1 June 1940, the General Assault Badge (Allgemeines Sturmabzeichen) was awarded to assault engineers (pioneer) as well as to those troops who supported infantry and armor units in combat. Also included were other engineering units, artillery, anti-tank (pak) units, anti-aircraft (flak) units and some medics.

Criteria

Requirements for the badge are listed below.
  • Participation in three infantry or armored assaults

  • Participation in three infantry or armored indirect assaults

  • Having been wounded while fulfilling the above requirements

  • Having earned an award while fulfilling the above requirements

  • Not being eligible for the Infantry Assault Badge
    Infantry Assault Badge
    The Infantry Assault Badge was a German war badge awarded to Waffen SS and Wehrmacht Heer soldiers during WWII. This decoration was instituted on December 20th 1939 by the Oberstbefehlshaber des Heeres, Generalfeldmarschall von Brauchitsch...

     (ie. this award was for non-infantry soldiers)

Design

The design was an eagle clutching a swastika
Swastika
The swastika is an equilateral cross with its arms bent at right angles, in either right-facing form in counter clock motion or its mirrored left-facing form in clock motion. Earliest archaeological evidence of swastika-shaped ornaments dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization of Ancient...

over a simple crossed bayonet and grenade, surrounded by an oval of oak leaves. The award only came in a silver class.
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