This is a German WWII General Assault Badge. The badge was authorized by General Von Brauschitsch on June 1st of 1940. It was designed by the Ernst Peekhaus company which was based on Berlin. As it is the case with many other German badges its creation was left to artists who employed a mix of symbolism between common military hardware and objects that represented bravery.

Requirements for the General Assault Badge The following is a list of the requirements a soldier must meet in order to earn the badge. NUM DESCRIPTION OF REQUIREMENTS 1 The soldier had to take part in three different infantry or armoured assaults in three different days. 2 The recipient had to take part in three different indirect infantry or armoured assaults in three different days. 3 To have been wounded while taking part in the direct or indirect combat action. 4 To have won a decoration in the execution of requirement 1 or 2. * NOTE: The recipient of the general assault badge could not be eligible for the Infantry Assault badge. As the awads were mutually exclusive.

The badge was worn under the top left front pocket of the tunic. The soldier seems to have had some liberty in its exact placement as several photos from the period reveal that not all soldiers wore it in the same place.

The General Assault badge was issued inside a paper bag which came in a varierty of colors depending on the company that manufactured it.

The "Military minute" is a series of instructional videos created by MilitaryItems.com for the purpose of providing basic information about military collectibles. The idea is to expose people to the exciting world of military collectibles. The video presentation coupled with detailed photographs and written information, including a military collectible's price guide, and anatomical breakdown of each piece enhances the visitor's experience. Whether you are a long time collector, a beginner or simply have an interest in the history and value of each collectible, we hope that you find the information presented here useful.

Badge design
The design of the badge consists of an oval shape wreath surrounding the army eagle which is clutching a swastika with both feet. The eagle is cut out, meaning that there is empty space between its body and the wreath, except in the parts where the eagle attaches to the wreath.

Just below the swastika lies a stick granade and a bayonet for the K-98 rifle . The items are crossing each other, where the tip of the bayonet faces to the left. The wings of the eagle are retracted. Its head is facing right. very nice detailing to the plumeage. The badge is made of aluminum.

The back of the badge is hollowed. A vertical pin is hinged at the top of the oval. A catch placed in the opposite side secures the pin shut. The shape of the pin was rounf and not very thick. The hinged end has a similar curvature as the letter "S". When in the closed position the very tip can touch the body of the badge creating a wear mark.

The badge was worn on the tunic by running the pin through a series of loops (two or more) that were sewn to the jacket.

There are no manufacturer logos or RZM markings present on this example. However, some of the badges may contain markings.

By the Numbers
It is hard to determine the exact number of General Assault bages that were produced. However, thanks to the record keeping maintained by the Wehrmacht, it is possible to find how many shields were actually issued.

There were over 200,000 General Assault badges issued during the war. The General Assault badge was issued along with an award document. Not all documents were identical. variations can be found from unit to unit. A few things that all documents would have in common are the signature of the officer who awarded the shield and the state seal.

Collecting Third Reich Badges
Collecting Third Reich memorabilia is a field that has been growing since the days the GI's rummaged around Europe bringing back military souvenirs. German soldiers wore many of their awards on their uniforms when they went to battle. Once the soldier was killed or captured, the American soldiers would take the awards as war trophies. Eventually all these pieces came back to the United States where military history enthusiasts began to collect them.

In trying to determine if you should collect General Assault badges there are certain factors that should be considered. The adjacent table outlines some of the advantages and disadvantages of collecting the General Assault badges.

The German Army General Assault badge was produced by several manufacturers and in different configurations. The following section displays some of the different types that were manufactured.

WWII General Assault Badge (1) - This example comes with part of the original issue box.

This award is currently being reproduced. It is becoming more difficult to be able to tell the fake ones from the real ones because the quality of the reproductions is improving. The collector must become familiarized with the construction style and materials employed in the manufacturing of this badge. Attention to the details is critical in order to be able to determine the authenticity of the badge.