| Ground Assault Badge of the Luftwaffe Erdkampfabzeichen der Luftwaffe | |
|---|---|
 5th grade of the Ground Assault Badge (awarded for participation in 100 combat operations) | |
| Type | Badge |
| Awarded for | Participation in three separate combat operations on separate days byLuftwaffe personnel |
| Presented by | Nazi Germany |
| Eligibility | Military personnel of theLuftwaffe |
| Campaign | World War II |
| Status | Obsolete |
| Established |
|
 Soldier wearing the Ground Assault Badge of the Luftwaffe on the left side of the uniform. | |
| Related | |
TheGround Assault Badge of the Luftwaffe (German:Erdkampfabzeichen der Luftwaffe) was aWorld War IIGerman military decoration awarded toLuftwaffe personnel for achievement in ground combat. It was instituted on 31 March 1942 by thecommander-in-chief (Oberbefehlshaber der Luftwaffe)Hermann Göring.[3]
The badge, 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 centered positioned lightning bolt strikes trough ground. The general criteria for its presentation was the participation in three separate combat operations on separate days.Luftwaffe soldiers who had already been awarded combat recognition badges of theHeer (German Army), such as theGeneral Assault Badge or theInfantry Assault Badge, were required to exchange their badges for the Ground Assault Badge of the Luftwaffe.[3]
As the war progressed it became necessary to further distinguish those soldiers who had already exceeded the awarding criteria. To accomplish this distinction, Göring instituted four numbered grades on 10 November 1944 based on the number of combat operations. The new badge was changed at its base to incorporate the operations number marking each new grade.[4]
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