Close Combat Award

[bogthedoguk]

Hi all

I've been a lurker for a while and fianaly decided to post, now i have a reasen to.

I've spoted a Close combat award in Gold on a dealers web site, he's been honest and said it was a dig up which looks right i would like others opnions regarding it being gunine

pix are not great but all he has.

 

[wilbur1]

Wow wonder what he wants for it?

 

[bogthedoguk]

A heafty price, however there was only 630 awarded in gold

 

[ccheese]

Adler is a collector of all things German military. You may want to send
him a PM, or wait til he sees this. I'm sure he'll have words of wisdom for
you.

Looks cool....

Charles

 

[bogthedoguk]

Thanks for the replys, Cant find a member using (adler) I hope he sees this post

 

[ccheese]

Look for DerAdlerIstGelandet. His name is Chris and he's a US citizen living
in Germany.

Charles

 

[wilbur1]

Yup just dont try to do him bad, hes got a few people behind him

 

[bogthedoguk]

Point taken Wilbur I'm looking at buying not selling.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Let me see what I can find.

I just looked it up in one of my Third Reich Militaria books.

The award was instituded late in 1942 for being in hand to hand combat or close quarter combat and was worn above the left uniform pocket. Most were made of Tombac or Zinc.

They were issued as the following awards:

Bronze - 15 days of close quarter combat.
Silver - 30 days of close quarter combat.
Gold - 50 days of close quarter combat.

If a soldier was wounded in close quarter combat the days were reduced to 10, 20 and 40 days.

According to my book the following numbers were awarded:

Bronze - 36,400
Silver - 9,500
Gold - 633

Its hard to tell but it looks authentic to me.

Examples of these in Bronze typically go for about $100.00 to $150.00 depending on the condition.

Silver examples typically go for about $150.00 to $200.00 depending on the condition.

I do not have a value of the Gold badge however.

 

[barkhorn45]

from what i've read Hitler awarded these personally and considered them more prestigous than the knight's cross!

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

from what i've read Hitler awarded these personally and considered them more prestigous than the knight's cross!

Only after March 1944. Before then they were given out by Company, Battalion or Regimental Commander.

Here is some info:

Close Combat Bar

 

[barkhorn45]

very good site!under the tank destuction badge it shows oberstleutnant Viezenz.I read about some of his account's,21 tank kills using hand held weapons.now there is a true MAN if there ever was one, would have like to have met him.

 

[Lucky13]

very good site!under the tank destuction badge it shows oberstleutnant Viezenz.I read about some of his account's,21 tank kills using hand held weapons.now there is a true MAN if there ever was one, would have like to have met him.

Good on him....he lived until 1999....he was 78 when he died.