Description
General Assault Badge
The General Assault Badge (Allgemeines Sturmabzeichen) was awarded to personnel of the German Army, Waffen-SS, and Ordnungspolizei (order police) who supported an infantry attack but were not part of specific infantry units and therefore did not qualify for the Infantry Assault Badge.
Instituted on the 1st June 1940, by General Walther von Brauchitsch and designed by Wilhelm Ernst Peekhaus, which depicts an oval wreath of oak leaves around the circumference with a pair of acorns at the base. Within the wreath is a large Wehrmacht Eagle grasping a swastika pierced on crossed bayonet and stick grenade.
The award was adapted in June 1943, with a small plate at the base with either 25, 50, 70, or 100 to recognise combatants that have taken part in numerous attacks.
The award was originally designed for combat engineers, as well as ground support units including anti-aircraft, anti-tank, artillery, and medical units.