Front flight clasp

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Front flight clasp for combat and dive fighter pilots
Overview of all front flight clips in the 57 version
Oberfeldwebel and Knight's Cross holder Richard Heller with the front flight clasp for destroyers

The front flight clasp was donated on January 30, 1941 by the Commander-in-Chief of the German Air Force Hermann Göring . It could be awarded in its various versions to all members of the Air Force and should be a "visible sign of recognition for parole in the front in the air", as it said in the award provision.

Award terms

The award was available in different variants, according to the area of ​​application of the loanee for:

  • Hunting associations
  • Destroyer groups
  • Battle associations
  • Combat and fall combat associations
  • Reconnaissance and maritime associations, weather investigation teams
  • Transport and airborne units
  • Haunting associations
  • Long-range night hunting associations

From 20 front flights the front flight clasp was awarded in bronze , from 60 front flights in silver and from 110 front flights in gold . When the next higher level was awarded, the clasp that had already been worn had to be removed. The way of wearing the award was on the left breast pocket, directly above the medal buckle .

Very often more than 110 front-line flights were completed in the course of the war. Therefore, on June 26, 1942, by order of Göring, the pendant (star) was added to the golden front flight clasp, which was movably attached below the clasp. This trailer was at

  • Hunting and transport associations after at least 500,
  • Fall combat, destroyer and slaughter units after at least 400,
  • Combat, sea emergency groups and weather investigation teams after at least 300
  • Reconnaissance and night hunting groups after at least 250 front-line flights

awarded.

The "trailer for the golden front flight clasp with mission number" was donated on April 29, 1944. This was used to mark individual numbers of front flights in steps of 100. At the same time Göring had introduced the front flight clasp in gold with diamonds , which he reserved, however, for himself. The Stuka pilot Colonel Hans-Ulrich Rudel flew 2530 sorties. He was awarded the front flight clasp in gold with diamonds and the pendant with the number 2000. The "diamonds" used to design the number of inserts turned out to be forgeries or were of very poor quality, as revealed by a review of the order's estate from Rudel.

Others

According to the law on titles, medals and decorations of July 26, 1957, wearing the award in the Federal Republic of Germany is only permitted without National Socialist emblems.

See also

literature

  • Heinrich Doehle : The awards of the Greater German Reich. Orders, decorations, badges. 5th edition, licensed edition. Patzwall, Norderstedt 2000, ISBN 3-931533-43-3 .
  • Hans-Ulrich Krantz: Orders and decorations of the Federal Republic of Germany. Maximilian, Cologne 1958.
  • Kurt-Gerhard Klietmann : Awards of the German Empire. 1936-1945. Motorbuch, Stuttgart 1981, ISBN 3-87943-689-4 .