Luftwaffe melee clasp

Image of the Luftwaffe melee clasp in the 57 version

The Luftwaffe hand-to-hand combat clasp was donated on November 3, 1944 by the Air Force Commander in Chief Hermann Göring and could be awarded to all members of this class of service who had repeatedly proven themselves in close combat face-to-face with a weapon in their hands.

Levels of the Luftwaffe melee clasp

The award was presented in three stages

Level I.	bronze	for 15 days of close combat
Stage II	silver	for 30 days of close combat
Stage III	gold	for 50 days of close combat

It consists of an elongated clasp and shows a side gun and a stick grenade crossed in the middle in a round wreath . Above it is the Luftwaffe national badge. A swastika is attached to the bottom of the wreath . To the left and right of the wreath there are nine oak leaves, slightly above one another . The back of the clasp is smooth.

Award terms

The conditions for awarding the award state: “All combat days on which the fighters to be awarded had the opportunity to see the 'white in the eye of the enemy' are to be counted as hand-to-hand combat days, ie they were allowed to fight hand-to-hand with the enemy with hand-to-hand combat until the final decision to have. Close combat of this kind can occur during a major attack, a scouting party, a single report, a meeting with an enemy scouting party, etc. The location at the battle outposts, in the apron, in the main battle line, in the artillery firing position, in the rear operational area (also gang area) or in the event of an enemy attack on a supply column, etc., is irrelevant. Every soldier who came into one of the above-mentioned situations unprotected and on foot and who proved himself here, fulfilled the eligibility for the brace. "

Only hand-to-hand combat days after January 1, 1944 could be counted. Previously, hand-to-hand combat days were counted for air force soldiers as well as for soldiers in the army and the Waffen SS from December 1, 1942. In addition, hand-to-hand combat days from June 22, 1941 were counted for soldiers who had fought uninterruptedly on the Eastern Front.

Information about the order

Until the foundation of Combat Clasp of the Luftwaffe, were airmen upon fulfillment of the conditions donated by Adolf Hitler on November 25, 1942 Close Combat Clasp . The conditions of both close combat clasps were identical. The authority to award lay with the regimental commander or a commander with equivalent authority. The number of awards is unknown. Who designed the order is unknown. When receiving the award, the soldier received a certificate of ownership and the medal was entered in the pay register. Even after the Luftwaffe's close combat clasp was established, air force soldiers still received the normal close combat clasp, as apparently only a few samples of the order were produced. The award was worn directly above the medal buckle on the left chest.

Wearing the medal after 1957

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 a National Socialist emblem. In the so-called 57 version of the Luftwaffe's close combat clasp, the swastika was therefore removed.

literature

• Air Force Ordinance Sheet. Volume 10 - Berlin, November 20, 1944 - 49th edition - pp. 808–809.
• Kurt-Gerhard Klietmann : German Awards. Volume 2: German Empire: 1871–1945. The Order Collection, Berlin 1971.
• Volker Behr: German Awards - Combat and Activity Badges of the Air Force 1935–1945 . Motorbuchverlag, Stuttgart 2016.

Individual evidence

1. ^ Kurt-Gerhard Klietmann: Awards of the German Reich 1936–1945. A documentation of civil and military badges of merit and honor. Motorbuch-Verlag, Stuttgart 2004, p. 103.
2. ↑ Volker Behr: German awards - combat and activity badges of the Air Force 1935-1945 . Motorbuchverlag, Stuttgart 2016. P. 120 ff.