Spona za boj zblízka

Close Combat Badge
Nahkampfspange


A German, military decoration introduced on November 25, 1942 for officers and men who had gone through man-to-man combat without the support of armoured units.
The Close Combat Badge was divided into three grades :





If a soldier was wounded in combat the criteria for award was reduced to 10, 20 and 40 days. The quota for combat participation was set at 5 combat days from June 1941, which equated to 8 months, 10 combat days to 12 months, and 15 combat days to 15 months.
Nahkampfspange - consisted of fans of oak branches with the state emblem of III. Empire above a crossed bayonet and a hand grenade. They were made of bronze, white metal and yellow metal.
Hitler found that the clasp in gold was close in character to the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and therefore reserved the right to award it personally.
The clasp was worn above the left pocket.
In the German army, this pin was highly esteemed. During the war, 36400 bronze, 9500 silver and 631 gold decorations were awarded.


related article


Source:
SS realia
ISBN 80-7181-172-6

Clasp For close combat ( gold )
Nahkampfspange in Gold

We allow you with a colleague Faleristics supplement and clarify a number of details that are rather important for understanding the rarity of this extraordinary decoration. In the text part of the colleagues Zbycha the buckle is described very well, but the image of the original is missing here.

Just for clarification :

Clasp For close combat in gold is really the highest and most valuable honors of the German soldier, which in its significance is equal to the Knight's cross of the Iron cross 1939.

The author of the design was the berlin artist painter and graphic artist Wilhelm Ernst Peekhaus, thus the us well-known artist, who is also the author of the other combat badge of German army .

Repeatedly in the literature states that the bearer of the "Golden buckle ", refused to leave the battlefield and friends. It is, however, true partial and is based on the war propaganda III. empire. It is more likely that these soldiers as instructors very fond of frontline deployment left in the quiet places of teachers, instructors and trainers of the wehrmacht and units of the " SS ". Extraordinary recreation associated with the granting of the gold buckle was a joyful addition war awards. Surely this is the reason that a percentage of the survivors of the holders of the "Golden buckle" is relatively large. Here described and the representation of the clip is of a property with just such an instructor .

When granting this buckle was at the same time appointed I will pass on the Iron cross Also. class of 1939 ( EK. Also. Klase 1939 ). This was a formal regulation or almost all dekorovaní were already carriers of the EK AND. Kl. 1939. Although nowhere is it described that the bearer of the "Silver buckle" must be a carrier of the EK AND. Kl. 1939 in this case, German commanders to strictly see to it that the soldier was the bearer of both so prized battle honours .

Description of the golden buckle :

Illustrated clip is from the property of a private collector, who does not wish to be named. Pictures of the buckle provided only for readers of the website www.valka.cz .

This buckle is a buckle of the first type ( but the other experts are inclined to the opinion that is made the end of the war ), it is made of tombaku. The clasp is carefully and fairly heavily gilded. Gold plating is on the desktop of stylized leaves shiny, the other surface is matte on the other. The center metal plate is not magnetic and is riveted. On the back is a hook, which prevents the rotation of the buckle on the uniform of a soldier .

ETUIS :

Here depicted an etui is indeed original, but not for these clips, which are larger. This buckle is probably the etují air performance clips .

Viennese falerista and researcher mr. Tusek to the etui reported as follows :

"Personally, I haven't seen any clamp without the manufacturer's designation even when one is described by J. Nimmergutem. According to the text, which states it should be a clasp really from the end of the war. Nimmergut, in his book, describes the 11 manufacturing companies and among them is also such a specimen. The hallmark of originality would be even greater an etui, which is, however, supported by the white. "Mr. Tusek further states that each of those manufacturers used to make all the instance of this clip ( bronze, silver, gold )

Conclusion :

For the comparison the originality we used a larger amount of the image, we thank mr. Oscar R., that these images provide. At the same time, we ask anyone who may specify further details about help, for more pictures and definitely would be very help image original original etuis .

Literature:
Karl Snake : Knight's cross ( www.valka.cz)
Günter K. Koschorrek : don't Forget the bad times ( Jota -2010)
Kurt G. Klietmann : Auszeichnungen des Deutschen Reich 1936 – 1939
Friedrich Tusek : the Originality of the orders and honors III. Empire ( 1. part ( SIGNUM - Rapporteur club faleristů in Brno, the number 9 In. a number of march 2010 )


Note :

G.To. Koschorrek was himself the bearer of both the EC AND the.Kl. 1939 and a Silver buckle For close combat. Some of the practices relating to the awarding of these clips are extremely interesting. Koschorrek himself describes e.g. the award of the Knight's cross 1939 Iron cross 1939 simple frontovému soldier and his subsequent death .

Appendix :

It is good to doubt ,but it is also good looking and shromždovat facts. With my colleague About.R.
just put pictures of an etui from a professional publication. Every falerista must work with the facts, trust but verify ..

Doklad o udělení spony 1. stupně





Zdroj: http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Orden/nks.html

Myslím, že by tento vykopnutý exemplář ze dne 30. 10. 2010 kolem 17. té hodiny u obce Načeradec v místě útoku sovětských vojsk na ustupující německou kolonu 9. května odpoledne mohl být originál zlaté spony za boj zblízka.