(Nahkampfspange)

Date Instituted

25 November 1942

Requirements

Bronze
* Participation in 15 days of hand-to-hand combat, or
* Participation in 10 days of close-combat


Silver
* Participation in 30 days of hand-to-hand combat, or
* Participation in 20 days of close-combat


Gold
* Participation in 50 days of hand-to-hand combat, or
* Participation in 40 days of close-combat

Number Awarded

?

Recipients

The holders of the Combat Clasp in Gold are listed on the individual unit histories as part of the Holders of high awards project.

Award Documents

Bronze - Feldwebel Alfred Turlach

Known makers/markings

RS, FFL, JFS, Ausf. A.G.M. u K., CJ Juncker

Estimated price (2009)

Gold - €1.500
Silver - €450
Bronze - €250

SS-Hauptsturmführer Karl-Heinz Gustavsson

(Courtesy of Robert French)

Soldier with a MP40 and wearing a close combat clasp sitting in the snow

(Courtesy of Bundesarchiv/Wikimedia, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0 Germany)

Generaloberst Heinz Guderian awarding the Close Combat Clasp in Gold in March 1945

(Courtesy of Bundesarchiv/Wikimedia, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0 Germany)

Comments

Oberleutnant d.R. Gerhard Konopka was the first soldier to receive the Close Combat Clasp in Gold, he received it 25 June 1943 as commander of II./Gren.Rgt (mot.) "Großdeutschland".

It is sometimes translated as Close Combat Bar in English.

Photo courtesy of Rusfront & The Ruptured Duck

Sources used

Christopher Ailsby - World War 2 German medals and political awards
John R. Angolia - For Führer and Fatherland: Military awards of the Third Reich
David Littlejohn - Orders, decorations, medals and badges of the Third Reich
Detlev Niemann - Price Guide Germany 1871-1945 (2009)