This Tank Destruction Badge (Panzervernichtungsabzeichen) belongs to the Giel Van Wassenhove collection and was presenteted lately on the WAF.
The Badge is woven which made it extremly rare. Normal TDB`s are with an Metal Tank on the aluminum Strip. Not often seen and not often found, to be honest the second time I see one in an collection.
Here are some more Informations to the Tank destruction Badge:
After the invasion of Russia in June 1941 more and more Russian tanks showed up on the battlefield. There was not always a PAK (Panzerabwehrkanone) in reach or another German tank to fight against them. So the German soldiers grabbed mines or hand grenades, climbed up the enemy tank and tried to destroy them that way.
Sometimes it worked because the Russian tanks attacked without covering infantry, so easy prey for close combat attacks. Until March the 9th 1942 soldiers got for that brave attack the General Assault badge. But Adolf Hitler established the Tank Destruction Strip in silver on the recommendation of the Oberkommando des Heeres OKH (High Command of the Army). An Award for those individuals who single handedly
destroyed an enemy armored vehicle with personal hand held weapons. The Tank Destruction Strip was worn on the upper right sleeve of the field blouse and service tunic.
The soldiers who had already destroyed enemy tanks back to the date June 22nd, 1941got credits for that and became retroactive the strip. As the war went on, more and more soldiers destroyed tanks and got more and more Tank Destruction Strips, which are sewn beneath each other on the rights upper sleeve. Because of that, the OKH introduced the Tank Destruction Strip in Gold on December 18, 1943. This only for personnel that had destroyed five enemy tanks. If an individual had been awarded five in silver they would be exchanged for a Tank Destruction Strip in Gold.
Experts say that about 13.000 Tank Destruction Badges were awarded until the end of World War II. Leutnant Heinrich Zubrod destroyed 13 tanks single handed. This Knights Cross winner is the record holder by getting the Tank Destruction Badge. This information came from Dirk Schneider, the author of the book: “ Das Panzervernichtungsabzeichen sowie das Tieffliegervernichtungsabzeichen“.
subscribe for more…Kind Regards, Sascha
Sascha