List of military decorations of the Third Reich

Military decorations of the Third Reich were awards and medals bestowed by the Wehrmacht between 1935 and 1945 during the reign of Nazi Germany and the years of World War II.

Contents

Military Decorations

Senior military leadership decorations

Star of the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross
Grand Cross of the Iron Cross

Military valor decorations

Knights Cross of the Iron Cross
with Golden Oakleaves
Swords, and Diamonds		 Knights Cross of the Iron Cross
with Oakleaves, Swords, and Diamonds		 Knights Cross of the Iron Cross
with Oakleaves and Swords		 Knights Cross of the Iron Cross
with Oakleaves		 Knights Cross of the Iron Cross

Meritorious military decorations

German Cross
(Awarded in Gold and Silver)		 Iron Cross First Class Iron Cross Second Class 1939 Clasp to the Iron Cross Military Honor Roll Clasp
(Awarded for Army, Navy, and Air Force)
Golden Knights Cross of the War Merit Cross
(Awarded with and without Swords)		 Knights Cross of the War Merit Cross
(Awarded with and without Swords)		 War Merit Cross (First and Second Class)
(Awarded with and without Swords)		 War Merit Medal Spanish Cross in Gold, Silver, and Bronze
Awarded with and without Swords
Special grade awarded in Gold with Diamonds
Posthumous grade known as "Spanish Cross for Next of Kin of Fallen"

Military service decorations

Cross of Honor (1914-1918) Eastern Front Medal West Wall Medal[1]
Upgradeable to include 1944 Bar		 Anschluss Medal Memel Medal Sudetenland Medal
Upgradeable to include
Prague Castle Bar

Military service medals

Wehrmacht Long Service Award
Awarded for Army, Navy, and Air Force
Awarded in grades of 4, 12, 18, 25, and 40 Years of Service		 Waffen-SS Long Service Award
Awarded in grades of 4, 12, 18, and 25 Years of Service

Wound badges

1939 Wound Badge
(Awarded in Gold, Silver, and Black)		 Wound Badge of 20 July 1944
Spanish Wound Badge
(Awarded in Gold, Silver, and Black)

Arm Shields and Cuffbands

Arm Shields

Narvik Shield Crimea Shield Demyansk Shield Kuban Shield
Cholm Shield Lappland Shield

Cuffbands

General Cuffbands

Campaign Cuffbands

Military Service Badges

Army/Waffen-SS War Badges

Infantry Assault Badge
(Silver and Bronze)		 General Assault Badge Close Combat Clasp
(Gold, Silver, and Bronze)		 Tank Battle Badge
(Silver and Bronze)[2]		 Tank Destruction Badge
(Gold and Silver)
Anti-Partisan
Guerrilla Warfare Badge		 Balloon Observer's Badge Sniper's Badge

Naval War Badges

Main article: Awards and decorations of the Kriegsmarine
High Seas Fleet Badge Destroyer War Badge Minesweeper War Badge Blockade Runner Badge
E-Boat War Badge U-Boat War Badge Auxiliary Cruiser Badge Naval Artillery War Badge
U-Boat Combat Clasp
(Gold and Silver)
Naval Combat Clasp Small Battle Unit Combat Clasp

Luftwaffe War Badges

Combined Pilots-Observation Badge Pilot's Badge Luftwaffe Paratrooper Badge
Anti-Aircraft Flak Battle Badge Tank Combat Badge of the Luftwaffe Luftwaffe Ground Assault Badge

Luftwaffe flying clasps

Luftwaffe Flying Clasps

Luftwaffe Flying Clasps were awarded in Bronze, Silver, and Gold with upgrade possible to include diamonds. Pennants suspended from the clasp indicated the number of missions obtained in a given type of aircraft. Flying Clasps were issued for missions completed in the following Luftwaffe aircraft

Foreign Division Awards

Foreign division awards were specially intended for non-German volunteers serving in specially formed divisions serving under the German military. The two primary foreign division awards were as follows:

Blue Division Medal
Ostvolk Medal
Awarded in First and Second Classes with Gold, Silver, & Bronze designators
Presented with and without swords for combat & non-combat meritorious service

External links

References

  1. ^ The West Wall Medal was issued twice, once in 1939 and again in 1944. The 1944 version was commonly referred to as the "German Defense Medal". For those personnel who had already received the 1939 West Wall Medal, a "1944 Bar" was authorized to the decoration.
  2. ^ Tank Battle Badges were also issued with engagement numbers affixed beneath the main badge. These "Numbered Tank Badges" were issued in degrees of 25, 50, 75, and 100 engagements.