Nahkampfspange in Bronze

The Close Combat Bar was initially made out of tomback an later also from zinc. After the badge was stamped out, it was finished with a bronze wash. Most of these bars are zinc examples. These zinc examples are less of quality and nowadays have lost most of there finish. This award is long shaped with a length of a 9,7cm and a height of 2,6cm. The badge is slightly concave so it fits better to the chest of the recipient. The centre motive is made of a square with at the top a typical spread-winged Wehrmacht eagle and this eagle is clutching a swastika in its claws. Underneath this swastika are a crossed stick grenade and bayonet placed. The other three borders of the square consist of each two oak leaves. From either side of this central motive, emerges a single oak leaf with at the upper and lower corner an acorn. From underneath the tip of this single oak leaf, a spray of three other oak leaves emerges. Between the centre motive and the outer oak leaves are two striped areas, which you could see as sunburst rays. At the reverse is a long horizontally lying needle with a standard hook construction mounted. In the centre is a small black finished backing plate crimped into position. This was done to highlight the centre motive at the obverse. At the reverse is also usually the name or logo from the manufacturer stamped.

The bronze grade (I Stufe) was awarded for 15 days close combat. These 15 days could be shortened to 10 days by the division commandant, when the recipient was to severely wounded to for fill the prescribed 15 days. When the recipient was awarded with the bronze grade, he also automatically was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class (Eiseren Kreuz 2e Klasse), if this award was not already possessed by the recipient.