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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.

Bidermann, Gottlob-Herbert* August 28th, 1920
† September 1st, 2010

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Grid List
Jacobeit, Fritz* March 1st, 1916
† April 12th, 1990

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Jaeger, Karl-Heinz* June 25th, 1914
† December 20th, 1992

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Jaeger, Krafft Wilhelm Werner* July 6th, 1919
† March 13th, 2008

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Jahnke, Arthur* December 13th, 1921
† August 28th, 1960

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Jakwert, Josef* July 22nd, 1914
† October 21st, 2003

Jansky, Paul-Vincenz* January 18th, 1916
† October 22nd, 1998

Jasiek, Franz* March 8th, 1915
† September 30th, 1982

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Jauss, Hans Robert (Waffen SS)* December 21st, 1921
† March 1st, 1997

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Jensen, Fredrik* March 25th, 1921
† July 31st, 2011

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Jensen, Max* November 14th, 1914
† February 28th, 1990

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Jeserer, Helmut* November 30th, 1914
† February 9th, 2017

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Joachim, Georg* October 26th, 1919

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Jochims, Hermann-Gustav (Gren.Reg.90)* August 8th, 1909
† April 28th, 1945
Plot: N Row: 8 Grave: 49

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Joseph, Walter* March 3rd, 1919
† October 30th, 1979

Jungwirt, Hans* May 5th, 1914
† November 23rd, 1977

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Junker, Ewald* September 11th, 1925
† July 27th, 2006

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Jurga, Bruno* January 30th, 1917

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Jürgens, Heinz (Waffen SS)* March 21st, 1917
† July 7th, 2008

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Jüttner, Arthur (Grenadier-Regiment 164)* August 18th, 1908
† December 1st, 2003

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Jäckel, Hans (Waffen SS)* December 8th, 1903

Jänichen, Martin* September 24th, 1912

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Sources