Close Combat Clasp in Silver FLL

Close Combat Clasp in Silver FLL
Close Combat Clasp in Silver (Nahkampfspange in Silber)

The Close Combat Clasp series of awards were introduced on November 25th 1942 for award to personnel who fought in hand-to-hand combat situations unsupported by armour.
The Clasp was issued in three grades, of Bronze, Silver and Gold with each successive grade signifying more days spent in hand-to-hand or close combat.
Criteria for award of the clasps consisted of fifteen days of hand-to-hand combat for bestowal of the Bronze clasp, thirty days of hand-to-hand combat for bestowal of the Silver clasp and fifty days of hand-to-hand combat for bestowal of the Gold clasp.
There was also a prescribed, combat to time served ratio, enabling long serving personnel to be eligible for award of a clasp.

Nicely detailed, die struck zink construction clasp. The clasp features a central square panel with a recessed background field with an embossed national eagle with out-stretched wings, positioned above a crossed bayonet and grenade, flanked by four oak-leaves and dual acorns superimpose on a ribbed, horizontal outward, pointing base.
The recessed central square is missing its backing plate.
The reverse has a solid, soldered, hinge inset into a rectangular recess with raised outer edges, a broad, tapering, horizontal pin and catch inset into an oval recess with raised outer edges all intact.
The reverse is well marked with the faint, embossed designers name and location, Fec. W. E. Peekhaus Berlin, and the manufacturers initials, FLL, with each initial encompassed by a circular border indicating manufacture by: Friedrich Linden of Lüdenscheid.

Material / type of production: Zink
Height: 25 mm
Width: 96 mm
Weight: 29,21 g

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