Panzertruppenabzeichen der Legion Condor

__NOTOC__ The Condor Legion Tank Badge () was a German military decoration awarded to tank crews who served with the German

Condor Legion The Condor Legion () was a unit of military personnel from the air force and army of Nazi Germany’s Wehrmacht which served with the Nationalist faction during the Spanish Civil War. The legion developed methods of strategic bombing that were ...

during the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...

, 1936–1939.

Eligibility

The Condor Legion was established in July 1936 to provide direct military support to the

Nationalists Nationalism is an idea or movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, it presupposes the existence and tends to promote the interests of a particular nation, Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: Theory, Id ...

during the Spanish Civil War. The Legion, consisting of members of the German

Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the German Army (1935–1945), ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmac ...

, included armoured units equipped with

Panzer I The Panzer I was a light tank produced by Nazi Germany in the 1930s. Its name is short for ( German for " armored fighting vehicle mark I"), abbreviated as . The tank's official German ordnance inventory designation was '' Sd.Kfz. 101 ...

light tanks under the command of Colonel Wilhelm Ritter von Thoma. The Legion continued to serve in Spain until the end of the war in April 1939. The Tank Badge was created in September 1936 by Colonel Von Thoma, and was recognised as an official award of the German state on 10 July 1939. It was awarded to tank crews who had served for at least three months in the Spanish theatre of war. Issue of the badge was discontinued in the autumn of 1939, by which time 415 had been awarded.

Design and wear

The badge consists of an oval wreath of oakleaves containing a skull and crossbones above a representation of a German

tank. The skull and crossbones were derived from the cap insignia of the tank troops of

Legion Condor The Condor Legion () was a unit of military personnel from the air force and army of Nazi Germany’s Wehrmacht which served with the Nationalist faction during the Spanish Civil War. The legion developed methods of strategic bombing that were ...

. The design is similar to the Tank Memorial Badge awarded to tank crews who served in

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. It was issued in both white metal and bright bronze, with a gold version presented to Colonel von Thoma in 1939 after a victory parade in Madrid to mark the end of the Civil War. The badge was worn on the left breast pocket. The wear of Nazi era awards was banned in 1945. The Condor Legion Tank Badge was not among the Nazi era awards reauthorised for official wear by the

Federal Republic of Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen constituent states have a total population of over 84 ...

in 1957.

References

Sources

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Website: Lexikon der Wehrmacht: Panzertruppenabzeichen der Legion Condor (In German)

Eligibility

Design and wear

References

Sources

See also