Condor Legion Tank Badge

The Condor Legion Tank Badge (German: Panzertruppenabzeichen der Legion Condor) was a German military decoration awarded to tank crews who served with the German Condor Legion during the Spanish Civil War, 1936–1939.

Condor Legion Tank Badge Panzertruppenabzeichen der Legion Condor
The Condor Legion Tank Badge
Awarded by Nazi Germany
Type	Badge
Eligibility	Members of the Condor Legion
Awarded for	Service with tank forces
Campaign(s)	Spanish Civil War, 1936–39
Status	Obsolete
Description	Pin-back oval badge
Statistics
Established	Instituted: 18 July 1936. Official approval: 10 July 1939
Distinct recipients	415

Bronze version of the badge

German Panzer I tank of type used by the Condor Legion

Eligibility

The Condor Legion was established in July 1936 to provide direct military support to the Nationalists during the Spanish Civil War. The Legion, consisting of members of the German Wehrmacht, included armoured units equipped with Panzer I 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.[1]

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.[2] 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.[3]

Design and wear

The badge consists of an oval wreath of oakleaves containing a skull and crossbones above a representation of a German Panzer I tank.[3] The design is similar to the Tank Memorial Badge awarded to tank crews who served in World War I. It was issued in both white metal and bright bronze,[2] 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.[3]

The badge was worn on the left breast pocket.[2]

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 in 1957.[4]

References

1. Thomas 1961, pp. 316-317.
2. Littlejohn & Dodkins 1968, pp. 110-111.
3. Klietmann 1981, pp. 101-102.
4. German Federal regulation 1996, pp. 583–593, Anlage 13: Lists authorised awards.

Sources

• Klietmann, Kurt-Gerhard (1981). Auszeichnungen des Deutschen Reiches. 1936–1945, 11 Auflage (in German). Motorbuch, Stuttgart. ISBN 3-87943-689-4.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Littlejohn, David; Dodkins, Colonel C. M. (1968). Orders, Decorations, Medals and Badges of the Third Reich. R. James Bender Publishing, California. ISBN 978-0854200801.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Thomas, Hugh (1961). The Spanish Civil War. Eyre and Spottiswoode, London.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• German Federal regulation (1996). Dienstvorschriften Nr. 14/97. Bezug: Anzugordnung für die Soldaten der Bundeswehr. ZDv 37/10 (in German).CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Website: Lexikon der Wehrmacht: Panzertruppenabzeichen der Legion Condor (In German)

See also

• Orders, decorations, and medals of Nazi Germany
• Spanish Cross of the Condor Legion
• Panzer Badge (World War II)