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WWII GERMAN ANTI-PARTISAN BADGE -

As German forces conquered one country after the other in the European landscape. Regular armed forces surrendered under the might of the Third Reich. However, small groups of fighters armed themselves and started fighting against far superior forces. This was the birth of guerrilla warfare waged against Hitler's forces. These guerrilla groups were known as the Partisans. They operated in several countries all over Europe.

Their activities began as early as 1941 and included sabotage against the transportation and power grids. They also launched attacks against small military outposts. Their goal was to kill one soldier at the time and take their weapons.

In later years the Allied forces started supplying weapons to the Partisans by sea, air drops and other methods.

This form of combat was new to the Germans. They quickly responded by developing an anti-partisan force. Originally under control of the army. However, their ranks soon included the Navy, police, SS and others.

In 1942 the control of the Anti-partisan forces was transferred to the Waffen SS.

On January 30th, 1944 Hitler decided to institute a badge to recognize German forces who played a role in fighting the Partisans. Hence the birth of the badge featured on this page.

Hitler had an affinity for this badge as it was not easy to earn. It was more difficult to obtain than the Close Combat badge . Recipients of these awards were adept to the rigors of house to house, urban combat as well as the conventional fighting.


BADGE DESIGN
The design of the badge was fairly sinister. It consisted of an oval shape wreath with a sword pointing downward. The handle rests at the top of the wreath. The sword is inserted into the ground where five serpents are coiling around it. The snakes have their mouths open with a forked tongue coming out. A single human skull is placed just above the tip of the blade. a leafy pattern surrounds the skull. all metal construction.




The back of the badge has a vertical pin , wire type, which is hinged at the top of the oval and is secured in the opposite end by a catch. The badge is secured to the tunic by driving the pin through a series of loops (two or more) sewn to the jacket.

The quality of construction of the badge could be fairly poor in relation to other German badges.



CRITERIA FOR THE AWARD
The Anti Partisan award was issued in three types. The badges were identical in design, the only difference was the color. In addition there were two versions. One was the original while the second version was an update in the design. The criteria for earning the award was the same between the versions.






The following table lists the criteria applied to Army and SS personnel.


CLASS CRITERIA
Bronze

Thirty days in combat.

Silver

Seventy five days in combat.

Gold

One hundred days in combat.



The criteria for Luftwaffe personnel was slightly different than that used by other branches.


CLASS CRITERIA
Bronze

Thirty combat sorties.

Silver

Seventy five combat sorties.

Gold

One hundred and fifty combat sorties.




Heinrich Himmler was the head of the SS. It was his idea to name the badge "Bandenkampfabzeichen".



BADGE TYPES
The Anti Partisan badge was issued in a variety of types which includes the following:

First Type - Bronze
First Type - silver
First Type - Gold

Second Type - Bronze
Second Type - Silver
second Type - Gold


The name of the badge in German was "Bandenkampfabzeichen", where the word Banden translates to "gangs". This action was an attempt to delegitimize the opposing forces as simple criminals instead of Partisans.



The Anti-Partisan badge

The "Military minute" is a series of instructional videos created by MilitaryItems.com for the purpose of providing basic information about military collectibles. The idea is to expose people to the exciting world of military collectibles.

The video presentation coupled with detailed photographs and written information, including a military collectible's price guide, and anatomical breakdown of each piece enhances the visitor's experience.

Whether you are a long time collector, a beginner or simply have an interest in the history and value of each collectible, we hope that you find the information presented here useful.



This page is a recognition and identification guide for WWII German badges and awards. Multiple detailed photos of a specific sample are provided. Descriptions point out clearly defined points that should be noted.

One of the most commonly asked questions is "How much is my WWII German badge worth?". A price guide is included here to address this question. The value of the badges and awards is reviewed over a period of several years. A trend can be observed. The present worth of the German badges in the collector's market is illustrated.

This service is provided free of charge to the visitor/enthusiast courtesy of MilitaryItems.com, a company dedicated to the preservation of military history and to providing quality military antiques and collectibles to museums, institutions and the general public.

WANT TO LEARN MORE?
  1. FAQ's
  2. Anti-Partisan Badge Anatomy
  3. Identifying fakes and reproductions
  4. RZM manufacturing codes
  5. LDO manufacturing codes
  6. Construction materials
  7. Pins, hinges and other
  8. Perspective view
  9. Purchasing a WWII German Combat badge


BY THE NUMBERS
It is hard to determine the exact number of Anti Partisan badges that were produced. However, thanks to the record keeping maintained by the Wehrmacht, it is possible to estimate how many badges were actually issued. The number stands above 3 thousand.



The Anti partisan badges were issued to all members of the armed forces.

The Anti Partisan badge was instituted on January 30th 1944.

The actual number of anti Partisan badges produced is greater than the number that was issue. It must be accounted that the armed forces would have a stock in hand so it could replace lost ones and issue new awards. In addition the factories were likely to have warehouses with inventory at hand. The Anti-Partisan badge was not widely distributed during WWII.

The population of Germany in 1939 was approximately 64,000,000.



COLLECTING ANTI PARTISAN BADGES
Collecting Third Reich memorabilia is a field that has been growing since the days the GI's rummaged around Europe bringing back military souvenirs. German soldiers wore many of their awards on their uniforms when they went to battle. Once the soldier was killed or captured, the American soldiers would take the awards as war trophies. Eventually all these pieces came back to the United States where military history enthusiasts began to collect them.

"I am trying to figure out if I should get into collecting Anti Partisan badges."


Determining which military badges to collect can be a challenging decision. The combination of availabiilty and cost will often set the pace of what can be collected.

The adjacent table outlines some of the advantages and disadvantages of collecting the Anti Partisan badge.




ANTI-PARTISAN BADGE EXAMPLES

The Anti-partisan badge was produced by several manufacturers and in different configurations. The more examples of a particular badge that are examined the more knowledge is gained about the particular piece. Differences in construction can be better appreciated. Markings on the back and other sections are better understood. The overall knowledge about the badge is expanded.

This section of the site provides several examples of the Anti-partisan badge.


Anti-Partisan badge - This example does not hava any markings on back.



This award is currently being reproduced. It is becoming more difficult to be able to tell the fake ones from the real ones because the quality of the reproductions is improving. The collector must become familiarized with the construction style and materials employed in the manufacturing of this badge. Attention to the details is critical in order to be able to determine the authenticity of the badge.



If you have an interest is seeing other badges and awards of the Third Reich, you can do so by going to our WWII German Badges and Awards identification guide. Where we cover Heer (Army), Navy (Kriegsmarine) and Air Force (Luftwaffe) items.







PRICING GUIDE INFORMATION

The value for WWII German Combat badges and other military antiques and collectibles is provided as a means to educate the collector community and individuals who have a general interest on the field. The following is an estimated value. Prices may vary in every state and every country. This service is provided courtesy of MilitaryItems.com. The source for military antiques and collectibles in the web.

Year 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Value $1,500.00 $1,700.00 $1,800.00 $2,000.00 $2,000.00 $2.100.00 $2,200.00 $2,300.00 $2,400.00 $2,450.00 $2,350.00 $2,300.00
Availability Rare Rare Rare Rare Rare Rare Rare Rare Rare Rare Rare Rare
Invest Grade A+ A+ A+ A+ A+ A+ A+ A+ A+ A+ A+ A+


While the item featured here is not for sale, similar items like it are available for purchase in our website MilitaryItems.com


  MARKET ANALYSIS
Jan 1st, 2017
This badge is generally hard to find. The future appreciation of this badge is strong however the market has had a correction in recent years. Normal market conditions.


 
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