Luftwaffe Ground Assault Badge

The Ground Assault Badge of the Luftwaffe (German: Erdkampfabzeichen der Luftwaffe) was a World War II German military decoration awarded to Luftwaffe personnel for achievement in ground combat. It was instituted on 31 March 1942 by the commander-in-chief (Oberbefehlshaber der Luftwaffe) Hermann Göring.

The badge, designed by the graphic and textile artist Sigmund von Weech (1888–1982), features an oak leaf wreath with at its apex a Luftwaffe eagle, grasping a swastika, flying above a storm cloud, from which a centered positioned lightning bolt strikes trough ground. The general criteria for its presentation was the participation in three separate combat operations on separate days.

Luftwaffe soldiers who had already been awarded combat recognition badges of the Heer (German Army), such as the General Assault Badge or the Infantry Assault Badge, were required to exchange their badges for the Ground Assault Badge of the Luftwaffe.

As the war progressed it became necessary to further distinguish those soldiers who had already exceeded the awarding criteria.