Tank Destruction Badge | |
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![]() German Soldier wearing the Golden and Silver Award National Museum of Military History (Luxembourg) | |
Awarded by Nazi Germany | |
Type | Badge |
Eligibility | Military personnel only |
Awarded for | Destroying an enemy tank with hand held explosives |
Campaign | World War II |
Statistics | |
Established | March 9, 1942 |
Distinct recipients |
~18.500 (Silver) ~400 (Gold) |
![]() Tank Destruction Badge in Black |
The Tank Destruction Badge (German language: Sonderabzeichen für das Niederkämpfen von Panzerkampfwagen durch Einzelkämpfer) was an award given to individuals of the Wehrmacht who destroyed an enemy tank single-handedly by a hand-held weapon. Anti-tank units were not eligible for this award. It was established by Adolf Hitler on March 9, 1942, but could be awarded for actions after June 22, 1941 (Operation Barbarossa). It was given in two versions. A silver badge was given for each kill, and when five were reached they were replaced by one gold.[1]
Notable recipients[]

Awarding the tank destruction badge
Name | Tank Kills | Notes |
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Günther Viezenz | 21 | |
Adolf Peichl | 11 | |
Eugène Vaulot | 10 | |
Johannes-Matthias Hönscheid | 7 | |
Michael Pössinger | 5 | |
Bodo Spranz | 4 | |
Oskar Wolkerstorfer | 4 | |
Josef Beckmann | 4 | |
Hinrich Ahrens | 4 | |
Hans-Georg Borck | 4 | |
Walter Kuhn | 4 | He destroyed 4 Russian tanks within 20 minutes and received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for that action |
Franz Bäke | 3 | |
Ekkehard Kylling-Schmidt | 3 | |
Urbano Gómez García | 2 | |
Ewald Ehm | 2 | |
Hans Dorr | 2 | |
Sylvester Stadler | 2 | |
Günther-Eberhardt Wisliceny | 2 | |
Karl Auer | 1 | |
Ernst-Günther Baade | 1 | |
Rudolf Demme | 1 | |
Heinz-Georg Lemm | 1 | |
Werner Mummert | 1 | |
Joachim Peiper | 1 | |
Theodor Tolsdorff | 1 |
References[]
External links[]
The original article can be found at Tank Destruction Badge and the edit history here.