1957er Nahkampfspange der Luftwaffe in Silber
A late-war decoration instituted on 3rd November 1944, the clasp was awarded to Luftwaffe personnel who had participated in close quarters combat on a certain number of individual days. Close combat days were defined as days on which the "combatants had the opportunity to see ‘the white in the enemy’s eyes’, i.e. to face the opponent man-against-man with close combat weapons in a fight to the final decision", irrespective of whether the fighting took place during a major assault, a combat patrol, an encounter with an enemy scouting party or any other engagement and regardless of whether it occurred in the field, within one’s own positions, in rear areas (including anti-partisan warfare), in the defense against a raid on a supply column etc.
The clasp came in three grades: bronze was for 15 days, silver for 30 days and gold for 50 days, matching the requirements for the Nahkampfspange des Heeres [Close Combat Clasp of the Army]. Only the highest grade was worn. Recipients of the gold grade were granted 21 days of special leave and were automatically eligible for the award of the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold [German Cross in Gold] if they were not already in the possession of that decoration.
By an order of 13 January 1945, Luftwaffe personnel who had already been awarded the Nahkampfspange des Heeres (for example while serving in a Luftwaffe field division) were authorized to exchange it for the respective grade of the Luftwaffe’s own NKS.
Awards of the clasp were definitely made on paper and awards of the Heer clasp to LW personnel are documented as well, but it is not known with certainty whether the Luftwaffe clasp was actually physically bestowed prior to the end of the war.
Here it is now. It’s a nice early specimen with some signs of age:
