Luftwaffe Nightfighter Clasp in Silver +Award Document.

Luftwaffe Nightfighter Clasp in Silver +Award Document.
Luftwaffe Short Range Nightfighter Clasp in Silver ( Frontflugspange für Nah-Nachtjäger in Silber) + Award Document - Acts of awarding decorations.


NCO (Sergeant) - Unteroffizier (Feldwebel) Hans-Walter Beckmann He performed military service in : Nachtjagdgeschwader 4 (Night Fighter Squadron 4)

The Nachtjagdgeschwader 4 was a squadron of the Luftwaffe in World War II, which was primarily set up and used for night hunting. After its formation, the squadron first flew in western France, later exclusively in defense of the empire. Among other things, it was tasked with air raid protection for southern Germany. The squadron also flew long-range hunting missions over England from the end of 1944. At the end of the war, the squadron was in the Schleswig-Holstein area, where it capitulated.
May 1, 1942 is given as the official formation date of the squadron.The NJG 4 was initially subordinated to the 3rd Hunting Division, later to the 4th Hunting Division. In 1942 and 1943, the squadron's groups were in France at airfields such as Metz, St. Dizier, Dijon-Longvic, Dole-Tavaux, Laon-Athies, Florennes and Juvincourt. In addition, locations of the III. Group acquainted with Brandis and Jüterbog. In the spring of 1944 the squadron staff was in Chenay, the I. Group in Florennes, the II. In Coulommiers and the III. in Mainz, later again at Juvincourt. After the Allied landing in Normandy in June 1944, the squadron was deployed on the invasion front until August 1944, including operations in the Avranches area and Nijmegen in the Netherlands.
Then the squadron was relocated back to Germany for the defense of the Reich. The squadron staff was delegated to Mainz. The I. group was in Langendiebach, the II. In Frankfurt am Main and the III. The group was stationed in Twente. Here, the squadron was responsible for protecting southern Germany. At the end of 1944 the squadron was relocated again. The squadron staff was now in Paderborn-Mönkeloh, the I. still in Langendiebach, the II. Group in Gütersloh and the III. was in Kassel-Rothwesten. By the end of the war, the remnants of the squadron were pushed towards Schleswig-Holstein (Eggebek among others), it surrendered there, some also in Faßberg. At the beginning of May 1945 the squadron consisted of only three squadrons. Until then, in the last months of the war it had been used on long-range hunting missions against England and in the destruction of the Allied pontoon bridges near Wesel.In total, the NJG 4 achieved 579 aerial victories against large bombers from its formation until the end of the war, which corresponds to about three complete bomber divisions.

Awards Document - Acts of awarding decoration.
Dimensions: 15 x 21 cm

The flight clasp to near-night fighters

The front flight clasp presented here was awarded to near-night fighters. In the case of near-night hunters, the arrowhead points upwards, as in the case of hunters / day hunters. The difference to the long-distance night hunters is the arrow pointing downwards.
A separate front flight clasp with a blackened laurel wreath was introduced for night fighters on August 14, 1942. A distinction was made between near-night fighter and long-distance night fighter.
The front flight clasps were donated by Hermann Göring, Commander in Chief of the Air Force, on January 30, 1941 as a visible symbol and recognition of the frontline deployment in the air. The award was given to all members of the Air Force who were involved in front-line operations and who fulfilled the award regulations. The front flight clips were expanded to 8 versions by 1944. These were: fighters, near-night fighters, long-range night fighters, reconnaissance aircraft, combat and dive-fighting aircraft, transport and airborne aircraft, attack aircraft and destroyers. Operations that led at least 30 km behind the front or were connected with enemy contact were counted as enemy flights. Long flight times, 4 times over 12 hours and 5 times over 16 hours, were later counted. The bronze front flight clasp was awarded after 20 enemy flights, the silver after 60 flights and the gold front flight clip was awarded after 110 enemy flights.
Due to the frequent over-fulfillment of the operational figures, the star (pendant) was donated to the golden front flight clasp on June 26, 1942. From April 29, 1944, these trailers were awarded with numbers in hundreds of increments.
The clasps were made of tombac or fine zinc. Front flight clips were manufactured by different companies. The abbreviations or names are on the back. There are braces with and without a manufacturer.

Clasp, zinc production, in the form of a central circular laurel leaf wreath, with static swastika superimposed to bottom, encompassing an upward pointing, winged arrow. Three parallel rows of oak-leaves extend horizontally outward from either side of the central wreath. Burnished silver winged arrow attached by one small dome headed rivet. Reverse with solid hinge, broad tapering horizontal pin, and soldered catch.
Without manufacturer.

Dimensions:

Width: 75.8mm
Height: 25.5mm
Weight: 19.35g