German DRL sports badge in bronze nice semi relic condition worn by soldier of the 1st Panzer Army recovered near the River Don area outside the City of Rostov on Don attacked by them in 1941 near Stalingrad
This is an original German DRL sports badge in bronze which is complete apart from its back pin which is missing. The badge is relic with some light rust and discolor from being buried it has been very well cleaned and retains a little bit of its original colour but not much but a nice example still with its swastika clear to see it is still very solid and nicely cleaned relic and rare to find from the battlefield and is perfect for display or any collection. The medal was worn by a soldier in the 1st Panzer Army as it was recovered from the mouth of the River Don area outside the City of Rostov on Don attacked by them in November- December 1941 South of Stalingrad.
The 1st Panzer Army was a German tank army that was a large, armoured formation of the Wehrmacht during World War II. When originally formed on 1 March 1940, the predecessor of the 1st Panzer Army was named Panzer Group Kleist (Panzergruppe Kleist) with Colonel General Ewald von Kleist in command.
The German 1st Panzer Army advanced from Kiev, and encircled Soviet troops at Melitopol in October, then attacked east along the shore of the Sea of Azov toward Rostov at the mouth of the Don River, known as the gateway to the Caucasus. The assault of Rostov its self-began on 17 November, and on 21 November the Germans took the city. However, the German lines were over-extended, and Kleist's warnings that his left flank was vulnerable and that his tanks were ineffective in the freezing weather were ignored. On the 27th November the Russians launched a counter attack against the 1st Panzer Army's spearhead from the north, forcing them to pull out of the city. Adolf Hitler countermanded the retreat. When Rundstedt refused to obey, Hitler sacked him, and replaced him with Reichenau. However, Reichenau saw at once that Rundstedt was right and succeeded in persuading Hitler to withdrawal, and the 1st Panzer Army was forced back to the Mius river at Taganrog. It was the first significant German withdrawal of the war.
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