__NOTOC__ The Balloon Observer's Badge () was a military decoration of Nazi Germany during World War II. It was awarded to

German Army The German Army (, "army") is the land component of the armed forces of Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German ''Bundeswehr'' together with the ''Marine'' (German Navy) and the ''Luftwaf ...

personnel who operated gas balloons flying them - above the ground. The balloons were easy targets for

Allied An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...

pilots and ground fire. Due to its late introduction, only a very small number of badges were awarded. The die-struck badge features a laurel wreath of oak leaves and acorns surmounted by the national eagle grasping a swastika. Below this is a representation of an observation balloon. The Balloon Observer's Badge had three grades based on a point system: Bronze (20 points); Silver (45 points) and Gold (75 points). Points were awarded for particular conditions, such as the difficulty and success of a mission. There is no record of the gold version ever being awarded. Recommendation for the award was rendered by a commanding officer of either the observer unit, artillery unit or army unit.

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* * {{List of military decorations of the Third Reich , state=collapsed Military awards and decorations of Nazi Germany Awards established in 1944