Description: Soviet Veteran Badge Commemorating the 30th Anniversary of the 4th Guards Tank Corps / Kantemirovskaya Tank Division, 1972 issue.This is GUARANTEED ORIGINAL Soviet-made badge issued to a World War II veteran, not a recent replica!Made in aluminum, paint and lacquer. The badge measures approx. 45 mm in height, 31 mm wide. The medallion shows the inscriptions “30,” and “Kantemirovskaya.” The badge is in Very Good condition overall. There are some scratches visible on the reverse. The badge originally had a pin attachment, however it was later changed to a screw post. The screw post attachment is fully functional.This highly distinguished armored unit was originally the 17th Tank Corps when it was activated in the summer of 1942 to take part in heavy fighting near Voronezh. In late 1942, it took part in the Malyi Saturn offensive during the Battle of Stalingrad and for successfully smashing the northern flank of the Axis troops was promoted to 4th Guards Tank Corps in January of the next year. It also added an honorific title of Kantemirovskaya to its name for exceptional performance in battle near the village of Kantemirovka, south of Voronezh. The corps later greatly distinguished itself in the Battle of Kursk, offensive at Shepetovka in the Ukraine in April 1944 (for which it was awarded with an Order of the Red Banner), and the lightning advance in Poland in January 1945 which culminated in the capture of Krakow (for which the unit received an Order of Lenin). At the conclusion of the war in Europe in Spring 1945, the corps was among the Soviet units that reached the Elbe River and then made a fighting march to Prague. As part of the post-war reduction of the Soviet armed forces, the corps was transformed into the 4th Guards Kantemirovskaya Tanks Division, which retained all the traditions and awards of the original unit. Pins of this kind were awarded to the veterans of the unit often in commemoration of an anniversary of the unit or anniversary of victory over Germany. They were often handed out to surviving servicemen at veterans’ conventions, patriotic rallies or other special events. Because not many veterans were still alive at the time, veteran badges of a specific unit are quite often scarce.Veteran badges were NEVER available for sale. Unlike the usual souvenir pins that could be purchased in a Soyuzpechat kiosk, this badge does not have a price in raised characters on the back (common Soviet anniversary pins available for sale to general public always had a price in Kopeks marked on the back, something that looked like 10 k. or 15 k.) Original Soviet veteran badges are fun to collect if you are interested in military history. With plenty of information available online and in published books, you can often trace where the unit fought in WW2 and what battles it won. Moreover, a correct badge can be a nice addition to a WW2 medal group or even an individual researched decoration and will bring extra dimension and interest to a collector’s display.FREE SHIPPING (USPS 1st cl. Mail) WITHIN USA ONLY! We WILL NOT ship our eBay items outside USA.
Price: 35.99 USD
Location: Tenafly, New Jersey
End Time: 2024-03-03T19:38:45.000Z
Shipping Cost: 0 USD
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Restocking Fee: No
All returns accepted: Returns Accepted
Item must be returned within: 30 Days
Refund will be given as: Money Back
Return shipping will be paid by: Buyer
Product Type:: Badge
