Original Item: Only One Available. As with all countries, the German Wehrmacht (armed forces) spent a considerable amount of time training how to improve the accuracy of firing their small arms. An award was developed to recognize individuals who excelled in shooting. The Marksmanship lanyard was instituted on June 29th of 1936 through an executive order signed by AH. The shooting lanyard award was attached to the uniform by placing one of the loops on the button of the shoulder board and the other end on the button of the jacket.

The initial award was issued without any acorns, and every time the award was earned again, an additional acorn was added to the loop opposite to the insignia. The award was authorized to be worn by personnel beneath the rank of officer. There were many additional grades, which resulted in different color badges and acorns.

The design of the shooting award consisted of a lanyard with thick braided strings, with an overall length of about 16 inches. One end has a loop made of a single strand of string while the other end caps in an oval shape holding a badge. This section also has a loop on the end. The backs of the lanyards are sometimes lined with felt, rayon, or silk.

As with many other awards, different versions were issued by the three branches of the Wehrmacht, intended to coordinate with the colors and symbols used on the rest of their awards. The different versions for the three main branches were as follows:

- Heer Army - The entire lanyard is silver bullion covered, with the badge at the top being a shield with a Heer "closed wing" eagle on it on the 1st Pattern, while the second pattern changed to badge showing a shield with crossed swords with the Eagle above, and a wreath around the circumference.

- Luftwaffe Air Force - The lanyard is made from Luftwaffe blue gray cord, which has bullion threads woven into the design. The badge is an oak leaf wreath with a Luftwaffe Eagle in the center.

- Kriegsmarine Navy - The lanyard is made from blue rayon covered cord, and the badge is a gold "fouled anchor" on a large device, surrounded by an oak leaf wreath.

There were additional versions issued in much smaller numbers, such as those specifically for Panzertruppen armored forces. These would be modified versions of the parent branch lanyard.

This is a very nice Heer Schützenschnur für Panzereinheiten, I. Stufe / Army Marksmanship Lanyard for Tank Units, Grade 1 (No Acorns). It differs from the regular 2nd pattern Heer Army lanyard by having a tank on the badge at the top, and also instead of an oak leaf wreath, it is actually stylized tank treads. It still has the Wehrmacht closed winged eagle at the top. Condition of the lanyard is very good, showing a good amount of wear from service. The zinc badge, originally silvered, now displays an oxidized patina, and the silver bullion twisted cord has worn through to the base threads in areas. Both the upper and lower loops are still present, and the black felt on the back of the badge is present as well.

A very nice example of a rare WWII Heer Army Panzertruppen Marksmanship lanyard, probably the first that we've ever had! Ready to display!

The German Armed Forces Badge for Weapons Proficiency (German: Schützenschnur) is a decoration of the Bundeswehr, the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany.

The decoration is awarded to German military personnel of all grades but is only allowed to be worn by enlisted members. The German armed forces regulations point out that "the Schützenschnur is a decoration for weapons proficiency for enlisted soldiers." Officers can receive the award, although it is not currently authorized to be worn on their uniforms. Foreign military members also may be awarded the badge. The German military regulation on officers still applies, permitting only enlisted members to wear the badge.

The history of the Schützenschnur dates back to the Eighty Years' War where Spanish troops were ordered to hang any Dutch person who carried a musket. Therefore Spanish musketeers began to carry ropes which were often carried over one shoulder. Awarding a cord as a decoration began in the early 18th century in Prussia under Frederick William I of Prussia. With the reorganization of the Prussian Army under Gerhard von Scharnhorst the Schützenschnur became an official military award.

The Reichswehr and later the Wehrmacht adapted the Schützenschnur as an award for proficiency in marksmanship. The award existed in 12 different levels with different versions for infantry and armored troops. In 1957 the Bundesgrenzschutz introduced the Schützenschnur. A similar decoration existed within the East German National People's Army and the Border Troops of the German Democratic Republic.