Wehrmacht rank insignia
(Die Wehrmacht) 1935-1945

SS troops (Waffen SS)

Rank insignia for junior and middle managers
(Untere Fuehrer, Mittlere Fuehrer)

Recall that the SS troops were part of the SS organization. Service in the SS troops was not public service, but legally equated to such.

SS troops at their initial formation were created from members of the SS organization (Allgemeine-SS) and since this organization had a paramilitary structure and its own rank system, the SS troops (Waffen SS) adopted the general SS rank system when they were created (for more details, see the article "SS Troops" of the subsection "Ranks of Germany " section "Military ranks" of the same site) with minor changes. Naturally, the division into categories in the SS troops was not quite the same as in the Wehrmacht. If in the Wehrmacht military personnel were divided into privates, non-commissioned officers, non-commissioned officers with belts, chief officers, staff officers and generals, then in the SS troops, as in the SS organization in general, the term "officer" was absent. The SS soldiers were divided into members, sub-leaders, junior leaders, middle leaders and senior leaders. Well, if you want, you can say "... leaders" or "... Fuhrers."

However, these names were purely official, so to speak, legal terms. In everyday life and, to a large extent, in official correspondence, the phrase "SS officer" was still used, and quite widely. This was due, firstly, to the fact that the SS men, mostly from the lowest strata of German society, were very flattered to consider themselves officers. Secondly, as the number of SS divisions increased, it was no longer possible to equip them with officers only from among the members of the SS, and some Wehrmacht officers were transferred by order to the SS troops. And they really did not want to lose the honorary title of "officer".

The well-known SS black uniform was the uniform of the SS organization (Allgemeine-SS), but it was never worn by the SS troops, since it was abolished in 1934, and the SS troops were finally formed by 1939. However, members of the SS troops as members of the SS organization had the right to wear uniform of the general SS. The soldiers of the SS troops, transferred from the Wehrmacht, were not members of the SS organization and had no right to it.

Let us explain that in 1934 the black Allgemeine-SS uniform was replaced by the same cut, but light-colored. gray color. She was no longer wearing a red armband with a black swastika. Instead, an eagle with outstretched wings sitting on a wreath with a swastika was embroidered in this place. One shoulder strap of a special type was replaced by two Wehrmacht types. The shirt is white with a black tie.

In the picture on the left (reconstruction): the uniform of the general SS arr. 1934 On the shoulders are two epaulettes with a pink lining (tanker). On shoulder straps, in addition to an asterisk, you can distinguish the golden monogram of the division "Leibstandarte Adolf Gitler". The insignia of the SS-Obersturmbannführer is on the collar. An eagle is visible on the left sleeve and a black ribbon near the cuff, on which the name of the division should have been written. On the right sleeve there is a patch for a wrecked enemy tank and below the chevron of an SS veteran (too large).
It follows that this is the tunic of the SS Obersturmbannführer of the SS troops, who is a member of the SS organization.

From the author. It turned out to be extremely difficult to find an image of the gray tunic of the general SS. There are as many black tunics as you like. I explain this only by the fact that the SS organization, which played such a significant role in the twenties and early thirties in bringing the Nazis to power, gradually began to acquire a nominal role by the mid-thirties. After all, the state in the ranks of the general SS was, so to speak, social activity along with the main work of a person. And with the advent of the Nazis to power, active members of the SS quickly began to occupy positions in the police, other public institutions, in the protection of concentration camps, where other types of uniforms were usually worn. And with the beginning of the creation of the SS troops, the remaining ones were sent there to serve. So few people wore this uniform by the end of the thirties. Although, if you look at the photographs of G. Himmler and his inner circle, taken in the second half of the thirties and later, then they are all in this gray uniform of the general SS.

The replacement of the black uniform of the general SS with gray continued until mid-1938, after which it was forbidden to wear it. The remains of a black uniform with torn badges and sewn green cuffs and collars during the war were issued to policemen in the occupied territory of the USSR.

The main uniform of the officers of the SS troops was a uniform similar to the uniform of Wehrmacht officers with the same rank insignia in the form of epaulettes, but on the collars instead of Wehrmacht buttonholes, SS officers wore insignia similar to the insignia on the collars of the open uniforms of the general SS. Thus, SS officers had rank insignia on their uniforms both in buttonholes and on shoulder straps. Moreover, these insignia (and the same ranks) were worn by officers of the SS troops, both who were members of the SS organization and who were not.

In the photo on the left (reconstruction): SS-Hauptsturmführer in the uniform of the SS troops. Edges on the cap in color according to the type of troops. Here white is infantry. The stars on the shoulder straps are erroneously golden in color. In the SS troops, they were silver. On the right sleeve there is a patch for a wrecked tank, on the left an SS eagle and a ribbon with the name of the division above the cuff.

Note that this is generally the uniform of the SS troops. Depending on the capacity in which this uniform is used, headdress he could have a cap of the shown sample, a steel helmet with attributes of the SS troops, or a field cap (cap, kepi).

The steel helmet was both a ceremonial headdress and utilitarian item at the front. The cap for the SS troops was introduced in 1942. and differed from the soldier's in that a silver flagellum passed along the edge of the lapel and along the top. Black cap model 1942. worn only with a black tank uniform.

In 1943, a kepi was introduced for all, which until then was worn only in mountain troops. This headgear was considered the most suitable for field conditions, especially in cold weather and in winter, since the lapels could be unbuttoned and pulled down, thus protecting the ears and lower face from the cold. the officer's cap has a silver flagellum along the edge of the lapel and along the top.

From the author. One evil memoirist from the soldiers of the SS troops in his book claims that the officers of their regiment in full dress did not wear real heavy steel helmets (which soldiers were forced to wear), but made of papier-mâché. They were made of such high quality that the soldiers did not know about it for a long time and were surprised at the stamina and endurance of their officers.

The officers of the so-called "divisions under the SS" (Division der SS) had the same uniform and the same insignia, i.e. divisions formed from persons of other nationalities (Latvian, Estonian, Norwegian, etc.) and other volunteer formations ..
In general, these collaborators did not have the right to call themselves SS titles. Their ranks were called, for example, "Waffen-Untersturmfuehrer (Waffen-U ntersturmfuehrer). Or" Legions-Obersturmführer (Legions-Obersturmfuehrer.

From the author. So gentlemen from the Latvian and Estonian divisions, you are not SS men at all, but, henchmen, cannon fodder for Hitler. And you fought not for Latvia and Estonia free from the Bolsheviks, but for the right to be "Germanized" as the "Ost" plan determined this, while your other compatriots were supposed to be evicted to distant Siberia or simply destroyed.

But the commander of the so-called "RONA assault brigade" B.V. Kaminsky, when this brigade was included in the SS troops, was awarded the rank of SS brigadefuhrer and major general of the SS troops. Commander of the SS Volunteer Regiment "Varyag" former captain The Red Army (according to other sources, a former senior political instructor) M.A. Semenov had the rank of SS-Hauptsturmführer.

From the author. This is according to Soviet and modern Russian sources. I have not yet found confirmation in German sources.

The color of the uniform of the officers of the SS troops basically coincided with the color of the uniform of the Wehrmacht, but it was somewhat lighter, grayer and the green tint was almost invisible. However, in the course of the war, the attitude towards the color of the uniform became more and more indifferent. They sewed from the fabric that was available (from almost green to almost pure brown). And yet, in the SS troops, the process of simplifying the form and deteriorating its quality was slower and later than in the Wehrmacht.

The tank uniform and the uniform of the self-propelled artillery of the SS troops were also basically similar to the tank uniform of the Wehrmacht. Tankers wore black, field grey-colored self-propelled gunners. Buttonholes on the collar are similar to buttonholes on a regular gray field uniform. The collar lining, unlike the soldier's, is made of a silvery flagellum.

In the photo on the left (reconstruction): SS-Hauptsturmführer in a black tank uniform. The stars on the shoulder straps are erroneously golden in color.

Junior leaders and middle leaders in ranks up to and including SS-Obersturmbannführer wore rank insignia in the left buttonhole, and two in the right buttonhole. runes "zig" or have other signs (see the article on the insignia of SS soldiers).

In particular, in the 3rd Panzer Division "Totenkopf" (SS-Panzer-Division "Totenkopf"), instead of runes, they wore an SS emblem in the form of a skull embroidered with aluminum thread.

SS officers in the ranks of SS-Standartenführer and SS-Oberführer had rank insignia in both buttonholes. There are endless disputes regarding the rank of SS-Oberführer - is it an officer or general rank. In the SS troops, this is an officer rank above Oberst, but below Major General of the Wehrmacht

The buttonholes of SS officers were edged with a silver twisted cord. On black tank uniforms and gray self-propelled artillery uniforms, SS officers often wore buttonholes with pink (tank) or scarlet (gunners) edging instead of a silver cord.

In the picture on the right: SS-Untersturmführer buttonholes.

The officers of the 3rd Panzer Division "Dead Head" (3.SS-Panzer-Division "Totenkopf") wore in the right buttonhole not two "zig" runes, but an emblem in the form of a skull (similar to the emblems of the Wehrmacht tankers). This exhausts the variety of signs in the right buttonhole. All other signs were worn only by officers of divisions "at the SS".

By the way, this division should not be confused with the so-called "Dead Head" (SS-Totenkopfrerbaende) units, which had nothing to do with the SS troops, but were part of the concentration camp guards.

The shoulder straps of SS officers were similar to the shoulder straps of Wehrmacht officers, but the lower lining was black, the upper one, forming, as it were, a piping, according to the color of the military branch. Senior officers had a double backing. The lower one is black, the upper one is the color of the military branch.

The colors of the type of troops in the SS troops were somewhat different from the Wehrmacht

*White-. Infantry. The same color is combined arms.
*Light gray -. The Central Office of the SS Troops.
*Black and white striped -. Engineering units and subdivisions (sappers).
*Blue -. Supply and support services.
*Scarlet -. Artillery.
*Brownish green -. Reserve service.
*Burgundy -. Legal service.
*Dark red - Veterinary service.
*Yellow golden -. Cavalry, motorized reconnaissance units.
*Green -. Infantry regiments police divisions (4th and 35th SS divisions).
*Yellow lemon -. Communication and propaganda service.
*Light green - Mountain parts.
*Orange - Technical service and replenishment service.
*Pink-. Tankers, anti-tank artillery.
*Cornflower blue -. Medical service.
*Pink-reddish -. Geological Service.
*Light blue -. Administrative service.
* Raspberry -. Sniper in all branches of the military.
*Copper Brown - Exploration.

Until the summer of 1943, signs of belonging to certain units were to be placed on shoulder straps. These badges could be metal or embroidered with silver or gray silk thread. However, SS officers simply ignored this requirement and, as a rule, did not wear any letters on shoulder straps until the age of 43, when they were canceled. Perhaps only the officers of the 1st SS Panzer Division "Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler", proud of their belonging to the elite SS division, wore a special monogram. The signs were installed as follows:
A - artillery regiment;
And the Gothic one is a reconnaissance battalion;
AS / I - 1st artillery school;
AS / II - 2nd artillery school;
Gear wheel - technical part (repair parts);
D - Regiment "Deutschland";
DF - Regiment "Fuhrer";
E/ Gothic numeral - Recruitment point number...;
FI - Anti-aircraft machine gun battalion;
JS / B - officer school in Braunschweig;
JS/T - officer school in Tolz;
L - training parts;
Lira - bandmasters and musicians;
MS - school of military musicians in Braunschweig;
N - regiment Nordland;
Gothic P - anti-tankers;
Snake - veterinary service;
A snake wrapping around a rod - physicians;
US / L - non-commissioned officer school in Lauenburg;
US / R - non-commissioned officer school in Radolfzell;
W - Westland Regiment.

Asterisks could have dimensions with a square side of 1.5, 2.0 or 2.4 cm. And if the stars in the buttonholes were always 1.5 cm in size, then the officer chose the size of the stars on shoulder straps, based on the convenience of their placement. For example, on the pursuit of the SS-Obersturmführer, the asterisk is shifted down to make room for the monogram. And if there is no monogram or other emblem on the shoulder strap, then the asterisk is usually in the center of the shoulder strap.

So, the rank of an SS officer could be determined simultaneously by shoulder straps and buttonholes:

Untere Fuehrer (junior managers):

1.SS Untersturmführer (SS-Untersturmfuehrer) [administrative service];

2.SS Obersturmführer (SS-Obersturmfuehrer) [tank units]. On the chase is the monogram of the Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler division.

3. SS Hauptsturmführer (SS-Hauptsturmfuehrer) [communication units].

Mittlere Fuehrer;

4.SS-Sturmbannführer (SS Sturmbannfuehrer) [infantry];

5.SS Obersturmbannfuehrer (SS Obersturmbannfuehrer) [artillery];

6.SS-Standartenführer (SS Standartenfuehrer) [medical service];

7.SS Oberfuehrer (SS Oberfuehrer) [tank units].

The insignia in the buttonholes of the SS-Standartenführer and SS-Oberführer changed somewhat in May 1942. Please note that on the old buttonholes of acorns on the buttonhole of the Oberfuhrer there are three, and the Standartenfuehrer has two. In addition, the branches on the old buttonholes are curved, and later straight.

This is essential if you want to determine the period when a particular picture was taken.

A few words about the insignia of the 4th SS division.

It was formed in October 1939 from among the police under the designation "Police Division" (Polizei-D ivision) as an ordinary infantry division, and was not included in the SS divisions, although it was part of the SS troops. Therefore, its military personnel had police ranks and wore police insignia.

In February 1942 The division was officially assigned to the SS troops and received the name "SS Police Division" (SS-Polizei-Division). Since that time, the soldiers of this division began to wear the general SS uniform and SS insignia. At the same time, the upper substrate of officer epaulettes in the division was defined as grassy green.

In early 1943, the division was renamed the "SS Police Grenadier Division" (SS-Polizei-Grenadier-Ddivision).

And only in October 1943 the division received the final name "4th SS Police Motorized Rifle Division" (4.SS-Panzer-Grenadier-Division).

So, from the moment of formation in October 1939 to February 1942, the insignia of the division:

Paired buttonholes of the Wehrmacht model on a grass-green color. The collar is brown with grass green piping. In general, this is the form of the German police.

Shoulder straps on a green backing.

From right to left:

1. Leutnant der Polizei
(Leutnant der Polizei)

2. Oberleutnant der Polizei
(Oberleutnant der Polizei)

3. Hauptmann der Polizei
(Hauptmann der Polizei)

4. Major der Polizei (Major der Polizei)

5. Oberstleutnant der Polizei

6.Oberst der Polizei (Oberst der Polizei).

It is worth noting that from the very beginning this division was commanded by a member of the SS organization SS-Gruppenführer and Police Lieutenant General Karl Pfeffer-Wildenbruch

On camouflage clothing, it was supposed to wear green stripes on a black valve on both sleeves above the elbow. One row of oak leaves with acorns meant a junior officer, two rows of a senior officer. The number of stripes under the leaves meant rank. The picture shows the patches of the SS-Obersturmführer. However, as a rule, SS officers ignored these patches and preferred to designate their rank by releasing a collar with rank insignia over their camouflage clothing.

An interesting remark by one of the Soviet veteran counterintelligence officers SMERSH: "... starting from the end of autumn 44, I repeatedly found carefully wrapped buttonholes, Wehrmacht shoulder straps in the pockets of killed or captured SS men. During interrogation, these SS men unanimously stated that they had previously served in The Wehrmacht and the SS were transferred by order by force, and the old insignia are preserved as a memory of their honest soldier's service.

In conclusion, it should be noted that there was no category of military officials in the SS troops. as in the Wehrmacht, Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine. All positions were filled by the SS. Also, there were no priests in the SS troops, because. Members of the SS were forbidden to practice any religion.

Literature and sources.

1.P. Lipatov. Uniform of the Red Army and the Wehrmacht. Publishing house "Technology-youth". Moscow. 1996
2. Magazine "Sergeant". Series "Chevron". No. 1.
3. Nimmergut J. Das Eiserne Kreuz. Bonn. 1976.
4.Littlejohn D. Foreign legions of the III Reich. Volume 4. San Jose. 1994.
5. Buchner A. Das Handbuch der Waffen SS 1938-1945. Friedeberg. 1996
6. Brian L. Davis. German Army Uniforms and Insignia 1933-1945. London 1973
7.SA soldiers. Assault detachments of the NSDAP 1921-45. Ed. "Tornado". 1997
8. Encyclopedia of the Third Reich. Ed. "Lockheed Myth". Moscow. 1996
9. Brian Lee Davis. Uniform of the Third Reich. AST. Moscow 2000
10. Website "Wehrmacht Rank Insignia" (http://www.kneler.com/Wehrmacht/).
11. Site "Arsenal" (http://www.ipclub.ru/arsenal/platz).
12. V. Shunkov. Soldiers of destruction. Organization, training, armament, Waffen SS uniform. Moscow. Minsk, AST Harvest. 2001
13. A.A. Kurylev. Army of Germany 1933-1945. Astrel. AST. Moscow. 2009
14. W. Boehler. Unoform-Effekten 1939-1945. Motorbuch Verlag. Karlsruhe. 2009

Allgemeine SS officer's cap

Although the SS was the most complex of all the structures that made up the NSDAP, the rank system changed little throughout the history of this organization. In 1942, the rank system took its final form and lasted until the end of the war.

Mannschaften (lower ranks):
SS-Bewerber - SS candidate
SS-Anwaerter - cadet
SS-Mann (SS-Schuetze in the Waffen-SS) - Private
SS-Oberschuetze (Waffen-SS) - private after six months of service
SS-Strummann - junior corporal
SS-Rollenfuehrer - Corporal
Unterfuehrer (non-commissioned officers)
SS-Unterscharfuehrer - Corporal
SS-Scharfuehrer - junior sergeant
SS-Oberscharfuehrer - sergeant
SS-Hauptscharfuehrer - senior sergeant
SS-Sturmscharfuerer (Waffen-SS) - company senior sergeant

Left buttonhole with insignia of an SS Obergruppenführer, front and back view

SS Sturmbannführer's buttonholes

Patch eagle ss

On Labor Day, 1935, the Fuehrer watched a parade of members of the Hitler Youth. To Hitler's left is SS Grupnenführer Philipp Bowler, head of the Führer's personal office. A dagger hangs from Bowler's belt. Bowler and Goebbels (behind the Fuhrer) wear a badge on their chests, issued specifically for Tag der Arbeit 1935, while Hitler, who avoided wearing jewelry on his clothes, limited himself to only one iron cross. The Fuhrer did not even put on the Golden Party Badge.

Samples of SS insignia

From left - from top to bottom: buttonhole of the Oberstgruppenführer, buttonhole of the Obergruppenführer, buttonhole of the Gruppenführer (until 1942)

In the middle - from top to bottom: Gruppenfuhrer's shoulder strap, Gruppenfuhrer's buttonhole, Brigadeführer's buttonhole. Bottom left: Oberführer's buttonhole, Standartenführer's buttonhole.

Bottom right: Obersturmbannführer's buttonhole, Hauptsturmführer's collar with buttonhole, Hauptscharführer's buttonhole.

Below in the middle: shoulder strap of an infantry obersturmbannfuehrer, shoulder strap of an untersturmführer of the communications units of the Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler division, shoulder strap of an oberscharführer of anti-tank self-propelled artillery.

From top to bottom: Oberscharführer collar, Scharführer collar, Rottenführer buttonhole.

Top right: officer's all-SS buttonhole, soldier's buttonhole of the Totenkopf (Dead Head) division, buttonhole of the 20th Estonian SS Grenadier Division, buttonhole of the 19th Latvian SS Grenadier Division

Reverse side of buttonhole

In the Waffen-SS, non-commissioned officers could receive the position of SS-Stabscharfuerer'a (non-commissioned officer on duty). The duties of the non-commissioned officer on duty included various administrative, disciplinary and reporting functions, the SS Staffscharführers had the unofficial nickname "tier Spiess" and wore a tunic, the cuffs of which were decorated with a double piping of aluminum galloon (Tresse).

Untere Fuehrer (junior officers):
SS-Untersturmfuehrer - lieutenant
SS-Obcrstrumfuehrer - Oberleutnant
SS-Hauptsturmfuehrer - Captain

Mittlere Fuehrer (senior officers):
SS-Sturmbannfuehrer - major
SS-Obersturmbannfuehrer - lieutenant colonel
SS“Standar£enfuehrer - Colonel
SS-Oberfuehrer - Senior Colonel
Hoehere Fuehrer (higher officers)
SS-Brigadefuehrer - brigadier general
SS-Gruppenl "uchrer - major general
SS-Obergruppertfuehrer - lieutenant general
SS-Oberstgruppenfuehrer - Colonel General
In 1940, all SS generals also received the corresponding army ranks, for example
SS-Obergruppcnfuehrer und General der Waffen-SS. In 1943, the ranks of generals were supplemented by a police rank, since by this time the police had already been practically absorbed by the SS. The same general in 1943 was called SS-Obergruppenfuehrer und General der Waffen-SS und Polizei. In 1944, some of Himmler's deputies in charge of the Allgemeine-SS. Waffen-SS and police, received the rank of Hoehere SS- und Polizei fuehrer (HSSPI).
Himmler retained his title of Reichsführer-SS. Hitler, who by his position headed the SA. NSKK, Hitler Youth and other formations of the NSDAP. He was Commander-in-Chief of the SS and held the title of Der Oberste Fuehrer der Schutzstaffel.
Allgemeine-SS ranks usually took precedence over the corresponding Waffen-SS and police ranks, so members of the Allgemeine-SS were transferred to the Waffen-SS and police while maintaining their ranks and if they received a promotion, this was automatically taken into account in their rank in the Allgemeine-SS.

Cap officer waffen ss (SS troops)

Candidate officers of the Waffen-SS (Fuehrerbewerber) served in non-commissioned officer positions until receiving officer rank. For 18 months SS- Fuhreranwarter(cadet) received the ranks of SS-Junker, SS-Standartenjunker and SS-Standartenoberjunker, which corresponded to the ranks of SS Unterscharführer, SS Scharführer and SS Haupgscharführer. Officers and candidate officers of the SS enrolled in the reserve received a appendage der Reserve to their rank. . A similar scheme was applied to candidates for non-commissioned officers. Civilian specialists (translators, doctors, etc.) who served in the ranks of the SS received the addition of Sonderfuehrer or Fach fuehrer to their rank.

Cap patch CC (trapezoid)

Skull cockade ss

One of the most cruel and merciless organizations of the 20th century is the SS. Ranks decals, functions - all this was different from those in other types and branches of the troops in Nazi Germany. Reichsminister Himmler brought together all the disparate guard units (SS) into a single army - the Waffen SS. In the article we will analyze in more detail the military ranks and insignia of the SS troops. And first, a little about the history of the creation of this organization.

Prerequisites for the formation of the SS

In March 1923, Hitler was concerned that the leaders of the Stormtroopers (SA) were beginning to feel their power and importance in the NSDAP party. This was due to the fact that both the party and the SA had the same sponsors, for whom the goal of the National Socialists was important - to carry out a coup, and they did not have much sympathy for the leaders themselves. Sometimes it even came to an open confrontation between the leader of the SA - Ernst Röhm - and Adolf Hitler. It was at this time, apparently, that the future Fuhrer decided to strengthen his personal power by creating a detachment of bodyguards - the headquarters guard. He was the first prototype of the future SS. They did not have ranks, but the insignia had already appeared. The abbreviation for headquarters guards was also SS, but it came from the German word Stawsbache. In every hundred SA, Hitler allocated 10-20 people ostensibly to protect high-ranking party leaders. They personally had to take an oath to Hitler, and their selection was carried out carefully.

A few months later, Hitler renames the organization Stosstruppe - that was the name of the shock units of the Kaiser's army during the First World War. The abbreviation SS nevertheless remained the same, despite the fundamentally new name. It is worth noting that the entire Nazi ideology was associated with a halo of mystery, historical continuity, allegorical symbols, pictograms, runes, etc. Even the NSDAP symbol - the swastika - was taken by Hitler from ancient Indian mythology.

Stosstrup Adolf Hitler - the strike force "Adolf Hitler" - acquired the final features of the future SS. They did not yet have their own titles, however, insignia appeared that Himmler would later retain - a skull on headdresses, a black distinctive color of the uniform, etc. The "dead head" on the uniform symbolized the willingness of the detachment to defend Hitler himself at the cost of his life. The basis for the future usurpation of power was prepared.

Emergence of Strumstaffel - SS

After the Beer Putsch, Hitler went to prison, where he spent until December 1924. The circumstances that allowed the future Fuhrer to be released after an attempted armed seizure of power are still incomprehensible.

Upon his release, Hitler first of all forbade the SA to carry weapons and position itself as an alternative to the German army. The fact is that the Weimar Republic could only have a limited contingent of troops under the terms of the Versailles Peace Treaty after the First World War. It seemed to many that the armed units of the SA were a legitimate way to avoid the restriction.

At the beginning of 1925, the NSDAP was restored again, and in November, the "shock detachment". At first it was called Strumstaffen, and on November 9, 1925 it received its final name - Schutzstaffel - "cover squadron". The organization had nothing to do with aviation. This name was invented by Hermann Göring, a famous fighter pilot of the First World War. He liked to use aviation terms in Everyday life. Over time, the "aviation term" was forgotten, and the abbreviation was always translated as "security units." It was headed by Hitler's favorites - Shrek and Schaub.

Selection in the SS

SS gradually became elite unit with good salaries in foreign currency, which for the Weimar Republic with its hyperinflation and unemployment was considered a luxury. All Germans of working age were eager to join the SS detachments. Hitler himself carefully selected his personal guard. Candidates were required to:

1. Age from 25 to 35 years.
2. The presence of two recommendations from current members of the CC.
3. Permanent residence in one place for five years.
4. The existence of such positive qualities like sobriety, strength, health, discipline.

New development under Heinrich Himmler

The SS, despite the fact that it was personally subordinate to Hitler and the Reichsführer SS - from November 1926 this position was occupied by Josef Berthold, was still part of the SA structures. The attitude towards the “elite” in the assault detachments was contradictory: the commanders did not want to have SS members in their detachments, so they shouldered various duties, such as distributing leaflets, subscribing to Nazi agitation, etc.

In 1929, Heinrich Himmler became the leader of the SS. Under him, the size of the organization began to grow rapidly. The SS is turning into an elite closed organization with its charter, a mystical ritual of entry, imitating the traditions of medieval knightly orders. A real SS man had to marry a "model woman." Heinrich Himmler introduced a new mandatory requirement for entry into the renewed organization: the candidate had to prove evidence of purity of lineage in three generations. However, that was not all: the new Reichsführer SS obliged all members of the organization to look for brides only with a “clean” genealogy. Himmler managed to nullify the subjugation of his SA organization, and then completely withdraw from it after he helped Hitler get rid of the SA leader, Ernst Röhm, who sought to turn his organization into a massive people's army.

The bodyguard detachment was transformed first into the Fuhrer's personal guard regiment, and then into the personal SS army. Ranks, insignia, uniforms - everything indicated that the unit was independent. Next, let's talk more about insignia. Let's start with the rank of the SS in the Third Reich.

Reichsfuehrer SS

At the head was the Reichsfuehrer SS - Heinrich Himmler. Many historians claim that he was going to usurp power in the future. In the hands of this man was control not only over the SS, but also over the Gestapo - the secret police, political police and security service (SD). Despite the fact that many of the above organizations were subordinate to one person, they were completely different structures, which sometimes even quarreled with each other. Himmler was well aware of the importance of a branched structure from different services concentrated in the same hands, so he was not afraid of Germany's defeat in the war, believing that such a person would be useful to the Western allies. However, his plans were not destined to come true, and he died in May 1945, biting a vial of poison in his mouth.

Consider the highest ranks of the SS among the Germans and their correspondence with the German army.

Hierarchy of the SS High Command

SS insignia high command consisted in the fact that on the buttonholes on both sides Nordic ritual symbols and oak leaves were depicted. Exceptions - SS Standartenführer and SS Oberführer - wore an oak leaf, but belonged to senior officers. The more they were on the buttonholes, the higher the rank of their owner.

The highest ranks of the SS among the Germans and their correspondence with the land army:

SS officers

Consider the features officers. SS Hauptsturmführer and lower ranks no longer had oak leaves on their buttonholes. Also on the right buttonhole they had the coat of arms of the SS - a Nordic symbol of two lightning bolts.

Hierarchy of SS officers:

SS rank	Buttonholes	Compliance in the army
Oberführer SS	double oak leaf	No match
SS Standartenführer	single leaf	Colonel
Obersturmbannführer SS	4 stars and two rows of aluminum thread	Lieutenant colonel
Sturmbannführer SS	4 stars
SS Hauptsturmführer	3 stars and 4 rows of thread	Hauptmann
Obersturmführer SS	3 stars and 2 rows	Ober Lieutenant
Untersturmführer SS	3 stars	Lieutenant

I would like to immediately note that the German stars did not resemble the five-pointed Soviet ones - they were four-pointed, rather resembling squares or rhombuses. Next in the hierarchy are non-commissioned officer ranks of the SS in the Third Reich. More about them in the next paragraph.

non-commissioned officers

Hierarchy of non-commissioned officers:

SS rank	Buttonholes	Compliance in the army
Sturmscharführer SS	2 stars, 4 rows of thread	Staff sergeant major
Standartenoberjunker SS	2 stars, 2 rows of thread, silver piping	Chief sergeant major
SS Hauptscharführer	2 stars, 2 rows of thread	Oberfenrich
Oberscharführer SS	2 stars	Feldwebel
Standartenunker SS	1 asterisk and 2 rows of thread (differed in shoulder straps)	Fanejunker sergeant major
Scharführer SS		Unter sergeant major
Unterscharführer SS	2 strands at the bottom	non-commissioned officer

Buttonholes are the main, but not the only insignia of ranks. Also, the hierarchy could be determined by shoulder straps and stripes. The military ranks of the SS were sometimes subject to change. However, above we have presented the hierarchy and the main differences at the end of World War II.

The SS troops belonged to the SS organization, service in them was not considered a state service, even if it was legally equated with such. The military uniform of the SS soldiers is quite recognizable around the world, most often this black uniform is associated with the organization itself. It is known that the uniforms for the SS during the Holocaust were sewn by prisoners of the Buchenwald concentration camp.

History of the SS military uniform

Initially, the soldiers of the SS troops (also "Waffen SS") dressed in a gray uniform, extremely similar to the uniform of the attack aircraft of the regular German army. In 1930, the very well-known black uniform was introduced, which was supposed to emphasize the difference between the troops and the rest, to determine the elitism of the unit. By 1939, the SS officers received a white full dress uniform, and from 1934 a gray one was introduced, intended for field battles. The gray military uniform differed from black only in color.

In addition, the SS servicemen relied on a black overcoat, which, with the introduction of a gray uniform, was replaced by a double-breasted one, respectively, in gray. High-ranking officers were allowed to wear an overcoat unbuttoned on the top three buttons so that colored distinctive stripes. Following the same right (in 1941) received the holders of the Knight's Cross, who were allowed to demonstrate the award.

The women's uniform of the Waffen SS consisted of a gray jacket and skirt, as well as a black cap with the image of an SS eagle.

A black ceremonial club tunic with the symbols of the organization for officers was also developed.

It should be noted that in fact the black uniform was the uniform of the SS organization specifically, and not the troops: only SS members had the right to wear this uniform, the transferred Wehrmacht soldiers were not allowed to use it. By 1944, the wearing of this black uniform was officially abolished, although in fact by 1939 it was used only on solemn occasions.

Distinctive features of the Nazi uniform

The SS uniform had a number hallmarks, which are easily remembered even now, after the dissolution of the organization:

• The SS emblem in the form of two Germanic runes "zig" was used on uniform insignia. Runes on uniforms were only allowed to be worn by ethnic Germans - Aryans, foreign members of the Waffen SS were not allowed to use this symbolism.
• "Dead Head" - at first, a metal round cockade with the image of a skull was used on the cap of SS soldiers. Later it was used on the buttonholes of the soldiers of the 3rd tank division.
• A red armband with a black swastika on a white background was worn by members of the SS and stood out significantly from the black dress uniform.
• Image of an eagle with outstretched wings and a swastika ( former coat of arms Nazi Germany) eventually replaced the skulls on the cap badges and began to be embroidered on the sleeves of the uniform.

The camouflage of the Waffen SS differed from the camouflage of the Wehrmacht in its pattern. Instead of the accepted pattern design with applied parallel lines, creating the so-called "rain effect", wood and plant drawings were used. Since 1938, the following elements of SS uniform camouflage have been adopted: camouflage jackets, reversible helmet covers and face masks. On camouflage clothing, it was necessary to wear green stripes indicating the rank on both sleeves, although for the most part this requirement was not respected by the officers. In the campaigns, a set of stripes was also used, each of which denoted one or another military qualification.

SS uniform insignia

The ranks of the Waffen SS soldiers did not differ from the ranks of the Wehrmacht employees: there were differences only in form. The same distinctive signs were used on the uniform, such as shoulder straps and embroidered buttonholes. SS officers wore insignia with the symbols of the organization both on shoulder straps and in buttonholes.

The shoulder straps of SS officers had a double backing, the upper one differed in color depending on the type of troops. The backing was edged with a silver cord. On shoulder straps there were signs of belonging to one or another part, metal or embroidered with silk threads. The shoulder straps themselves were made of gray galloon, while their lining was invariably black. The bumps (or "stars") on the shoulder straps, designed to denote the rank of an officer, were bronze or gilded.

On the buttonholes, runic "ridges" were depicted on one, and insignia by rank on the other. The employees of the 3rd Panzer Division, which was nicknamed the "Dead Head" instead of "zig", had an image of a skull, which was previously worn as a cockade on the SS caps. Along the edge of the buttonholes, they were edged with twisted silk cords, and the generals were covered with black velvet. They also knocked out the general's caps.

Video: SS form

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The SS is one of the most sinister and frightening organizations of the 20th century. Until now, it is a symbol of all the atrocities of the Nazi regime in Germany. At the same time, the SS phenomenon and the myths that circulate about its members are interesting subject for studying. Many historians still find documents of these very “elite” Nazis in the archives of Germany.

Now we will try to understand their nature. and the titles of the SS today will be the main topic for us.

History of creation

For the first time, the abbreviation SS for Hitler's personal paramilitary security unit was used in 1925.

The leader of the Nazi Party surrounded himself with security even before the Beer Putsch. However, it acquired its sinister and special meaning only after it was re-recruited for Hitler released from prison. Then the ranks of the SS were still extremely stingy - there were groups of ten people who were led by the Fuhrer of the SS.

The main purpose of this organization was to protect members of the National Socialist Party. The SS appeared much later, when the Waffen-SS was formed. These were precisely those parts of the organization that we remember most clearly, since they fought at the front, among the ordinary soldiers of the Wehrmacht, although they stood out to many among them. Prior to this, the SS was, though paramilitary, but a "civilian" organization.

Formation and activity

As mentioned above, initially the SS is just the bodyguard of the Fuhrer and some other high-ranking members of the party. However, gradually this organization began to expand, and the first sign of its future power was the introduction of a special SS title. It's about about the position of the Reichsführer, then still just the head of all SS Fuhrers.

The second important moment in the rise of the organization was the permission to patrol the streets along with the police. This made the members of the SS no longer just guards. The organization has become a full-fledged law enforcement agency.

However, at that time, the military ranks of the SS and the Wehrmacht were still considered equivalent. The main event in the formation of the organization can, of course, be called the coming to the post of Reichsfuehrer Heinrich Himmler. It was he who, while in parallel as head of the SA, issued a decree that did not allow any of the military to give orders to members of the SS.

At that time, this decision, of course, was taken with hostility. Moreover, along with this, a decree was immediately issued, which demanded that all the best soldiers be placed at the disposal of the SS. In fact, Hitler and his closest associates pulled off a brilliant scam.

Indeed, among the military class, the number of adherents of the National Socialist labor movement was minimal, and therefore the leaders of the party, seizing power, understood the threat posed by the army. They needed the firm belief that there were people who would take up arms on the orders of the Führer and be ready to die while carrying out the tasks assigned to them. Therefore, Himmler actually created a personal army for the Nazis.

The main purpose of the new army

These people performed the dirtiest and lowest, from the point of view of morality, work. Under their responsibility were concentration camps, and during the war, members of this organization became the main participants in punitive cleansing operations. SS titles appear in every crime committed by the Nazis.

The final victory of the authority of the SS over the Wehrmacht was the appearance of the SS troops - later the military elite of the Third Reich. Not a single general had the right to subjugate a member of even the lowest rung in the organizational ladder of the "security detachment", although the ranks in the Wehrmacht and the SS were similar.

Selection

To get into the party organization of the SS, it was necessary to meet many requirements and parameters. First of all, SS titles were received by men with absolutely their age at the time of joining the organization should have been 20-25 years. They were required to have a “correct” skull structure and absolutely healthy white teeth. Most often, joining the SS ended "service" in the Hitler Youth.

Appearance was one of the most important selection parameters, since people who were members of the Nazi organization were to become the elite of the future German society, "equal among unequals." It is clear that the most important criterion was the endless devotion to the Fuhrer and the ideals of National Socialism.

However, this ideology did not last long, or rather, almost completely collapsed with the advent of the Waffen-SS. During the Second World War, the personal army of Hitler and Himmler began to recruit anyone who would show a desire and prove loyalty. Of course, they tried to maintain the prestige of the organization by assigning only the ranks of the SS troops to newly recruited foreigners and not accepting them into the main cell. After serving in the army, such individuals were to receive German citizenship.

In general, the "elite Aryans" during the war "ended" very quickly, being killed on the battlefield and taken prisoner. Only the first four divisions were fully "staffed" with a pure race, among which, by the way, was the legendary "Dead Head". However, already the 5th (“Viking”) made it possible for foreigners to receive the titles of the SS.

divisions

The most famous and sinister is, of course, the 3rd tank division"Dead Head". Many times it completely disappeared, being destroyed. However, it has been reborn again and again. However, the division gained notoriety not because of this, and not because of any successful military operations. "Dead Head" is, first of all, an incredible amount of blood on the hands of military personnel. It is on this division that lies the largest number crimes against both the civilian population and prisoners of war. Ranks and ranks in the SS did not play any role during the tribunal, since almost every member of this unit managed to "distinguish itself."

The second most legendary was the Viking division, recruited, according to the Nazi wording, "from peoples close in blood and spirit." Volunteers from the Scandinavian countries entered there, although their number was not off scale. Basically, SS titles were still worn only by the Germans. However, a precedent was created, because the Viking became the first division where foreigners were recruited. For a long time they fought in the south of the USSR, Ukraine became the main place of their "exploits".

"Galicia" and "Ron"

The division "Galicia" also occupies a special place in the history of the SS. This unit was made up of volunteers from Western Ukraine. The motives of people from Galicia who received German ranks The SS were simple - the Bolsheviks came to their land just a few years ago and managed to repress a considerable number of people. They went to this division rather not out of ideological similarity with the Nazis, but for the sake of the war with the communists, whom many Western Ukrainians perceived in the same way as the citizens of the USSR - the German invaders, that is, as punishers and murderers. Many went there out of a thirst for revenge. In short, the Germans were looked upon as liberators from the Bolshevik yoke.

This view was typical not only for the inhabitants of Western Ukraine. The 29th division of "RONA" gave the ranks and shoulder straps of the SS to the Russians, who had previously tried to gain independence from the communists. They got there for the same reasons as the Ukrainians - a thirst for revenge and independence. For many people, joining the SS was a real salvation after a life broken by the 30s of Stalin's years.

At the end of the war, Hitler and his allies were already going to extremes in order to keep people associated with the SS on the battlefield. The army began to recruit literally boys. A striking example this is the Hitler Youth division.

In addition, on paper there are many units that were never created, for example, the one that was supposed to become Muslim (!). Even blacks sometimes got into the ranks of the SS. This is evidenced by old photographs.

Of course, when it came to this, all elitism disappeared, and the SS became just an organization under the leadership of the Nazi elite. The set of "non-ideal" soldiers only testifies to the desperation that Hitler and Himmler were in at the end of the war.

Reichsfuehrer

The most famous head of the SS was, of course, Heinrich Himmler. It was he who made a "private army" out of the Fuhrer's guard and held out as its leader for the longest time. This figure is now largely mythical: it is impossible to say clearly where the fiction ends and where the facts from the biography of the Nazi criminal begin.

Thanks to Himmler, the authority of the SS was finally strengthened. The organization became a permanent part of the Third Reich. The SS title he carried actually made him the commander-in-chief of the entire personal army Hitler. It must be said that Heinrich approached his position very responsibly - he personally examined the concentration camps, conducted inspections in divisions, and participated in the development of military plans.

Himmler was for real ideological Nazi and considered service in the SS his real vocation. The main goal of life for him was the extermination of the Jewish people. Probably the descendants of those who suffered from the Holocaust should curse him more than Hitler.

Due to the impending fiasco and Hitler's increasing paranoia, Himmler was accused of high treason. The Fuhrer was sure that his ally had entered into an agreement with the enemy in order to save his life. Himmler lost all high posts and titles, and the well-known party leader Karl Hanke was to take his place. However, he did not have time to do anything for the SS, since he simply could not take the office of Reichsfuehrer.

Structure

The SS army, like any other paramilitary formation, was strictly disciplined and well organized.

The smallest unit in this structure was the Shar-SS squad, consisting of eight people. Three similar army units formed a troupe-SS - according to our concepts, this is a platoon.

The Nazis also had their own analogue of the Sturm-SS company, consisting of about one and a half hundred people. They were commanded by an Untersturmführer, whose rank was the first and lowest among the officers. Of the three such units, the Sturmbann-SS was formed, headed by the Sturmbannfuehrer (the rank of major in the SS).

And, finally, the Shtandar-SS is the highest administrative-territorial organizational unit, an analogue of a regiment.

As you can see, the Germans did not reinvent the wheel and look for too long original structural solutions for their new army. They just picked up analogues of conventional military units, endowing them with a special, excuse me, “Nazi flavor”. The same situation happened with titles.

Ranks

The military ranks of the SS Troops were almost completely similar to the ranks of the Wehrmacht.

The youngest of all was a private, who was called a schütze. Above him stood an analogue of a corporal - a sturmmann. So the ranks rose to the officer's untersturmführer (lieutenant), while continuing to be modified simple army ranks. They walked in this order: Rottenführer, Scharführer, Oberscharführer, Hauptscharführer and Sturmscharführer.

After that, the officers began their work. The highest ranks were the general (Obergruppeführer) of the military branch and the colonel general, who was called Oberstgruppenfuhrer.

All of them were subordinate to the commander in chief and the head of the SS - the Reichsführer. There is nothing complicated in the structure of the SS ranks, except perhaps for pronunciation. However, this system is built logically and in an army way, especially if you add up the ranks and structure of the SS in your head - then everything in general becomes quite simple to understand and remember.

Marks of Excellence

It is interesting to study the ranks and ranks in the SS using the example of shoulder straps and insignia. They were characterized by a very stylish German aesthetics and really reflected in themselves everything that the Germans thought about their achievements and mission. The main theme was death and ancient Aryan symbols. And if the ranks in the Wehrmacht and the SS practically did not differ, then this cannot be said about shoulder straps and stripes. So what's the difference?

The shoulder straps of the rank and file were nothing special - the usual black stripe. The only difference is the patches. he did not go far, but their black shoulder strap was edged with a strip, the color of which depended on the rank. Starting with the Oberscharführer, stars appeared on shoulder straps - they were huge in diameter and quadrangular in shape.

But you can really get it if you consider the insignia of the Sturmbannfuehrer - in form they resembled and were woven into a fancy ligature, on top of which stars were placed. In addition, on the stripes, in addition to stripes, green oak leaves appear.

They were made in the same aesthetics, only they had a golden color.

However, of particular interest to the collector and those who want to understand the culture of the Germans of that time are a variety of stripes, including the badges of the division in which the SS member served. It was both a "dead head" with crossed bones, and a Norwegian hand. These patches were not mandatory, but included in army uniform SS. Many members of the organization proudly wore them, confident that they were doing the right thing and that fate was on their side.

The form

Initially, when the SS first appeared, it was possible to distinguish a “security squad” from an ordinary member of the party by the ties: they were black, not brown. However, in connection with the "elitism", the requirements for appearance and standing out from the crowd increased more and more.

With the advent of Himmler, black became the main color of the organization - the Nazis wore caps, shirts, uniforms of this color. Stripes with runic symbols and a "dead head" were added to them.

However, from the moment Germany entered the war, it turned out that black stood out extremely on the battlefield, so a military gray uniform was introduced. It did not differ in anything except color, and was of the same strict style. Gradually, gray tones completely replaced black. The uniform of black color was considered purely ceremonial.

Conclusion

The military ranks of the SS do not carry any sacred meaning. They are just a copy of the military ranks of the Wehrmacht, one might even say a mockery of them. They say, "Look, we are the same, but you cannot command us."

However, the difference between the SS and the ordinary army was not at all in the buttonholes, shoulder straps and the name of the ranks. The main thing that the members of the organization had was endless devotion to the Fuhrer, which charged them with hatred and bloodthirstiness. According to diaries German soldiers, they themselves did not like the "Hitler dogs" for their arrogance and contempt for all the people around.

The same attitude was towards the officers - the only thing for which the members of the SS were tolerated in the army was for the incredible fear of them. As a result, the rank of major (in the SS this is a Sturmbannfuehrer) began to mean much more for Germany than highest rank in a simple army. The leadership of the Nazi Party almost always took the side of "their own" during some intra-army conflicts, because they knew that they could only rely on them.

In the end, not all SS criminals were brought to justice - many of them fled to South American countries, changing their names and hiding from those to whom they are guilty - that is, from the entire civilized world.