Brigadeführer (German: Brigadefuhrer)- rank in the SS and SA, corresponded to the rank of major general.

On May 19, 1933, he was introduced into the structure of the SS as the title of head of the main territorial divisions of the SS Oberabschnit (SS-Oberabschnitte). This is the highest structural unit of the SS organization. There were 17 of them. It can be equated to an army district, especially since the territorial boundaries of each oberabshnit coincided with the boundaries of the army districts. Oberabshnit did not include a clearly defined number of Abshnits. This depended on the size of the territory, the number of SS formations stationed on it, and the population. Most often, there were three abshnits and several special formations in the oberabshnit: one communications battalion (SS Nachrichtensturmbann), one engineer battalion (SS Pioniersturmbann), one sanitary company (SS Sanitaetssturm), an auxiliary reserve squad of members over 45 years old, or a women's auxiliary squad ( SS Helferinnen). Since 1936, in the Waffen-SS, it corresponded to the rank of major general and the position of division commander.

The change in insignia of the highest Fuhrers (generals) of the SS in April 1942 was caused by the introduction of the rank of Oberstgruppenfuehrer and the desire to unify the number of stars on the buttonholes and shoulder straps that were worn on all other types of uniforms, except for the party uniform, since with an increase in the number of Waffen-SS units, more and more often there were problems with the correct recognition of SS ranks by ordinary Wehrmacht soldiers.

Starting from this SS rank, if its holder was appointed to a military (since 1936) or police (since 1933) service, he received a duplicate rank in accordance with the nature of the service:

SS Brigadeführer and Police Major General - German. SS Brigadefuehrer und der Generalmaior der Polizei
SS Brigadeführer and Major General of the Waffen-SS - German. SS Brigadefuehrer und der Generalmaior der Waffen SS

Until now, teenagers in cinemas (or during a more thorough study of the topic from photographs on the net) catch an aesthetic buzz from the type of uniforms of war criminals, from the uniform of the SS. And adults are not far behind: in the albums of many older people, the famous artists Tikhonov and Armor show off in the appropriate attire.

Such a strong aesthetic impact is due to the fact that for the SS troops (die Waffen-SS) the form and emblem were developed by a talented artist, a graduate of the Hannover Art School and the Berlin Academy, the author of the cult painting "Mother" Karl Diebitsch (Karl Diebitsch). He collaborated with SS uniform designer and fashion designer Walter Heck on the final design. And they sewed uniforms at the factories of the then little-known fashion designer Hugo Boss (Hugo Ferdinand Boss), and now his brand is famous all over the world.

History of the SS uniform

Initially, the SS guards of the party leaders of the NSDAP (Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei - National Socialist German Workers' Party), like the stormtroopers of Rem (the leader of the SA - assault squads - Sturmabteilung), went in a light brown shirt plus breeches and boots.

Even before the final decision on the expediency of the existence of two parallel “advanced guard detachments of the party” at the same time and before the cleansing of the SA, the “imperial leader of the SS” Himmler continued to wear a black edging on the shoulder of a brown tunic to the members of his detachment.

The black uniform was introduced personally by Himmler in 1930. A black tunic of a sample of a military Wehrmacht jacket was worn over a light brown shirt.

At first, this tunic had either three or four buttons, the general appearance of the dress and field uniforms was constantly being refined.

When the black uniform designed by Diebitsch-Heck was introduced in 1934, only a red armband with a swastika remained from the time of the first SS detachments.

At first, there were two sets of uniforms for SS soldiers:

• front door;
• everyday.

Later, without the participation of famous designers, field and camouflage (about eight variants of summer, winter, desert and forest camouflage) uniforms were developed.

The distinctive features of the military units of the SS in appearance for a long time were:

• red armbands with a black edging and a swastika inscribed in a white circle ─ on the sleeve of the tunic of a uniform, jacket or overcoat;
• emblems on caps or caps ─ first in the form of a skull, then in the form of an eagle;
• exclusively for the Aryans ─ signs of belonging to the organization in the form of two runes on the right buttonhole, signs of military seniority on the right.

In those divisions (for example, "Viking") and individual units where foreigners served, the runes were replaced by the emblem of the division or legion.

The changes affected the appearance of the SS in connection with their participation in hostilities, and the renaming of "Allgemeine (general) SS" to "Waffen (armed) SS".

Changes by 1939

It was in 1939 that the famous "dead head" (a skull, made first of bronze, then of aluminum or brass) was transformed into the famous eagle on the cockade of a cap or cap.

The skull itself, along with other new hallmarks, remained a part of the SS Panzer Corps. In the same year, the SS men also received a white dress uniform (white tunic, black breeches).

During the reconstruction of the Allgemein SS into the Waffen SS (a purely "party army" was reorganized into combat troops under the nominal command of the General Staff of the Wehrmacht) the following changes occurred with the uniform of the SS men, under which they were introduced:

• field uniform of gray (the famous "feldgrau") color;
• full dress white uniform for officers;
• overcoats of black or gray colors, also with armbands.

At the same time, the charter allowed the overcoat to be worn unbuttoned on the top buttons, so that it would be easier to navigate in the insignia.

After the decrees and innovations of Hitler, Himmler and (under their leadership) Theodor Eicke and Paul Hausser, the division of the SS into police officers (primarily units of the "Dead Head" type) and combat units finally took shape.

Interestingly, the "police" units could only be ordered personally by the Reichsführer, but the combat units, which were considered the reserve of the military command, could be used by Wehrmacht generals. Service in the "Waffen SS" was equated with the performance conscription, and the police and security forces were not considered military units.

However, SS units remained under close attention the supreme party leadership, as a "sample political force". Hence the constant changes, even during the course of the war, in their uniforms.

SS uniform in wartime

Participation in military companies, the expansion of SS detachments to full-blooded divisions and corps gave rise to a system of ranks (not too different from the general army) and insignia:

• private (schutzman, colloquially just "man", "SS man") wore simple black shoulder straps and buttonholes with two runes on the right (left - empty, black);
• an ordinary “verified”, after six months of service (obershutze) received a “knob” (“asterisk”) of silver color on the shoulder strap of a field (“camouflage”) uniform. The rest of the insignia were identical to Schutzmann;
• the corporal (navigator) received a thin double silver stripe on the left buttonhole;
• Lance Sergeant(Rottenführer) already had four stripes of the same color on the left buttonhole, and on the field uniform the "bump" was replaced with a triangular patch.

The non-commissioned officers of the SS troops (belonging to it is easiest to determine by the “ball” particle) received no longer empty black shoulder straps, but with a silver edging and included ranks from sergeant to senior sergeant major (headquarters sergeant major).

Triangles on the field uniform were replaced by rectangles of various thicknesses (the thinnest for the Unterscharführer, the thickest, almost square, for the Sturmscharführer).

These SS men had the following insignia:

• sergeant (Unterscharführer) ─ black shoulder straps with a silver edging and a small “asterisk” (“square”, “knob”) on the right buttonhole. The same insignia were in the "junker SS";
• senior sergeant (sharführer) ─ the same shoulder straps and silver stripes on the side of the “square” on the buttonhole;
• foreman (oberscharführer) ─ shoulder straps are the same, two stars without stripes on the buttonhole;
• warrant officer (hauptscharführer) ─ buttonhole, like a foreman, but with stripes, there are already two knobs on shoulder straps;
• senior warrant officer or sergeant major (Sturmscharführer) - shoulder straps with three squares, on the buttonhole the same two "squares" as the ensign, but with four thin stripes.

The last title remained quite rare: it was awarded only after 15 years impeccable service. On the field uniform, the silver edging of the epaulette was replaced by green with the corresponding number of black stripes.

SS officer uniform

Junior form officers It differed already in shoulder straps of a camouflage (field) uniform: black with green stripes (thickness and number depending on the rank) closer to the shoulder and intertwined oak leaves above them.

• lieutenant (untersturmführer) ─ silver "empty" shoulder straps, three squares on the buttonhole;
• senior lieutenant (Obersturführer) ─ a square on shoulder straps, a silver stripe was added to the insignia on the buttonhole, two lines on the sleeve patch under the “leaves”;
• captain (hauptsturmführer) ─ additional lines on the patch and on the buttonhole, epaulette with two "knobs";
• major (Sturmbannführer) ─ silver "wicker" shoulder straps, three squares on the buttonhole;
• lieutenant colonel (oberbannshturmführer) ─ one square on a twisted pursuit. Two thin stripes under the four squares on the buttonhole.

Beginning with the rank of major, the insignia underwent minor changes in 1942. The color of the backing of the twisted epaulettes corresponded to the type of troops, sometimes there was a symbol of a military specialty on the epaulette itself (a sign of a tank unit or, for example, a veterinary service). "Knobs" on shoulder straps after 1942 turned from silver into golden signs.

Upon reaching the rank above the colonel, the right buttonhole also changed: instead of the SS runes, stylized silver oak leaves were placed on it (single for a colonel, triple for a colonel general).

The remaining insignia of senior officers looked like this:

• colonel (Standartenführer) ─ three stripes under double leaves on a patch, two stars on shoulder straps, an oak leaf on both buttonholes;
• the unparalleled rank of oberführer (something like "senior colonel") ─ four thick stripes on the patch, a double oak leaf on the buttonholes.

It is characteristic that these officers also had black and green “camouflage” shoulder straps for “field”, combat uniforms. For commanders of higher ranks, the colors were no longer so “protective”.

SS general uniform

On the uniforms of the SS at the highest commanders(of the generals) already golden-colored epaulettes appear on a blood-red substrate, with silver-colored symbols.

The shoulder straps of the “field” uniform are also changing, since there is no need for special disguise: instead of green on a black field for officers, generals wear thin gold signs. Shoulder straps become gold on a light background, with silver insignia (with the exception of the Reichsführer uniform with a modest thin black shoulder strap).

Insignia high command on shoulder straps and buttonholes, respectively:

• major general of the SS troops (brigadeführer in the Waffen SS) ─ gold embroidery without symbols, double oak leaf (until 1942) with a square, triple leaf after 1942 without an additional symbol;
• lieutenant general (gruppenfuehrer) ─ one square, triple oak leaf;
• full general (Obergruppenführer) ─ two “bumps” and an oak leaf shamrock (until 1942, the bottom sheet was thinner on the buttonhole, but there were two squares);
• Colonel General (Oberstgruppenführer) ─ three squares and a triple oak leaf with a symbol below (until 1942, the Colonel General also had a thin sheet at the bottom of the buttonhole, but with three squares).
• The Reichsführer (the closest, but not exact analogue ─ "NKVD People's Commissar" or "Field Marshal General") wore a thin silver epaulette with a silver trefoil on his uniform, and oak leaves surrounded by a bay leaf on a black background in his buttonhole.

As you can see, the SS generals neglected (with the exception of the Reich Minister) the protective color, however, in battles, with the exception of Sepp Dietrich, they had to participate less often.

Insignia of the Gestapo

In the SD security service, the Gestapo also wore SS uniforms, the ranks and insignia practically coincided with the ranks in the Waffen or the Allgemein SS.

The employees of the Gestapo (later also the RSHA) were distinguished by the absence of runes on their buttonholes, as well as the obligatory badge of the security service.

An interesting fact: in the great TV movie Lioznova, the viewer almost always sees Stirlitz in, although at the time of the spring of 1945, the black uniform almost everywhere in the SS was replaced by a dark green "parade" more convenient for front-line conditions.

Muller could walk in an exceptionally black tunic ─ both as a general and as an advanced high-ranking leader who rarely goes to the regions.

Camouflage

After the transformation of security detachments into combat units by decrees of 1937, samples of camouflage uniforms began to enter the elite combat units of the SS by 1938. It included:

• helmet cover;
• jacket
• face mask.

Camouflage capes (Zelltbahn) appeared later. Trousers (breeches) before the appearance of reversible overalls in the region of 1942-43 were from the usual field uniform.

The pattern itself on camouflage overalls could use many "small-spotted" forms:

• dotted;
• under oak (eichenlaub);
• palm (palmenmuster);
• plane leaves (platanen).

At the same time, camouflage jackets (and then reversible overalls) had almost the entire required range of colors:

• autumn;
• summer (spring);
• smoky (black-gray polka dots);
• winter;
• "desert" and others.

Initially, uniforms made of camouflage waterproof fabrics were supplied to the Verfugungstruppe (disposition troops). Later, camouflage became an integral part of the uniform of the SS "target" groups (Einsatzgruppen) of reconnaissance and sabotage detachments and units.

The German leadership during the war years was creative in creating camouflage uniforms: the finds of the Italians (the first creators of camouflage) and the developments of the Americans and the British, which were among the trophies, were successfully borrowed.

Nevertheless, one should not underestimate the contribution of German scientists themselves and scientists collaborating with the Hitler regime to the development of such famous camouflage brands as

• ss beringt eichenlaubmuster;
• sseichplatanenmuster;
• ssleibermuster;
• sseichenlaubmuster.

Professors of physics (optics) who studied the effects of the passage of light rays through rain or foliage worked on the creation of these types of colors.
About the SS-Leibermuster camouflage suit Soviet intelligence less was known than the allied one: it was used on the Western Front.

At the same time (according to American intelligence), yellow-green and black lines were applied to the tunic and crest with a special "light-absorbing" paint, which also reduced the level of radiation in infrared spectrum.

The existence of such paint in 1944-1945 is still relatively little known, it is suggested that it was a “light-absorbing” (of course, partially) black fabric, on which drawings were later applied.

In the 1956 Soviet film "In the 45th Square" you can see saboteurs in costumes most reminiscent of the SS-Leibermuster.

In a single copy, a sample of this military uniform is in the military museum in Prague. So, there can be no question of any mass tailoring of the uniform of this sample; such camouflage patterns were produced so little that now they are one of the most interesting and expensive rarities of the Second World War.

It is believed that it was these camouflages that gave impetus to American military thought to develop camouflage clothing for modern commandos and other special forces.

Camouflage "SS-Eich-Platanenmuster" was much more common on all fronts. Actually "Platanenmuster" ("woody") is found in pre-war photos. By 1942, “turnaround” or “reversible” jackets of the “Eich-Platanenmuster” color scheme began to be massively supplied to the SS troops ─ autumn camouflage on the front, spring colors on reverse side fabrics.

Actually, this tricolor, with broken lines"rain" or "branches" combat uniforms and is most often found in films about the Second World War and the Great Patriotic War.

The "eichenlaubmuster" and "beringteichenlaubmuster" camouflage patterns (respectively "oakleaf type "A", oakleaf type "B") were widely popular in the Waffen SS in 1942-44.

However, for the most part, capes and raincoats were mainly made from them. And the soldiers of the special forces already independently (in many cases) sewed jackets and helmets from capes.

SS form today

Favorably aesthetically solved black form of the SS is still popular today. Unfortunately, most often not where it is really necessary to recreate authentic uniforms: not in Russian cinema.

A small “blunder” of Soviet cinema was mentioned above, but with Lioznova, the almost constant wearing of black uniforms by Stirlitz and other characters could be justified by the general concept of the “black and white” series. By the way, in the colorized version, Stirlitz appears a couple of times in the "green" "parade".

But in modern Russian films on the theme of the Great Patriotic War, horror drives with horror in terms of reliability:

• infamous 2012 film, Serving Soviet Union”(about how the army fled, but political prisoners on the western border defeated SS sabotage units) ─ we observe SS men in 1941, dressed in something between Beringtes Eichenlaubmuster and even more modern digital camouflage;
• the sad picture “In June 1941” (2008) allows you to see SS men in full dress black uniform on the battlefield.

There are many similar examples, even the “anti-Soviet” joint Russian-German film of 2011 with Guskov “4 Days in May”, where the Nazis, in the 45th, are mostly dressed in camouflage from the first years of the war, is not spared from mistakes.

But the SS parade uniform enjoys well-deserved respect from reenactors. Of course, various extremist groups are also striving to pay tribute to the aesthetics of Nazism, and even those not recognized as such, such as relatively peaceful “Goths”.

Probably, the fact is that thanks to history, as well as the classic films "The Night Porter" by Cavani or "The Death of the Gods" by Visconti, the public has developed a "protest" perception of the aesthetics of the forces of evil. No wonder the leader of the "Sex Pistols" Sid Wishers often appeared in a T-shirt with a swastika, in the collection of fashion designer Jean-Louis Shearer in 1995, almost all toilets were ornamented with either imperial eagles or oak leaves.

The horrors of war are forgotten, but the feeling of protest against the bourgeois society remains almost the same - such a sad conclusion can be drawn from these facts. Another thing is the "camouflage" colors of fabrics created in Nazi Germany. They are aesthetic and comfortable. And therefore they are widely used not only for games of reenactors or work on personal plots, but also by modern fashion couturiers in the world of big fashion.

Video

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, SS officers received a white 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. Officers of high ranks were allowed to wear their overcoat unbuttoned on the top three buttons so that the colored distinctive stripes were visible. Following the same right (in 1941) were received by gentlemen Knight's Cross who were allowed to display 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 conventional pattern design with applied parallel lines, creating the so-called "rain effect", wood and plant patterns were used. Since 1938, the following camouflage elements of the SS uniform 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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Rank insignia
security officers (SD) of Germany
(Sicherheitsdienst des RfSS, SD) 1939-1945

Preface.
Before describing the insignia of security officers (SD) in Germany during the Second World War, it is necessary to give some clarifications, which, however, will further confuse readers. And the point is not so much in these signs and uniforms themselves, which were repeatedly changed (which further confuses the picture), but in the complexity and intricacies of the entire structure of state administration in Germany at that time, which, moreover, was closely intertwined with the party organs of the Nazi Party , in which, in turn, the SS organization and its structures, often beyond the control of party bodies, played a huge role.

First of all, as if within the framework of the NSDAP (National Socialist German Workers' Party) and as if being the fighting wing of the party, but at the same time not subordinate to the party bodies, there was a certain public organization Schutzstaffel (SS), which initially represented groups of activists who were engaged in the physical protection of rallies and meetings of the party, the protection of its top leaders. This public, I emphasize - a public organization after numerous reforms in 1923-1939. It was transformed and began to consist of the CC proper public organization (Algemeine SS), SS troops (Waffen SS) and concentration camp guard units (SS-Totenkopfrerbaende).

The entire organization of the SS (and the general SS, and the SS troops and parts of the camp guards) was subordinate to the Reichsführer SS Heinrich Himmler, who, in addition, was the chief of police for all of Germany. Those. in addition to one of the highest party posts, he also held a public position.

In the autumn of 1939, the General Directorate of State Security (Reichssicherheitshauptamt (RSHA)) was created to manage all the structures involved in ensuring the security of the state and the ruling regime, law enforcement (police agencies), intelligence and counterintelligence.

From the author. Usually in our literature it is written "Main Directorate of Imperial Security" (RSHA). However, the German word Reich is translated as "state", and by no means as "empire". The German word for empire is Kaiserreich. Literally - "the state of the emperor." There is another word for the concept of "empire" - Imperium.
Therefore, I use words translated from German as they mean, and not as generally accepted. By the way, people who are not very knowledgeable in history and linguistics, but inquisitive minds, often ask: "Why was Hitler's Germany called an empire, and why was there no emperor in it even nominally, as, say, in England?"

Thus, the RSHA is a state institution, and by no means a party one and not part of the SS. It can be compared to some extent with our NKVD.
Another question is that this state institution is subordinate to the Reichsführer SS G. Himmler, and he, of course, first of all recruited members of the public organization CC (Algemeine SS) as employees of this institution.
However, note that not all employees of the RSHA were members of the SS, and not all departments of the RSHA consisted of members of the SS. For example, the criminal police (5th department of the RSHA). Most of its leaders and employees were not members of the SS. Even in the Gestapo there were quite a few people in the leadership who were not members of the SS. Yes, the famous Müller himself became a member of the SS only in the summer of 1941, although he had been in charge of the Gestapo since 1939.

Let's move on to SD.

Initially in 1931 (that is, even before the Nazis came to power) the SD was created (from among the members of the general SS) as an internal security structure of the SS organization to deal with various violations of order and rules, to identify government agents and hostile among the members of the SS political parties, provocateurs, renegades, etc.
in 1934 (this was already after the Nazis came to power), the SD extended its functions to the entire NSDAP, and actually left the subordination of the SS, but was still subordinate to the Reichsführer SS G. Himmler.

In 1939 with the creation of the Main Directorate State Security(Reichssicherheitshauptamt (RSHA)) SD entered its structure.

The SD in the structure of the RSHA was represented by two departments (Amt):

Amt III (Inland SD) who dealt with the issues state building, immigration, race and public health, science and culture, industry and commerce.

Amt VI (Ausland-SD), who was engaged in intelligence work in Northern, Western and Eastern Europe, the USSR, the USA, Great Britain and in the countries South America. It was this department that was headed by Walter Schellenberg.

And also many of the SD employees were not SS men. And even the head of subdivision VI A 1 was not a member of the SS.

So ss and sd is different organizations, although subordinate to the same leader.

From the author. In general, there is nothing strange here. This is a fairly common practice. For example, in today's Russia there is the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD), to which two rather different structures are subordinate - the police and Internal troops. And in Soviet times, the structure of the Ministry of Internal Affairs also included a fire brigade and structures for managing places of deprivation of liberty.

Thus, in summary, it can be argued that the SS is one thing, and the SD is something else, although there are a lot of SS members among the employees of the SD.

Now you can move on to the uniform and insignia of SD employees.

End of preface.

In the picture on the left: A soldier and an SD officer in service uniform.

First of all, the SD officers wore a light gray open jacket with a white shirt and a black tie, similar to the uniform of the general SS mod. 1934 (the replacement of the black SS uniform by gray continued from 1934 to 1938), but with its own insignia.
The piping on the caps of officers is made of a silver flagellum, and the piping of soldiers and non-commissioned officers is green. Only green and no other.

The main difference in the uniform of the SD employees is that there are no signs in the right buttonhole(runes, skulls, etc.). All SD ranks up to and including the Obersturmannführer have a pure black buttonhole.
Soldiers and non-commissioned officers have buttonholes without edging (until May 1942, the edging still had a black and white striped one), officers have buttonholes edged with a silver flagellum.

Above the cuff of the left sleeve is a black rhombus with white letters SD inside. For officers, the rhombus is edged with a silver flagellum.

In the photo on the left: sleeve patch of an SD officer and buttonholes with insignia of an SD Untersturmfuehrer (Untersturmfuehrer des SD).

On the left sleeve above the cuff of the SD officers serving in the headquarters and departments, it is obligatory a black ribbon with silver stripes along the edges, on which the place of service is indicated in silver letters.

In the picture on the left: a sleeve tape with an inscription indicating that the owner is serving in the SD Service Directorate.

In addition to the service uniform, which was used for all occasions (service, festive, weekend, etc.), SD officers could wear field uniforms similar to the field uniforms of the Wehrmacht and the SS troops with their own insignia.

In the picture on the right: the field uniform (feldgrau) of the Untersharfuehrer des SD (Untersharfuehrer des SD) model 1943. This uniform has already been simplified - the collar is not black, but the same color as the uniform itself, the pockets and their flaps are of a simpler design, there are no cuffs. The right clean buttonhole and the only asterisk in the left, denoting the rank, are clearly visible. Sleeve emblem in the form of an SS eagle, and at the bottom of the sleeve a patch with the letters SD.
Pay attention to the characteristic appearance of epaulets and the green edging of the epaulette of the police sample.

The rank system in the SD deserves special attention. SD employees were named after their SS ranks, but instead of the prefix SS- before the name of the rank, they had the letters SD behind the name. For example, not "SS-Untersharfuehrer", but "Untersharfuehrer des SD". If the employee was not a member of the SS, then he wore a police rank (and obviously a police uniform).

Shoulder straps of soldiers and non-commissioned officers of the SD, not of the army, but of the police sample, but not brown, but black. Please pay attention to the titles of the employees of the SD. They differed both from the ranks of the general SS and from the ranks of the SS troops.

In the picture on the left: SD Unterscharführer's epaulette. The lining of the shoulder strap is grass green, on which two rows of doubled soutache cord are superimposed. The inner cord is black, the outer cord is silver with black stripes. They go around the button at the top of the shoulder strap. Those. in its structure, this is an shoulder strap of the chief officer type, but with cords of other colors.

SS-Mann (SS-Mann). Shoulder strap black police sample without piping. Before May 1942 buttonholes were edged with black and white lace.

From the author. Why the two very first ranks in the SD are SS, and the ranks of the general SS, is not clear. It is possible that SD employees were recruited for the lowest positions from among the rank and file members of the general SS, who were assigned police-style insignia, but were not given the status of SD employees.
These are my conjectures, since Boehler does not explain this misunderstanding in any way, and there is no primary source at my disposal.

It is very bad to use secondary sources, because errors inevitably occur. This is natural, since the secondary source is a retelling, an interpretation by the author of the original source. But for lack of it, you have to use what you have. It's still better than nothing.

SS-Sturmmann (SS-Sturmmann) Black police shoulder strap. The outer row of the doubled soutache cord is black with silver streaks. Please note that in the SS troops and in the general SS, the shoulder straps of SS-Mann and SS-Sturmmann are exactly the same, but here there is already a difference.
On the left buttonhole there is one row of double silver soutache lace.

Rottenfuehrer des SD (Rottenfuehrer SD) The epaulette is the same, but the usual German is sewn on the bottom 9mm aluminum galloon. On the left buttonhole are two rows of doubled silver soutache lace.

From the author. Curious moment. In the Wehrmacht and in the SS troops, such a patch indicated that the owner was a candidate for the non-commissioned officer rank.

Unterscharfuehrer des SD (Unterscharfuehrer SD) Black police shoulder strap. The outer row of the doubled soutache cord is silver or light gray (depending on what it is made of, aluminum or silk thread) with black piping. The shoulder strap lining, forming, as it were, an edging, grassy green. This color is generally characteristic of the German police.
There is one silver star on the left buttonhole.

Scharfuehrer des SD (Scharfuehrer SD) Black police shoulder strap. outer row double soutache cord silver with black prosnovki. the lining of the shoulder strap forming, as it were, a grass-green edging. The lower edge of the epaulette closes with the same silver cord with black stitching.
On the left buttonhole, in addition to the asterisk, there is one row of double silver soutache lace.

Oberscharfuehrer des SD (Oberscharführer SD) Shoulder strap black police pattern. The outer row of the double soutache cord is silver with black streaks. shoulder strap lining forming, as it were, an edging, grassy green. The lower edge of the epaulette closes with the same silver cord with black stitching. In addition, there is one silver star on the chase.
There are two silver stars on the left buttonhole.

Hauptscharfuehrer des SD (Hauptscharfuehrer SD) Shoulder strap black police pattern. The outer row of the double soutache cord is silver with black streaks. The lining of the shoulder strap forming, as it were, a grass-green edging. The lower edge of the epaulette closes with the same silver cord with black stitching. In addition, there are two silver stars on the chase.
On the left buttonhole are two silver stars and one row of double silver soutache lace.

Sturmscharfuehrer des SD (Sturmscharfuehrer SD) Shoulder strap black police pattern. The outer row of the double soutache cord is silver with black streaks. In the middle part of the epaulette weaving from the same silver with black laces and black soutache laces. The lining of the shoulder strap forming, as it were, a grass-green edging. On the left buttonhole are two silver stars and two rows of double silver soutache lace.

It remains unclear whether this rank has existed since the creation of the SD, or whether it was introduced simultaneously with the introduction of the rank of SS-Staffscharführer in the SS troops in May 1942.

From the author. One gets the impression that the title in the SS-Sturmscharführer mentioned in almost all Russian-language sources (including my works) is erroneous. In fact, it is obvious that in May 1942 the rank of SS-Staffscharführer was introduced in the SS troops, and Sturmscharfuhrer in the SD. But these are my conjectures.

The insignia of SD officers are described below. Let me remind you that their epaulets were of the type of officer epaulettes of the Wehrmacht and the SS troops.

In the picture on the left: the epaulette of an SD chief officer. The lining of the shoulder strap is black, the piping is grass green and two rows of doubled soutache cord wrap around the button. In general, this soutache double cord should be of aluminum thread and have a dull silver color. At worst, from light gray shiny silk yarn. But this shoulder strap pattern belongs to the final period of the war and the cord is made of simple, harsh, undyed cotton yarn.

The buttonholes were edged with an aluminum silver flagellum.

All SD officers, starting with the Untershurmführer and ending with the Obersturmbannführer, have the right buttonhole empty, and the insignia on the left. From Standartenführer and above, rank insignia in both buttonholes.

The stars in the buttonholes are silver, on the shoulder straps are golden. Note that in the general SS and in the SS troops, the stars on shoulder straps were silver.

1. Untersturmfuehrer des SD (Untersturmführer SD).
2.Obersturmfuehrer des SD (Obersturmführer SD).
3.Hauptrsturmfuehrer des SD (Hauptsturmführer SD).

From the author. If you start to look through the list of the leadership of the SD, then the question arises, what position did “Comrade Stirlitz” hold there. In Amt VI (Ausland-SD), where, judging by the book and the film, he served, all senior positions (excluding chief V. Schelenberg, who had the rank of general) by 1945 were occupied by officers with a rank no higher than Obersturmbannführer (that is, lieutenant colonel). There was only one Standarteführer, who held a very high position as head of subdivision VI B. A certain Eugen Steimle. And Muller's secretary, according to Böchler, Scholz could not have a rank higher than Unterscharführer at all.
And judging by what Stirlitz did in the film, that is. ordinary operational work, then he could not have a rank higher than that of an unther.
For example, open the Internet and see that in 1941 the commandant of the huge Auschwitz concentration camp (Oschwitz, as the Poles call it) was an SS officer in the rank of Obersturmührer (Senior Lieutenant) named Karl Fritzsch. And none of the other commandants was above the captain's level.
Of course, both the film and the book are purely artistic, but still, as Stanislavsky used to say, "the truth of life must be in everything." The Germans did not scatter ranks and appropriated them sparingly.
And even then, the rank in the military and police structures is a reflection of the officer's skill level, his ability to occupy the appropriate positions. According to the position held, the title is awarded. And even then, not immediately. But it is by no means some kind of honorary title or award for military or service successes. For this there are orders and medals.

The shoulder straps of senior officers of the SD were similar in structure to the shoulder straps of senior officers of the SS and Wehrmacht troops. The lining of the shoulder strap had a grassy green color.

In the picture on the left shoulder straps and buttonholes:

4.Sturmbannfuehrer des SD (Sturmbannfuehrer SD).

5.Obersturmbannfuehrer des SD (Obersturmbannfuehrer SD).

From the author. I deliberately do not give here information about the correspondence between the ranks of the SD, SS and Wehrmacht. And even more so, I do not compare these ranks with the ranks in the Red Army. Any comparisons, especially those based on the coincidence of insignia or the consonance of names, always carry a certain cunning. Even the comparison of titles that I once proposed, based on positions, cannot be considered 100% correct either. For example, our division commander could not have a rank higher than major general, while in the Wehrmacht the division commander was, as they say in the army, a "fork position", i.e. the division commander could be a major general or a lieutenant general.

Starting with the rank of SD Standartenführer, rank insignia were placed in both buttonholes. Moreover, there were differences in lapel pins before May 1942 and after.

It is curious that shoulder straps
Standarteführer and Oberführer were the same (with two stars, but the lapel pins were different. And please note that the leaves are curved before May 1942, and straight after. This is important when dating the pictures.

6.Standartenfuehrer des SD (Standartenfuehrer SD).

7.Oberfuehrer des SD (Oberfuehrer SD).

From the author. And again, if the Standartenführer can somehow be equated with an oberst (colonel), based on the fact that there are two stars on shoulder straps like an oberst in the Wehrmacht, then to whom should the oberführer be equated? Colonel's shoulder straps, and two leaves in buttonholes. "Colonel"? Or "Undergeneral", since until May 1942 the Brigadeführer also wore two leaves in his buttonholes, but with the addition of an asterisk. But the brigadefuhrer's shoulder straps are general's.
To equate to the brigade commander in the Red Army? So our brigade commander clearly belonged to the highest command staff and wore the insignia of the highest, and not the senior command staff, in his buttonholes.
Or maybe it's better not to compare and not equate? Just proceed from the scale of ranks and insignia existing for this department.

Well, and then go the ranks and insignia, which can definitely be considered generals. Weaving on shoulder straps is not from a double silver soutache cord, but from a triple one, with the two outermost cords being golden and the middle one being silver. The stars on the shoulder straps are silver.

8. Brigadefuehrer des SD (Brigadefuhrer SD).

9. Gruppenfuehrer des SD (Gruppenführer SD).

The highest rank in the SD was the title of SD Obergruppenführer.

This title was awarded to the first chief of the RSHA, Reinhard Heydrich, who was killed by agents of the British secret services on May 27, 1942, and to Ernst Kaltenbrunner, who held this post after the death of Heydrich and until the end of the Third Reich.

However, it should be noted that the vast majority of the leadership of the SD were members of the SS organization (Algemeibe SS) and had the right to wear SS uniforms with SS insignia.

It is also worth noting that if members of the Algemeine SS of a general rank who did not hold positions in the SS, police, SD troops simply had the corresponding rank, for example, SS-Brigadefuehrer, then "... and general of the SS troops" were added to the SS rank in the SS troops " . For example, SS-Gruppenfuehrer und General-leutnant der Waffen SS. And those who served in the police, SD, etc. "..and a police general" was added. For example, SS-Brigadefuehrer und General-major der Polizei.

This is general rule, however, there were many exceptions. For example, SD chief Walter Schelenberg was referred to as SS-Brigadefuehrer und General-major der Waffen SS. Those. SS Brigadeführer and major general of the SS troops, although he did not serve a single day in the SS troops.

From the author. Along the way. Shelenberg received the rank of general only in June 1944. And before that, he led the "most important secret service of the Third Reich" in the rank of only Oberführer. And nothing, coped. Apparently, the SD was not so important and all-encompassing special service in Germany. So, like our today's SVR (foreign intelligence service). Yes, and even then the rank is thinner. The SVR is still an independent department, and the SD was just one of the departments of the RSHA.
Apparently, the Gestapo was more important if, since 1939, it was not a member of the SS and not a member of the NSDAP, the district criminal director G. Müller, who was admitted to the NSDAP only in 1939, was admitted to the SS in 1941 and immediately received the rank of SS-Gruppenfuehrer und Generalleutnant der Polizei, that is, the SS Gruppenführer und der Police Generalleutnant.

Anticipating questions and requests, although this is somewhat off topic, we note that the Reichsführer SS wore slightly different insignia. On the gray general SS uniform introduced in 1934, he wore his former epaulettes from the former black uniform. Only epaulets were now two.

In the picture on the left: shoulder strap and buttonhole of Reichsführer SS G. Himmler.

A few words in defense of filmmakers and their "bloopers". The fact is that the uniform discipline in the SS (and in the general SS and in the SS troops) and in the SD was very low, unlike the Wehrmacht. Therefore, it was possible in reality to meet significant deviations from the rules. For example, a member of the SS somewhere in a freelance town, and not only, and in 45 he could join the ranks of the defenders of the city in his black preserved uniform of the thirties.
Here's what I found online when looking for illustrations for my article. This is a group of SD officials sitting in a car. The driver in front in the rank of Rottenführer SD, although he is dressed in a gray tunic arr. 1938, however, his shoulder straps are from the old black uniform (on which one shoulder strap was worn on the right shoulder). Cap, although gray arr. 38g., but the eagle on it is a Wehrmacht uniform (on a dark cloth valve and sewn on the side, not in front. Behind him sits an SD oberscharführer with buttonholes of the sample until May 1942 (striped edging), but the collar is trimmed with a galloon according to the Wehrmacht type. And epaulette not a police sample, but the SS troops.Perhaps, there are no complaints only to the Untersturmführer sitting on the right.And even then, the shirt is brown, not white.

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. Moscow. Minsk, AST Harvest. 2001
13. A.A. Kurylev. Army of Germany 1933-1945. Astrel. AST. Moscow. 2009
14. W. Boehler. Uniform-Effekten 1939-1945. Motorbuch Verlag. Karlsruhe. 2009

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The table contains the ranks and insignia of the SS troops, as well as their comparison with others armed units SS and with military ranks of the Wehrmacht during the Second World War. When comparing, it is necessary to take into account belonging:

and the historical origins and succession of titles in Germany from the beginning of November 1939 to the end of the Third Reich in 1945.

In March 1938, members of the Leibstandarte, Deutschland and Germania regiments were allowed to replace SS shoulder straps with combined arms ones; as a result, the left buttonhole became superfluous, since shoulder straps began to indicate the title. On May 10, 1940, it was finally established for the SS troops that the soldiers of the Leibstandarte and the "reserve divisions" wear a badge from SS runes on the right buttonhole, and only rank badges on the left; the exception was the Totenkopf Division, which was allowed to continue to wear skull emblems on both sides. The pre-war buttonholes, featuring SS runic insignia and skulls with numbers, letters and symbols, were banned "for reasons of secrecy" by an SS order of 10 May 1940 and replaced by the standard badges known today.

The title of Reichsfuehrer SS in the Third Reich had two people - Heinrich Himmler and Karl Hanke (until 1934 "Reichsfuehrer SS" meant a position, not a title).

Special rules and exceptions existed for officer candidates, non-commissioned officers and SS junkers.

So, for example, in the SS the title hauptscharführer was usually assigned to the acting petty officer in an SS company, commander of the third (sometimes second) platoon in a company, or was a rank used for personnel of non-commissioned officer rank serving in the headquarters of the SS or security services (such as the Gestapo and SD). The rank of Hauptscharführer was also often used for concentration camp personnel and Einsatzgruppen personnel. SS Hauptscharführer was older than Oberscharführer SS and younger than SS Sturmscharführer, with the exception of the General SS, where Hauptscharführer was the junior rank immediately following Untersturmführer SS.

Rank Sturmscharführer was established in June 1934, after the Night of the Long Knives. With the reorganization of the SS, the rank of Sturmscharführer was created as the highest rank of non-commissioned officers in the "Troops at the disposal of the SS", instead of the rank of Haupttruppführer, used in the SA. In 1941, on the basis of the "Troops at the disposal of the SS", an organization of SS troops arose, which inherited the title of Sturmscharführer from its predecessor.

Rank untersturmführer in the SS, corresponded to the rank of lieutenant in the Wehrmacht, arose in 1934 from the position of the head of the SS unit - the troupe (it. SS Troupe). The troupe covered the urban area, the rural district, in terms of numbers it was about an army platoon - from 18 to 45 people, consisted of three departments - balls (German. SS-Schar), headed by a Trouppführer (German. SS-Truppführer) or Untersturmführer (German. SS-Untersturmführer), depending on the population. In the SS troops, the Untersturmführer, as a rule, held the position of platoon commander.

Insignia			The rank of the SS troops	Corresponding ranks in ground forces Wehrmacht (German) Heer)
Buttonhole	Shoulder strap	Mask. suit
Generals and marshals
			Reichsführer SS and Field Marshal of the SS SS-Reichsführer und Generalfeldmarschall der Waffen-SS )	Field Marshal General
			SS Oberstgruppenfuehrer and Colonel General of the SS troops (German. SS-Oberst-Gruppenführer und Generaloberst der Waffen-SS )	Oberst General
			SS Obergruppenführer and General of the SS Arms SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS )	General of the Armed Forces
			SS Gruppenführer and Lieutenant General of the SS Troops SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS )	Lieutenant General
			SS Brigadeführer and Major General of the SS Troops SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Waffen-SS )	Major General
officers
			oberführer (according to the rank of the SS troops) (German. SS-Oberführer)	No match
			Standartenführer (military and police officers) Standardenfuhrer)	Colonel (German) Oberst)
			Obersturmbannführer (German) SS-Obersturmbannfuhrer)	Lieutenant Colonel (Oberst Lieutenant) (German) Oberstleutnant)
			Sturmbannführer (German) SS-Sturmbannfuehrer)	Major
			Hauptsturmführer (German) SS-Hauptsturmführer)	Hauptmann/captain
			Obersturmführer (German) SS-Obersturmfuhrer)	Ober Lieutenant
			Untersturmführer (German) SS-Untersturmfuehrer)	Lieutenant
non-commissioned officers
			Sturmscharführer (German) SS-Sturmscharführer). In the Waffen-SS, unlike the SA, an even higher rank was introduced - SS Sturmscharführer.	Staff sergeant major
			Hauptscharführer (German) SS-Hauptscharführer). Rank hauptscharführer became a rank in the SS after the reorganization of the SS following the Night of the Long Knives. This rank was first awarded in June 1934, when it replaced the old rank of Obertruppführer, which was used in the SA. In the General SS, Hauptscharführer was the junior rank immediately below SS-Untersturmführer. In the SS troops, Hauptscharführer was the second most senior rank of non-commissioned officer after Sturmscharführer. There was also a position Staffscharführer, corresponding in its terms of duty to the position of a company or battalion foreman Soviet army. In the SS, the rank of Hauptscharführer was usually assigned to an acting petty officer in an SS company, commander of the third (sometimes second) platoon in a company, or was a rank used for non-commissioned officer rank personnel serving in the headquarters of the SS or security services (such as the Gestapo and SD ). The rank of Hauptscharführer was also frequently used for concentration camp personnel and Einsatzgruppen personnel.	Chief sergeant major
			Standartenoberjunker SS (German) SS-Standartenoberjunker)	Oberfenrich
			Oberscharführer (German) SS-Oberscharführer). After the Night of the Long Knives, the rank of SS Oberscharführer "rose" and became equal to the rank of SA Trouppführer. The buttonhole for the SS rank was changed to have two silver squares, as opposed to one square with a silver stripe as in the SA. The rank of SS Trouppführer was changed to SS Oberscharführer. In the SS troops, Oberscharführers acted as commanders of the third (and sometimes second) platoons of infantry, sapper and other companies, company foremen. In tank units, Oberscharführers were often tank commanders.	Feldwebel
			Standartenunker SS (German) SS-Standartenjunker)	Fanejunker - Feldwebel
			Scharführer (German) SS-Scharfuhrer). In 1934, with the reorganization of the SS rank structure following the Night of the Long Knives, the old SS Scharführer became SS Unterscharführer, and the SS Scharführer became SA Oberscharführer. In the SS troops, the Scharführer, as a rule, held the position of squad leader (crew, tank), or deputy platoon commander (headquarters squad leader).	Unter sergeant major
			Oberjunker SS (German) SS-Oberjunker)	Fenrich
			Unterscharführer CC (German) SS-Unterscharführer) In the SS troops, the rank of Unterscharführer was one of the ranks of junior commanders at the company and platoon levels. The rank was also equal to the first candidate rank for officers of the SS troops - Junker SS. The requirements for combat non-commissioned officers were higher than for non-commissioned officers of the general SS	non-commissioned officer
			Juncker SS (German) SS Junker) Initially, junkers were equated by legal status to the SA Scharführers, then to the SS Unterscharführers.	Fanejunker - non-commissioned officer
privates
No match				Staff Corporal
			Rottenführer (German) SS-Rottenführer). The Hitler Youth also had the title of Rottenführer. In the Luftwaffe, there was the position of a rottenführer - the commander of a pair (leading) in fighter and attack aircraft.	Corporal
			Sturmmann (German) SS-Sturmmann). Rank Sturmmann was assigned after serving in the ranks of the SA from 6 months to 1 year, if available basic knowledge and abilities. Sturmmann is senior over the rank mann, with the exception of the SS, where in 1941 the title was introduced separately obermann, and in the SS troops - the title oberschutz.	corporal
			Oberschutze SS (German) SS Oberschuetze).	Chief soldier
			Mann SS (German) SS Mann). In 1938, due to the increase in the SS troops, the rank mann was replaced by a military rank Schutze(shooter) SS (German) SS Schuetze), but in the general SS the rank was preserved mann.	Soldier, schutz, grenadier.
Collar Anverter General SS			Candidate (German) SS Anwarter) Candidate for entry into the Waffen-SS before the start of the training and preparation process. With the start of training anverter title was automatically assigned Schutze.	No match
SS-Beverber pretender (German) SS Bewerber)					Wehrmacht volunteer

Color coding of the branch of service

White Flag of the 40th Panzergrenadier Regiment
Shoulder strap Oberführer (Standartenfuehrer) Waffen-SS Scarlet Artillery pennant of the SS Leibstandarte "Adolf Hitler"
Obersturmbannführer shoulder strap of the Waffen-SS veterinary service Carmine Tribunal and Prosecutor's Office burgundy Military Geological Service [check translation ! ] Light pink Automobile transport Pink (salmon color) Armored forces, including tank destroyers Pink
Shoulder straps of a sharführer-tanker of the SS troops Communications units, war correspondents, propaganda companies lemon yellow
Oberscharführer shoulder strap of the Waffen-SS Cavalry; motorized (1942-1945) and tank reconnaissance units; units with a cavalry background Gold
Obersturmführer shoulder strap of the Waffen-SS Field gendarmerie and special services Orange
Waffen-SS Unterscharführer shoulder strap Intelligence units (1938-1942) Light brown
Shoulder strap Hauptsturmführer Waffen-SS * Detachments "Dead Head"
* Concentration camp personnel Pale brown
Shoulder strap of a concentration camp Hauptscharführer Security Service poisonous green
Shoulder strap SD Sturmscharführer mountain troops Green
Shoulder strap of the Untersturmführer of the Waffen-SS Sonderführers and personnel of the reserve units dark green
Obersturmführer shoulder strap of the Waffen-SS Supply and transportation units, field mail Blue Shoulder strap of the Waffen-SS Hauptsturmführer Control Blue
Shoulder strap of the Waffen-SS Hauptsturmführer Sanitary Service Cornflower
Waffen-SS shoulder strap Engineering Troops Black
Shoulder strap Standartenführer Waffen-SS

Sources

• Adolf Schlicht, John R. Angolia. Die deutsche Wehrmacht, Uniformierung und Ausrüstung 1933-1945
  • Vol. 1: Das Heer (ISBN 3613013908), Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 1992
  • Vol. 3: Die Luftwaffe (ISBN 3-613-02001-7), Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 1999
• . Retrieved June 7, 2016. .
• . Retrieved June 7, 2016. .
• Cook, Stan and Bender, R. James. Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler - Volume One: Uniforms, Organization, & History. San Jose, CA: R. James Bender Publishing, 1994. ISBN 978-0-912138-55-8
• Hayes, A. SS Uniforms, Insignia and Accoutrements. Schiffer Publishing Ltd. 2000. ISBN 978-0-7643-0046-2
• Lumsden, Robin. A Collector's Guide To: The Allgemeine - SS Ian Allan Publishing, Inc. 2002. ISBN 0-7110-2905-9
• Mollo, Andrew. Uniforms of the SS Collected Edition Vol. 1-6. Motorbooks Intl. 1997. ISBN 978-1-85915-048-1

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An excerpt characterizing the ranks and insignia of the SS troops

“You know, I think,” Natasha said in a whisper, moving closer to Nikolai and Sonya, when Dimmler had already finished and was still sitting, weakly plucking the strings, apparently in indecision to leave or start something new, “that when you remember like that, you remember, you remember everything , until you remember that you remember what was even before I was in the world ...
“This is metampsikova,” said Sonya, who always studied well and remembered everything. “The Egyptians believed that our souls were in animals and would go back to animals.
“No, you know, I don’t believe that we were animals,” Natasha said in the same whisper, although the music ended, “but I know for sure that we were angels there somewhere and here, and from this we remember everything.” …
- May I join you? - Dimmler said quietly approached and sat down to them.
- If we were angels, why did we get lower? Nikolai said. - No, it can't be!
“Not lower, who told you that it was lower? ... Why do I know what I was before,” Natasha objected with conviction. - After all, the soul is immortal ... therefore, if I live forever, so I lived before, lived for eternity.
“Yes, but it’s hard for us to imagine eternity,” said Dimmler, who approached the young people with a meek, contemptuous smile, but now spoke as quietly and seriously as they did.
Why is it so hard to imagine eternity? Natasha said. “It will be today, it will be tomorrow, it will always be, and yesterday was and the third day was ...
- Natasha! now it's your turn. Sing me something, - the voice of the countess was heard. - Why are you sitting down, like conspirators.
- Mum! I don’t feel like it,” Natasha said, but at the same time she got up.
All of them, even the middle-aged Dimmler, did not want to interrupt the conversation and leave the corner of the sofa, but Natasha got up, and Nikolai sat down at the clavichord. As always, standing in the middle of the hall and choosing the most advantageous place for resonance, Natasha began to sing her mother's favorite play.
She said that she did not feel like singing, but she had not sung for a long time before, and for a long time after, as she sang that evening. Count Ilya Andreevich, from the study where he was talking to Mitinka, heard her singing, and like a pupil in a hurry to go to play, finishing the lesson, he got confused in words, giving orders to the manager and finally fell silent, and Mitinka, also listening, silently with a smile, stood in front of count. Nikolai did not take his eyes off his sister, and took a breath with her. Sonya, listening, thought about what an enormous difference there was between her and her friend, and how impossible it was for her to be in any way as charming as her cousin. The old countess sat with a happily sad smile and tears in her eyes, occasionally shaking her head. She thought about Natasha, and about her youth, and about how something unnatural and terrible is in this upcoming marriage of Natasha to Prince Andrei.
Dimmler, sitting down next to the countess and closing his eyes, listened.
“No, countess,” he said at last, “this is a European talent, she has nothing to learn, this gentleness, tenderness, strength ...
– Ah! how I fear for her, how I fear,” said the countess, not remembering to whom she was speaking. Her maternal instinct told her that there was too much in Natasha, and that she would not be happy from this. Natasha had not yet finished singing, when an enthusiastic fourteen-year-old Petya ran into the room with the news that mummers had come.
Natasha suddenly stopped.
- Fool! she shouted at her brother, ran up to a chair, fell on it and sobbed so that she could not stop for a long time afterwards.
“Nothing, mother, really nothing, so: Petya scared me,” she said, trying to smile, but tears kept flowing and sobs squeezed her throat.
Dressed-up servants, bears, Turks, innkeepers, ladies, terrible and funny, bringing with them cold and fun, at first timidly huddled in the hallway; then, hiding one behind the other, they were forced into the hall; and at first shyly, but then more and more cheerfully and amicably, songs, dances, choral and Christmas games began. The countess, recognizing the faces and laughing at the dressed up, went into the living room. Count Ilya Andreich sat in the hall with a beaming smile, approving the players. The youth has disappeared.
Half an hour later, in the hall, among the other mummers, another old lady in tanks appeared - it was Nikolai. The Turkish woman was Petya. Payas - it was Dimmler, the hussar - Natasha and the Circassian - Sonya, with a painted cork mustache and eyebrows.
After condescending surprise, misrecognition and praise from those who were not dressed up, the young people found that the costumes were so good that they had to be shown to someone else.
Nikolai, who wanted to take everyone on an excellent road in his troika, suggested that, taking with him ten dressed-up people from the yard, go to his uncle.
- No, why are you upsetting him, the old man! - said the countess, - and there is nowhere to turn around with him. To go, so to the Melyukovs.
Melyukova was a widow with children of various ages, also with governesses and tutors, who lived four miles from the Rostovs.
“Here, ma chere, clever,” said the old count, who had begun to stir. “Now let me dress up and go with you.” I'll stir up Pasheta.
But the countess did not agree to let the count go: his leg hurt all these days. It was decided that Ilya Andreevich was not allowed to go, and that if Luiza Ivanovna (m me Schoss) went, the young ladies could go to Melyukova's. Sonya, always timid and shy, began to beg Louisa Ivanovna more insistently than anyone else not to refuse them.
Sonya's outfit was the best. Her mustache and eyebrows were unusually suited to her. Everyone told her that she was very good, and she was in a lively and energetic mood unusual for her. Some kind of inner voice told her that now or never her fate would be decided, and in her man's dress she seemed like a completely different person. Luiza Ivanovna agreed, and half an hour later four troikas with bells and bells, screeching and whistling in the frosty snow, drove up to the porch.
Natasha was the first to give the tone of Christmas merriment, and this merriment, reflected from one to another, grew more and more intensified and reached its highest degree at the time when everyone went out into the cold, and talking, calling to each other, laughing and shouting, sat down in the sleigh.
Two troikas were accelerating, the third troika of the old count with an Oryol trotter in the bud; Nikolai's fourth own, with its low, black, shaggy root. Nikolay, in his old woman's attire, on which he put on a hussar, belted cloak, stood in the middle of his sleigh, picking up the reins.
It was so bright that he could see plaques gleaming in the moonlight and the eyes of the horses looking frightened at the riders rustling under the dark canopy of the entrance.
Natasha, Sonya, m me Schoss and two girls sat in Nikolai's sleigh. In the old count's sleigh sat Dimmler with his wife and Petya; dressed up courtyards sat in the rest.
- Go ahead, Zakhar! - Nikolai shouted to his father's coachman in order to have an opportunity to overtake him on the road.
The troika of the old count, in which Dimmler and other mummers sat, screeching with runners, as if freezing to the snow, and rattling with a thick bell, moved forward. The trailers clung to the shafts and bogged down, turning the strong and shiny snow like sugar.
Nikolai set off for the first three; the others rustled and squealed from behind. At first they rode at a small trot along a narrow road. While we were driving past the garden, the shadows from the bare trees often lay across the road and hid the bright light of the moon, but as soon as we drove beyond the fence, a diamond-shiny, with a bluish sheen, a snowy plain, all doused with moonlight and motionless, opened up on all sides. Once, once, pushed a bump in the front sleigh; the next sleigh and the following jogged in the same way, and, boldly breaking the chained silence, the sleigh began to stretch out one after the other.
- A hare's footprint, a lot of footprints! - Natasha's voice sounded in the frosty constrained air.
– As you can see, Nicolas! Sonya's voice said. - Nikolai looked back at Sonya and bent down to get a closer look at her face. Some kind of completely new, sweet face, with black eyebrows and mustaches, in the moonlight, close and far, peeped out of the sables.
"It used to be Sonya," Nikolai thought. He looked closer at her and smiled.
What are you, Nicholas?
“Nothing,” he said, and turned back to the horses.
Having ridden out onto the main road, greased with runners and all riddled with traces of thorns, visible in the light of the moon, the horses themselves began to tighten the reins and add speed. The left harness, bending its head, twitched its traces with jumps. Root swayed, moving his ears, as if asking: “Is it too early to start?” - Ahead, already far separated and ringing a receding thick bell, Zakhar's black troika was clearly visible on the white snow. Shouting and laughter and the voices of the dressed up were heard from his sleigh.
“Well, you, dear ones,” shouted Nikolai, tugging on the reins on one side and withdrawing his hand with a whip. And only by the wind, which seemed to have intensified against them, and by the twitching of the tie-downs, which were tightening and increasing their speed, it was noticeable how fast the troika flew. Nicholas looked back. With a shout and a squeal, waving their whips and forcing the natives to gallop, other troikas kept up. Root steadfastly swayed under the arc, not thinking of knocking down and promising to give more and more when needed.
Nikolai caught up with the top three. They drove off some mountain, drove onto a widely rutted road through a meadow near a river.
"Where are we going?" thought Nicholas. - “It should be on a slanting meadow. But no, it's something new that I've never seen before. This is not a slanting meadow and not Demkina Gora, but God knows what it is! This is something new and magical. Well, whatever it is!” And he, shouting at the horses, began to go around the first three.
Zakhar restrained his horses and turned his already frosted face up to the eyebrows.
Nicholas let his horses go; Zakhar, stretching his hands forward, smacked his lips and let his people go.
“Well, hold on, sir,” he said. - The troikas flew even faster nearby, and the legs of the galloping horses quickly changed. Nicholas began to take forward. Zakhar, without changing the position of his outstretched arms, raised one hand with the reins.
“You’re lying, master,” he shouted to Nikolai. Nikolai put all the horses into a gallop and overtook Zakhar. The horses covered the faces of the riders with fine, dry snow, next to them there was a sound of frequent enumerations and the fast-moving legs were confused, and the shadows of the overtaken troika. The whistle of skids in the snow and women's screams were heard from different directions.
Stopping the horses again, Nikolai looked around him. All around was the same magical plain soaked through with moonlight with stars scattered over it.
“Zakhar shouts for me to take the left; why to the left? Nikolay thought. Are we going to the Melyukovs, is this Melyukovka? We God knows where we are going, and God knows what is happening to us – and what is happening to us is very strange and good.” He looked back at the sleigh.
“Look, he has both a mustache and eyelashes, everything is white,” said one of the sitting strange, pretty and strange people with thin mustaches and eyebrows.
“This one, it seems, was Natasha,” Nikolai thought, and this one is m me Schoss; or maybe not, but this is a Circassian with a mustache, I don’t know who, but I love her.
- Aren't you cold? - he asked. They didn't answer and laughed. Dimmler was shouting something from the rear sleigh, probably funny, but it was impossible to hear what he was shouting.
“Yes, yes,” answered the voices, laughing.
- However, here is some kind of magical forest with iridescent black shadows and sparkles of diamonds and with some kind of enfilade of marble steps, and some kind of silver roofs of magical buildings, and the piercing squeal of some kind of animals. “And if this is indeed Melyukovka, then it is even stranger that we drove God knows where, and arrived at Melyukovka,” thought Nikolai.
Indeed, it was Melyukovka, and girls and lackeys with candles and joyful faces ran out to the entrance.
- Who it? - they asked from the entrance.
“The counts are dressed up, I can see by the horses,” the voices answered.

Pelageya Danilovna Melyukova, a broad, energetic woman, in glasses and a swinging bonnet, was sitting in the living room, surrounded by her daughters, whom she tried not to let get bored. They quietly poured wax and looked at the shadows of the coming out figures, when steps and voices of visitors rustled in the front.
Hussars, ladies, witches, payas, bears, clearing their throats and wiping their frost-covered faces in the hall, entered the hall, where candles were hurriedly lit. Clown - Dimmler with the mistress - Nikolai opened the dance. Surrounded by screaming children, mummers, covering their faces and changing their voices, bowed to the hostess and moved around the room.
"Oh, you can't find out! And Natasha is! Look who she looks like! Right, it reminds me of someone. Eduard then Karlych how good! I didn't recognize. Yes, how she dances! Ah, fathers, and some kind of Circassian; right, how goes Sonyushka. Who else is this? Well, consoled! Take the tables, Nikita, Vanya. And we were so quiet!
- Ha ha ha! ... Hussar then, hussar then! Like a boy, and legs!… I can’t see… – voices were heard.
Natasha, the favorite of the young Melyukovs, disappeared together with them into the back rooms, where a cork was demanded and various dressing gowns and men's dresses, which, through the open door, received bare girlish hands from the footman. Ten minutes later, all the youth of the Melyukov family joined the mummers.
Pelageya Danilovna, having disposed of the clearing of the place for the guests and treats for the gentlemen and servants, without taking off her glasses, with a suppressed smile, walked among the mummers, looking closely into their faces and not recognizing anyone. She did not recognize not only the Rostovs and Dimmler, but she could not recognize either her daughters or those husband's dressing gowns and uniforms that were on them.
- And whose is this? she said, turning to her governess and looking into the face of her daughter, who represented the Kazan Tatar. - It seems that someone from the Rostovs. Well, you, mister hussar, in which regiment do you serve? she asked Natasha. “Give the Turk some marshmallows,” she said to the bartender who was scolding, “this is not forbidden by their law.
Sometimes, looking at the strange but funny steps performed by the dancers, who decided once and for all that they were dressed up, that no one would recognize them and therefore were not embarrassed, Pelageya Danilovna covered herself with a scarf, and her whole fat body shook from the irrepressible kind, old woman's laughter . - Sachinet is mine, Sachinet is mine! she said.
After Russian dances and round dances, Pelageya Danilovna united all the servants and gentlemen together, in one large circle; they brought a ring, a rope and a ruble, and general games were arranged.
After an hour, all the costumes were wrinkled and upset. Cork mustaches and eyebrows smeared over sweaty, flushed, and cheerful faces. Pelageya Danilovna began to recognize the mummers, admired how well the costumes were made, how they went especially to the young ladies, and thanked everyone for having so amused her. The guests were invited to dine in the living room, and in the hall they ordered refreshments for the courtyards.
- No, guessing in the bathhouse, that's scary! said the old girl who lived with the Melyukovs at dinner.
- From what? asked the eldest daughter of the Melyukovs.
- Don't go, it takes courage...
"I'll go," Sonya said.
- Tell me, how was it with the young lady? - said the second Melyukova.
- Yes, just like that, one young lady went, - said the old girl, - she took a rooster, two appliances - as it should, she sat down. She sat, only hears, suddenly rides ... with bells, with bells, a sleigh drove up; hears, goes. Enters completely in the form of a human, as an officer, he came and sat down with her at the device.
- BUT! Ah! ... - Natasha screamed, rolling her eyes in horror.
“But how does he say that?”
- Yes, like a man, everything is as it should be, and he began, and began to persuade, and she should have kept him talking to the roosters; and she made money; – only zarobela and closed hands. He grabbed her. It's good that the girls came running here ...
- Well, what to scare them! said Pelageya Danilovna.
“Mother, you yourself guessed ...” said the daughter.
- And how do they guess in the barn? Sonya asked.
- Yes, at least now, they will go to the barn, and they will listen. What do you hear: hammering, knocking - bad, but pouring bread - this is good; and then it happens...
- Mom, tell me what happened to you in the barn?
Pelageya Danilovna smiled.
“Yes, I forgot…” she said. “After all, you won’t go, will you?”
- No, I'll go; Pepageya Danilovna, let me go, I'll go, - said Sonya.
- Well, if you're not afraid.
- Louise Ivanovna, can I have one? Sonya asked.
Whether they played a ring, a rope or a ruble, whether they talked, as now, Nikolai did not leave Sonya and looked at her with completely new eyes. It seemed to him that today only for the first time, thanks to that cork mustache, he fully recognized her. Sonya really was cheerful that evening, lively and good, such as Nikolay had never seen her before.
“So that’s what she is, but I’m a fool!” he thought, looking at her sparkling eyes and a happy, enthusiastic smile, dimpled from under her moustache, which he had not seen before.
"I'm not afraid of anything," said Sonya. - Can I do it now? She got up. Sonya was told where the barn was, how she could stand silently and listen, and they gave her a fur coat. She threw it over her head and looked at Nikolai.
"What a beauty this girl is!" he thought. “And what have I been thinking about until now!”
Sonya went out into the corridor to go to the barn. Nikolai hurriedly went to the front porch, saying that he was hot. Indeed, the house was stuffy from the crowded people.
It was the same unmoving cold outside, the same month, only it was even lighter. The light was so strong and there were so many stars in the snow that I didn’t want to look at the sky, and real stars were invisible. It was black and dull in the sky, it was fun on the ground.
"I'm a fool, a fool! What have you been waiting for until now? Nikolay thought, and, running away to the porch, he walked around the corner of the house along the path that led to the back porch. He knew that Sonya would go here. In the middle of the road stood stacked fathoms of firewood, there was snow on them, a shadow fell from them; through them and from their side, intertwining, the shadows of old bare lindens fell on the snow and the path. The path led to the barn. The chopped wall of the barn and the roof, covered with snow, as if hewn from some precious stone, shone in the moonlight. A tree cracked in the garden, and again everything was completely quiet. The chest, it seemed, was breathing not air, but some kind of eternally young strength and joy.
From the girl's porch, feet pounded on the steps, a loud creak creaked on the last one, on which snow had been applied, and the voice of the old girl said:
“Straight, straight, here on the path, young lady. Just don't look back.
“I’m not afraid,” Sonya’s voice answered, and along the path, in the direction of Nikolai, Sonya’s legs screeched, whistled in thin shoes.