30.09.2007 22:54

In Germany from the autumn of 1936 to May 1945. As part of the Wehrmacht, there was a completely unique military organization - the SS Troops (Waffen SS), which were part of the Wehrmacht only operationally. The fact is that the SS Troops were not the military apparatus of the German state, but were an armed organization of the Nazi Party. But since the German state since 1933 has become an instrument for achieving the political goals of the Nazi Party, the German armed forces also carried out the tasks of the Nazis. That is why the SS Troops were operationally part of the Wehrmacht.

To understand the SS rank system, it is necessary to understand the essence of this organization. Many people believe that the SS Troops are the entire SS organization. However, the SS Troops were only part of it (albeit the most visible). Therefore, the table of ranks will be preceded by a brief historical background. In order to understand the SS, I recommend that you first read the historical background on the SA.

In April 1925, Hitler, concerned about the growing influence of SA leaders and the aggravation of contradictions with them, instructed one of the SA commanders, Julius Schreck, to create the Schutzstaffel (literal translation “defense squad”), abbreviated as SS. For this purpose, it was planned to allocate in each SA Hundert (SA hundred) one SS Gruppe (SS department) in the amount of 10-20 people. The newly created SS units within the SA were assigned a small and insignificant role - the physical protection of senior party leaders (a kind of bodyguard service). On September 21, 1925, Schreck issued a circular on the creation of SS units. At this time there was no need to talk about any SS structure. However, the SS rank system was immediately born; however, these were not yet ranks, but job titles. At this time, the SS was one of the many structural divisions of the SA.

SS ranks from IX-1925 to XI-1926

* Read more about rank encoding .

In November 1926, Hitler began secretly separating SS units from the SA. For this purpose, the position of SS Obergruppenfuehrer (SS Obergruppenfuehrer) is being introduced, i.e. senior leader of SS groups. Thus, the SS received dual control (through the SA and directly along their line). Josef Bertchtold becomes the first Obergruppenführer. In the spring of 1927 he was replaced by Erhard Heiden.

SS ranks from XI-1926 to I-1929.

Code*
	SS Mann (SS Mann)
	SS Gruppenfuehrer (SS Gruppenfuehrer)

In January 1929, Heinrich Himmler (H. Himmler) was appointed head of the SS. SS begins to grow rapidly.

If in January 1929 there were only 280 SS men, then by December 1930 there were already 2,727.

At the same time, an independent structure of SS units emerged.

Hierarchy of SS units from I-1929 to 1932
Rotten	Scharen
abteilung (branch)	Truppen
zug (platoon)	Stuerme
company (company)	Sturmbanne
battalion (battalion)	Standard
regiment (regiment)	Abschnitt

besatzung (garrison)Note:

Speaking about the equivalence of SS units (SS organizations (!), not SS Troops) to army units, the author means similarity in numbers, but not in the tasks performed, tactical purpose and combat capabilities

The rank system is changing accordingly. However, these are not titles, but positions.

Code*	SS rank system from I-1929 to 1932.
	Names of titles (positions)
	SS Mann (SS Mann)

SS Obergruppenfuehrer (SS Obergruppenfuehrer)

The last title was awarded to himself by A. Hitler. It meant something like "Supreme Leader of the SS."

This table clearly shows the influence of the SA rank system. In the SS at this moment there are no formations like Gruppe or Obergruppe, but there are ranks. They are worn by senior SS leaders.

In mid-1930, Hitler prohibited the SA from interfering in the activities of the SS with an order that stated “... no SA commander has the right to give orders to the SS.” Although the SS still remained within the SA, in fact it was independent. In 1932, the largest unit Oberabschnitte (Oberabschnitte) was introduced into the SS structure and SS structure

acquires its completeness. Please note that we are not talking about the SS troops (there is no trace of them yet), but about a public organization that is part of the Nazi party, and all SS men are engaged in this activity on a voluntary basis in parallel with their main work activities (workers, shopkeepers , artisans, unemployed, peasants, small employees, etc.)

Hierarchy of SS units since 1932	SA division name
Hierarchy of SS units from I-1929 to 1932	Equivalent to an army unit….
Rotten	Scharen
abteilung (branch)	Truppen
zug (platoon)	Stuerme
company (company)	Sturmbanne
battalion (battalion)	Standard
regiment (regiment)	Abschnitt
there is no equivalent.	Approximately a cell of 3-5 people.

Oberabschnitte

kreise (military district)

Code*	SS rank system from I-1929 to 1932.
	Names of titles (positions)
	The table of ranks takes on the following form (although these are still more job titles than ranks):
	SS rank system from 1932 to V-1933
	SS Rottenfuehrer (SS Rottenfuehrer)
	SS Sharfuehrer (SS Sharfuehrer)
	SS Sturmbannfuehrer (SS Sturmbannfuehrer)
	SS Standartenfuehrer (SS Standartenfuehrer)
	SS Gruppenfuehrer (SA Gruppenfuehrer)
	SS Mann (SS Mann)
	Der Oberste Fuehrer der Schutzstaffel. (Der Oberste Fuehrer der Schutzstaffel)

Only A. Hitler held the latter title. It meant something like "Supreme Leader of the SS."

On January 30, 1933, German President Field Marshal Hindenburg appointed A. Hitler as Reich Chancellor, i.e. Power in the country passes into the hands of the Nazis.

In March 1933, Hitler ordered the formation of the first armed SS unit, the Leibstandarte-SS "Adolf Hitler" (LSSAH). This was Hitler's personal guard company (120 people). From now onSS is divided into its two components:

1.Allgemeine-SS - general SS.
2.Leibstandarte-SS - armed formation of the SS.

The difference was that membership in the CC was voluntary, and the SS men were engaged in SS affairs in parallel with their main activities (workers, peasants, shopkeepers, etc.). And those who were members of the Leibstandarte-SS, being also members of the CC, were already in service (not in the state service, but in the service of the Nazi Party), and received uniforms and pay at the expense of the NSDAP. Members of the CC, being people personally loyal to Hitler (Himmler took care of the selection of such people in the CC), after the Nazis came to power, began to be appointed to key positions in the state apparatus, starting with the heads of the district post office, police, telegraph, railway stations, etc. up to the highest government positions. Thus, the Allgemeine-SS began to gradually turn into a source of managerial personnel for the state, while simultaneously incorporating a number of state institutions. Thus, the original role of the CC as a purely security unit was emasculated, and the CC quickly turned into the political and administrative basis of the Nazi regime, becoming a supranational organization, an organization that monitored the activities of state institutions in the interests of the Nazis. With the beginning of the creation of concentration camps by Himmler, concentration camp guard units were allocated from the rapidly growing Leibstandarte-SS. The SS organization now began to consist of three components:

1.Allgemeine-SS - general SS.
2.Leibstandarte-SS - armed formation of the CC.

The previous scale of ranks became insufficient and on May 19, 1933, a new scale of ranks was introduced:

SS rank system from May 19, 1933 to October 15, 1934.

Code*	SS rank system from I-1929 to 1932.
	Names of titles (positions)
	SS Sturmann (SS Sturmann)
	The table of ranks takes on the following form (although these are still more job titles than ranks):
	SS rank system from 1932 to V-1933
	SS Rottenfuehrer (SS Rottenfuehrer)
	SS Obertruppfuehrer (SS Obertruppführer)
	SS Sharfuehrer (SS Sharfuehrer)
	SS Sturmhauptfuehrer (SS Sturmhauptfuehrer)
	SS Sturmbannfuehrer (SS Sturmbannfuehrer)
	SS Standartenfuehrer (SS Standartenfuehrer)
	SS Oberfuehrer (SS Oberfuehrer)
	SS Gruppenfuehrer (SA Gruppenfuehrer)
	SS Mann (SS Mann)
	Der Oberste Fuehrer der Schutzstaffel. (Der Oberste Fuehrer der Schutzstaffel)

On the night of June 30, 1934, the SS, on Hitler's orders, destroy the top of the SA. After this night the role of the SA in political life the country was reduced to zero, and the role of the SS increased many times over. On July 20, 1934, Hitler finally removed the SS from the SA structure and gave it the status independent organization within NSDAP. The role of the SS in the life of the country continued to grow, there were many people who wanted to join this now powerful organization, and on October 15, 1934, Himmler again changed the scale of SS ranks. New ranks SS-Bewerber and SS-Anwarter are introduced, the first for an applicant for entry into the SS and the second for a person undergoing candidate experience. The names of some ranks are changing. The title SS Reichsfuehrer (SS Reichsfuehrer) was introduced specifically for Himmler.

This scale existed until 1942. There was no official division into privates, non-commissioned officers, officers, and generals in the Allgemeine-SS. This seemed to emphasize the SS camaraderie and equality. Until 1936, the same scale of ranks was used in the Leibstandarte "Adolf Hitler" and in the concentration camp guard units

General SS ranks from October 15, 1934 to 1942.

Code*	SS rank system from I-1929 to 1932.
	SS Bewerber (SS Beverber)
	SS Anwarter (SS Anvaerter)
	Names of titles (positions)
	SS Sturmann (SS Sturmann)
	The table of ranks takes on the following form (although these are still more job titles than ranks):
	SS rank system from 1932 to V-1933
	SS Obersharfuehrer (SS Obersharfuehrer)
	SS Obersturmfuehrer (SS Obersturmführer)
	SS Sturmbannfuehrer (SS Sturmbannfuehrer)
	SS Oberturmbannfuehrer (SS Obersturmbannfuehrer)
	SS Standartenfuehrer (SS Standartenfuehrer)
	SS Oberfuehrer (SS Oberfuehrer)
	SS Brigadenfuehrer (SS Brigadefuehrer)
	SS Gruppenfuehrer (SA Gruppenfuehrer)
	SS Mann (SS Mann)

In October 1936, the creation of the SS troops (Waffen SS) began on the basis of the Leibstandarte-SS. From this time on, the SS finally acquired its three main components:
1.Allgemeine-SS - general CC.
2. Waffen SS - CC troops.
3.SS-Totenkopfrerbaende - concentration camp guard units.

Moreover, the Allgemeine-SS actually merges with the state apparatus, some state institutions become departments and departments of the Allgemeine-SS, and the SS Troops and the concentration camp guards, in the minds of many modern readers, merge into a single whole. Hence the fallacy of the idea that the SS is the SS Troops, especially since since 1936 they and the camp guards have received their own rank system, which differs from the general SS one. The idea that the SS troops were involved in guarding concentration camps is also erroneous. The camps were guarded by specially created units called SS-Totenkopfrerbaende, which were not part of the SS Troops. The structure of the Waffen SS units itself was not a general SS structure, but an army model (squad, platoon, company, battalion, regiment, division). There were no permanent formations larger than a division in the Waffen SS. More information about SS divisions can be read on the Arsenal website .

Waffen SS and SS-Totenkopfrerbaende ranks from X-1936 to 1942

Code*		Titles
	Mannschaften	SS Schutze (SS Schutze)
		SS Sturmann (SS Sturmann)
		The table of ranks takes on the following form (although these are still more job titles than ranks):
	Unterfuehrer	SS Unterscharfuehrer (SS Unterscharfuehrer)
		SS rank system from 1932 to V-1933
		SS Obersharfuehrer (SS Obersharfuehrer)
		SS Hauptscharfuehrer (SS Hauptscharfuehrer)
	Untere Fuehrer	SS Untersturmfuehrer (SS Untersturmführer)
		SS Hauptsturmfuehrer (SS Hauptsturmfuehrer)
	Mittlere Fuehrer	SS Sturmbannfuehrer (SS Sturmbannfuehrer)
		SS Standartenfuehrer (SS Standartenfuehrer)
		SS Oberfuehrer (SS Oberfuehrer)
	Hoehere Fuehrer

Why the Waffen SS generals added the words “... and general... of police” to their general SS rank is unknown to the author, but most of the primary sources available to the author are in German ( official documents) these ranks are called exactly that, although the SS men who remained in the Allgemeine-SS did not have this addition to the general ranks.

In 1937, four officer schools were created in the Waffen SS, the students of which had the following ranks:

In May 1942, the ranks SS-Sturmscharfuehrer and SS-Oberstgruppenfuehrer were added to the SS rank scale. These were the last changes in the SS rank scale. There were three years left until the end of the thousand-year Reich.

General SS ranks from 1942 to 1945

Code*	SS rank system from I-1929 to 1932.
	SS Bewerber (SS Beverber)
	SS Anwarter (SS Anvaerter)
	Names of titles (positions)
	SS Sturmann (SS Sturmann)
	The table of ranks takes on the following form (although these are still more job titles than ranks):
	SS Unterscharfuehrer (SS Unterscharfuehrer)
	SS rank system from 1932 to V-1933
	SS Obersharfuehrer (SS Obersharfuehrer)
	SS Hauptscharfuehrer (SS Hauptscharfuehrer)
	SS Sturmscharfuehrer (SS Sturmscharfuehrer)
	SS Untersturmfuehrer (SS Untersturmführer)
	SS Obersturmfuehrer (SS Obersturmführer)
	SS Hauptsturmfuehrer (SS Hauptsturmfuehrer)
	SS Sturmbannfuehrer (SS Sturmbannfuehrer)
	SS Oberturmbannfuehrer (SS Obersturmbannfuehrer)
	SS Standartenfuehrer (SS Standartenfuehrer)
	SS Oberfuehrer (SS Oberfuehrer)
	SS Brigadenfuehrer (SS Brigadefuehrer)
	SS Gruppenfuehrer (SA Gruppenfuehrer)
16a	SS Mann (SS Mann)
16b	SS-Oberstgruppenfuehrer (SS Oberstgruppenfuehrer)
	SS Reichsfuehrer (SS Reichsfuehrer) Only G. Himmler had this title
	Der Oberste Fuehrer der Schutzstaffel. (Der Oberste Fuehrer der Schutzstaffel) Only A. Hitler had this title

Waffen SS and SS-Totenkopfrerbaende ranks from V-1942 to 1945.

Code*		Titles
	Mannschaften	SS Schutze (SS Schutze)
		SS Oberschutze (SS Oberschutze)
		SS Sturmann (SS Sturmann)
		The table of ranks takes on the following form (although these are still more job titles than ranks):
	Unterfuehrer	SS-Unterscharfuehrer (SS Unterscharfuehrer)
		SS rank system from 1932 to V-1933
		SS Obersharfuehrer (SS Obersharfuehrer)
		SS Hauptscharfuehrer (SS Hauptscharfuehrer)
		SS-Sturmscharfuehrer (SS Sturmscharfuehrer)
	Untere Fuehrer	SS Untersturmfuehrer (SS Untersturmführer)
		SS Obersturmfuehrer (SS Obersturmführer)
		SS Hauptsturmfuehrer (SS Hauptsturmfuehrer)
	Mittlere Fuehrer	SS Sturmbannfuehrer (SS Sturmbannfuehrer)
		SS Obersturmbannfuehrer (SS Obersturmbannfuehrer)
		SS Standartenfuehrer (SS Standartenfuehrer)
		SS Oberfuehrer (SS Oberfuehrer)
	Hoehere Fuehrer	SS Brigadenfuehrer und der General-maior der Polizei (SS Brigadenfuehrer und der General-maior der Polizei)
		SS Gruppenfuehrer und der General-leutnant der Polizei (SA Gruppenfuehrer und der General-leutnant der Polizei)
16a		SS Obergruppenfuehrer und der General der Polizei (SS Obergruppenfuehrer und der General der Polizei)
16b		SS-Oberstgruppenfuehrer und der General-oberst der Polizei (SS Oberstgruppenfuehrer und der General-Oberst der Polizei)

At the final stage of the war, the activities of SS organizations ceased with the occupation of this territory by the Red Army or Allied troops. Formally, the activities of the SS were discontinued, and the organization itself was dissolved in the fall of 1945 based on the decisions of the Potsdam Allied Conference on the denazification of Germany. By the verdict of the international tribunal in Nuremberg in the fall of 1946. The SS was recognized as a criminal organization, and membership in it was a crime. However, only senior leaders and part of the middle SS personnel, as well as soldiers and officers of the SS Troops and concentration camp guards, were subjected to real criminal prosecution. They were not recognized as prisoners of war when captured, and were treated as if they were criminals. Convicted SS soldiers and officers were released from USSR camps under an amnesty at the end of 1955

Until now, teenagers in cinemas (or during a more thorough study of the topic from photographs on the Internet) get an aesthetic thrill from the sight of the uniforms of war criminals, from the SS uniform. And adults are not far behind: in the albums of many older people famous artists Tikhonov and Bronevoy 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 uniform and emblem were designed by a talented artist, a graduate of the Hannover Art School and the Berlin Academy, the author of the cult painting “Mother” Karl Diebitsch. SS uniform designer and fashion designer Walter Heck collaborated with him to create the final version. And the uniforms were sewn at the factories of the then little-known fashion designer Hugo Ferdinand Boss, and now his brand is famous throughout 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 Rehm (the head of the SA - assault troops - Sturmabteilung), wore a light brown shirt plus breeches and boots.

Before final decision about the expediency of the existence of two parallel “advanced security detachments of the party” at the same time, and before the purge of the SA, the “Imperial SS leader” Himmler continued to wear black piping on the shoulder of a brown jacket for the members of his squad.

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

At first, this jacket had either three or four buttons, general form The dress and field uniforms were constantly being refined.

When black uniforms designed by Diebitsch-Heck were introduced in 1934, only red with black piping remained from the days of the first SS units. armband with a swastika.

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

• front;
• everyday.

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

The distinctive features of military personnel of SS units in appearance for a long time became:

• red armbands with black edging and a swastika inscribed in a white circle ─ on the sleeve 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 Aryans ─ signs of membership in 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 appearance SS men in connection with their participation in hostilities, and the renaming of the “Allgemeine (general) SS” to the “Waffen (armed) SS”.

Changes by 1939

It was in 1939 that the famous “death’s head” (a skull made first of bronze, then of aluminum or brass) was transformed into the eagle famous from the TV series on the cap or cap badge.

The skull itself, along with other new ones distinctive features, remained an accessory tank corps SS. In the same year, the SS men also received a white dress uniform (white jacket, black breeches).

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

• field uniform in gray (the famous “feldgrau”) color;
• ceremonial white uniform for officers;
• overcoats in black or gray, also with armbands.

At the same time, the regulations allowed the overcoat to be worn unbuttoned at the top buttons, so that it would be easier to navigate 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 units (primarily “Totenkopf” units) and combat units was finally formed.

It is interesting that the “police” units could be ordered exclusively by the Reichsführer personally, but the combat units, which were considered a reserve of the military command, could be used by Wehrmacht generals. Service in the Waffen SS was equivalent to military service, and police and security forces were not considered military units.

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

SS uniform in wartime

Participation in military campaigns, 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:

• a private (Schützmann, colloquially simply “man”, “SS man”) wore simple black shoulder straps and buttonholes with two runes on the right (the left ─ empty, black);
• a “tested” private, after six months of service (oberschutze), received a silver “bump” (“star”) for the shoulder strap of his field (“camouflage”) uniform. The remaining insignia were identical to the Schutzmann;
• the corporal (navigator) received a thin double silver stripe on the left buttonhole;
• the junior sergeant (Rottenführer) already had four stripes of the same color on the left buttonhole, and on the field uniform the “bump” was replaced by a triangular patch.

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

The triangles on the field uniform were replaced with rectangles of varying thickness (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 silver edging and a small “star” (“square”, “bump”) on the right buttonhole. The “SS Junker” also had the same insignia;
• senior sergeant (scharführer) ─ the same shoulder straps and silver stripes on the side of the “square” on the buttonhole;
• foreman (Oberscharführer) ─ the same shoulder straps, two stars without stripes on the buttonhole;
• ensign (Hauptscharführer) ─ buttonhole, like that of a sergeant major, but with stripes, there are already two bumps on the shoulder straps;
• senior warrant officer or sergeant major (Sturmscharführer) ─ shoulder straps with three squares, on the buttonhole the same two “squares” as the warrant officer, but with four thin stripes.

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

SS officer uniform

The uniform of junior officers differed already in the shoulder straps of the camouflage (field) uniform: black with green stripes (thickness and number depending on 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) ─ 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, shoulder straps with two “knobs”;
• major (Sturmbannführer) ─ silver “braided” shoulder straps, three squares on the buttonhole;
• Lieutenant Colonel (Oberbannsturmführer) ─ one square on a twisted shoulder strap. Two thin stripes under the four squares on the buttonhole.

Starting with the rank of major, the insignia underwent minor differences in 1942. The color of the backing on the twisted shoulder straps corresponded to the branch of the military; on the shoulder strap itself there was sometimes a symbol of a military specialty (the badge of a tank unit or, for example, a veterinary service). After 1942, the “bumps” on the shoulder straps turned from silver to golden-colored badges.

Upon reaching a rank above colonel, the right buttonhole also changed: instead of 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 the patch, two stars on the shoulder straps, oak leaf on both buttonholes;
• the unparalleled rank of Oberführer (something like “senior colonel”) ─ four thick stripes on the patch, 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 became less “protective.”

SS general uniform

On the SS uniforms of the senior command staff (generals), golden-colored shoulder straps appear on a blood-red background, with silver-colored symbols.

The shoulder straps of the “field” uniform also change, since there is no need for special camouflage: instead of green on a black field for officers, generals wear thin gold badges. The 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).

High command insignia on shoulder straps and buttonholes, respectively:

• major general of the SS troops (in the Waffen SS ─ brigadenführer) ─ gold embroidery without symbols, double oak leaf (before 1942) with a square, triple leaf after 1942 without an additional symbol;
• Lieutenant General (Gruppenführer) ─ one square, triple oak leaf;
• full general (Obergruppenführer) ─ two “cones” and an oak trefoil leaf (until 1942, the lower leaf on the buttonhole was thinner, 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 leaf at the bottom of the buttonhole, but with three squares).
• The Reichsführer (the closest, but not exact analogue ─ “People's Commissar of the NKVD” or “Field Marshal”) wore on his uniform a thin silver shoulder strap with a silver trefoil, 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, they had to participate in battles less often, with the exception of Sepp Dietrich.

Gestapo insignia

The Gestapo SD security service also wore SS uniforms, and the ranks and insignia were almost identical to those in the Waffen or Allgemeine SS.

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

An interesting fact: in Lioznova’s great television film, the viewer almost always sees Stirlitz in the uniform, although in the spring of 1945, the black uniform almost everywhere in the SS was replaced by a dark green “parade,” which was more convenient for front-line conditions.

Muller could wear an exclusively black jacket, both as a general and as an advanced high-ranking leader who rarely ventures into the regions.

Camouflage

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

• helmet cover;
• jacket;
• face mask.

Later, camouflage capes (Zelltbahn) appeared. Before the appearance of double-sided overalls around 1942-43, trousers (breeches) were from the usual field uniform.

The pattern itself on camouflage overalls could use a variety of “fine-spotted” shapes:

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

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

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

Initially, uniforms made from camouflage waterproof fabrics were supplied to the Verfugungstruppe (dispositional troops). Later, camouflage became an integral part of the uniform of SS “task” groups (Einsatzgruppen) of reconnaissance and sabotage detachments and units.

During the war, the German leadership took a creative approach to the creation of camouflage uniforms: they successfully borrowed the findings of the Italians (the first creators of camouflage) and the developments of the Americans and the British, which were obtained as trophies.

However, one cannot underestimate the contribution of German scientists and those who collaborated with the Hitler regime in the development of such famous camouflage brands as

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

Professors of physics (optics) worked on the creation of these types of colors, studying the effects of light rays passing through rain or foliage.
Soviet intelligence knew less about the SS-Leibermuster camouflage overalls than Allied intelligence: it was used on the Western Front.

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

There is still relatively little known about the existence of such paint in 1944-1945; it has been suggested that it was a “light-absorbing” (of course, partially) black fabric, onto which drawings were later applied.

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

A single example 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; so few similar camouflages were produced 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 for the development of camouflage clothing for modern commandos and other special forces.

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

Actually, this three-color combat uniform with broken lines of “rain” or “branches” is most often found in films about the Second World War and the Great Patriotic War.

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

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

SS uniform today

The aesthetically pleasing black SS uniform is still popular today. Unfortunately, most often it is not where it is really necessary to recreate authentic uniforms: not in Russian cinema.

A minor “blunder” of Soviet cinema was mentioned above, but in 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 painted version, Stirlitz appears a couple of times in a “green” “parade”.

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

• the infamous 2012 film, I Serve Soviet Union“(about how the army fled, but political prisoners on the western border defeated the SS sabotage detachments) ─ we see the SS men in 1941, dressed in something between “Beringtes Eichenlaubmuster” and even more modern digital camouflages;
• the sad picture “In June 41st” (2008) allows you to see SS men on the battlefield in full ceremonial black uniform.

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 1945, are mostly dressed in camouflage from the first years of the war, is not spared from mistakes.

But the SS ceremonial uniform enjoys well-deserved respect among reenactors. Of course, various extremist groups, including those not recognized as such, such as the relatively peaceful “Goths,” also strive to pay tribute to the aesthetics of Nazism.

Probably the fact is that thanks to history, as well as the classic films “The Night Porter” by Cavani or “Twilight of the Gods” by Visconti, the public has developed a “protest” perception of the aesthetics of the forces of evil. It is not for nothing that the leader of the Sex Pistols, Sid Vishers, often appeared in a T-shirt with a swastika; in the collection of fashion designer Jean-Louis Shearer in 1995, almost all toilets were decorated with either imperial eagles or oak leaves.

The horrors of war are forgotten, but the feeling of protest against bourgeois society remains almost the same ─ such a sad conclusion can be drawn from these facts. Another thing is the “camouflage” fabric colors 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 fashionable couturiers in the world big fashion.

Video

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 existed until the end of the war.

Mannschaften (lower ranks):
SS-Bewerber - SS candidate
SS-Anwaerter - cadet
SS-Mann (SS-Schuetze in Waffen-SS) - private
SS-Oberschuetze (Waffen-SS) - private after six months of service
SS-Strummann - Lance 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 SS Obergruppenführer insignia, front and back view

SS Sturmbannführer buttonholes

Sleeve eagle ss

On Labor Day 1935, the Fuhrer watched a parade of members of the Hitler Youth. To Hitler's left stands SS Gruppenführer Philipp Bowler, head of the Fuhrer's personal office. Bowler has a dagger on his belt. Bowler and Goebbels (behind the Führer) wear a badge on their chests issued especially for the "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 wear a Golden Party Badge.

Samples of SS insignia

From left - top to bottom: Oberstgruppenführer buttonhole, Obergruppenführer buttonhole, Gruppenführer buttonhole (before 1942)

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

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

Below in the middle: shoulder straps of an Obersturmbannführer of the infantry, shoulder straps of an Untersturmführer of the communications units of the Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler division, shoulder straps of an Oberscharführer of anti-tank self-propelled artillery.

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

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

Back of the buttonhole

In the Waffen-SS, non-commissioned officers could obtain the position of SS-Stabscharfuerer (non-commissioned officer on duty). The duties of the duty non-commissioned officer included various administrative, disciplinary and reporting functions. SS Staffsharführers had the unofficial nickname “tier Spiess” and wore a jacket, the cuffs of which were decorated with double edging made of aluminum braid (Tresse).

Untere Fuehrer (junior officers):
SS-Untersturmfuehrer - lieutenant
SS-Obcrstrumfuehrer - chief lieutenant
SS-Hauptsturmfuehrer - captain

Mittlere Fuehrer (senior officers):
SS-Sturmbannfuehrer - major
SS-Obersturmbannfuehrer - lieutenant colonel
SS“Standar£enfuehrer - Colonel
SS-Oberfuehrer - senior colonel
Hoehere Fuehrer (senior 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 the rank of police, 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 Allgemeine-SS issues. The Waffen-SS and police received the title 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 NSDAP formations. 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 transferred to the Waffen-SS and police without losing their ranks and if promoted, this was automatically taken into account in their Allgemeine-SS rank.

Waffen ss officer's cap

Waffen-SS (Fuehrerbewerber) officer candidates served in non-commissioned officer positions before receiving officer rank. For 18 months SS- Führeranwarter(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. SS officers and candidates for SS officers enlisted in the reserve received the appendage der Reserve to their rank . A similar scheme was applied to non-commissioned officer candidates. Civilian specialists (translators, doctors, etc.) who served in the ranks of the SS received the addition of Sonderfuehrer or Fach fuehrer to their rank.

SS cap patch (trapezoid)

Skull cockade ss

Rank insignia
German Security Service (SD) officers
(Sicherheitsdienst des RfSS, SD) 1939-1945.

Preface.
Before describing the insignia of security personnel (SD) in Germany during the Second World War, it is necessary to provide some clarification, which, however, will further confuse readers. And the point is not so much in these signs and uniforms themselves, which were repeatedly amended (which further confuses the picture), but in the complexity and intricacy of the entire structure of government bodies in Germany at that time, which was also closely intertwined with the party bodies 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 militant wing of the party, but at the same time not subordinate to 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 senior leaders. This public, I emphasize, public organization after numerous reforms of 1923-1939. transformed and began to consist of the SS public organization itself (Algemeine SS), SS troops (Waffen SS) and concentration camp guard units (SS-Totenkopfrerbaende).

The entire SS organization (both the general SS, and the SS troops and camp guard units) 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 government position.

To manage all structures involved in ensuring the security of the state and the ruling regime, law enforcement issues (police agencies), intelligence and counterintelligence, the Main Directorate of State Security (Reichssicherheitshauptamt (RSHA)) was created in the fall of 1939.

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 not at all as "empire". The word "empire" in German looks like this - Kaiserreich. Literally - "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 is generally accepted. By the way, people who are not very knowledgeable in history and linguistics, but have an inquisitive mind, often ask: “Why was Hitler’s Germany called an empire, but there was not even a nominal emperor in it, like, say, in England?”

Thus, the RSHA is a state institution, and by no means a party institution 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, naturally, first of all recruited members of the public organization CC (Algemeine SS) as employees of this institution.
However, we note that not all RSHA employees were members of the SS, and not all departments of the RSHA consisted of SS members. 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 senior officials 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 led the Gestapo since 1939.

Let's move on now to SD.
Initially in 1931 (i.e., even before the Nazis came to power) the SD was created (from among members of the general SS) as the internal security structure of the SS organization to combat various violations of order and rules, identify government agents and hostile political parties, provocateurs among SS members, renegades, etc.

in 1934 (this was 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 SS Reichsführer G. Himmler.

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

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

Amt VI (Ausland-SD), who was engaged in intelligence work in the Northern, Western and Eastern Europe, USSR, USA, UK and South American countries. It was this department that Walter Schellenberg led.

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 are 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 a Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD), which is subordinate to two quite different structures - the police and Internal troops. And in Soviet times in the structure of the Ministry of Internal Affairs there were also fire department and management structures of places of deprivation of liberty

Thus, to summarize, it can be argued that the SS is one thing, and the SD is something else, although among the SD employees there are many SS members.

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

End of the preface.

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

First of all, SD officers wore a light gray open jacket with a white shirt and black tie, similar to the uniform of the general SS mod. 1934
(the replacement of the black SS uniform with a gray one lasted from 1934 to 1938), but with its own insignia.

The piping on the caps of officers is made of silver flagellum, while the piping of soldiers and non-commissioned officers is green. Only green and nothing else. The main difference in the uniform of SD employees is that there are no signs in the right buttonhole
(runes, skulls, etc.).

All SD ranks up to and including Obersturmannführer have a purely black buttonhole.

Soldiers and non-commissioned officers have buttonholes without edging (until May 1942, the edging was still black and white striped); officers have buttonholes edged with a silver flagellum.

Above the cuff of the left sleeve there is always a black diamond with white letters SD inside. For officers, the diamond is edged with a silver flagellum. In the photo on the left: the sleeve patch of an SD officer and the buttonhole with the insignia of an SD Untersturmfuehrer (Untersturmfuehrer des SD).

In the photo on the left: an armband 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 (official, holiday, day off, etc.), SD employees could wear field uniforms similar to the field uniforms of the Wehrmacht and SS troops with their own insignia.

In the photo on the right: field uniform (feldgrau) of an SD Untersharfuehrer (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 valves are of a simpler design, there are no cuffs. The right clean buttonhole and a single star in the left, indicating rank, are clearly visible. Sleeve emblem in the form of an SS eagle, and at the bottom of the sleeve there is a patch with the letters SD.
Pay attention to the characteristic appearance of the shoulder straps and the green edging of the police-style shoulder straps.

Special attention deserves the rank system in the SD. SD officers 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 army, but police type, but not brown, but black. Please pay attention to the titles of the SD employees. They differed both from the ranks of the general SS and from the ranks of the SS troops.

In the photo on the left: shoulder straps of an SD Unterscharführer.

The lining of the shoulder strap is grass green, on which are superimposed two rows of double soutache cord. The inner cord is black, the outer cord is silver with black highlights. They go around the button at the top of the shoulder strap. Those. In terms of its structure, it is a shoulder strap of a chief officer type, but with cords of other colors. SS-Mann (SS-Mann) . Black police-style shoulder straps without edging. Before

From the author. May 1942, the buttonholes were edged with black and white lace.
Why the very first two ranks in the SD are SS, and the ranks of the general SS, is not clear. It is possible that SD officers for the lowest positions were recruited from among ordinary members of the general SS, who were assigned police-style insignia, but were not given the status of SD officers.

It is very bad to use secondary sources because errors inevitably arise. This is natural, since a secondary source is a retelling, an interpretation by the author of the primary source. But in the absence of anything, you have to use what you have. It's still better than nothing.

SS-Sturmmann (SS-Sturmmann) Black police style shoulder strap. The outer row of double soutache cord is black with silver highlights. Please note that in the SS troops and in the general SS, the shoulder straps of the 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 cord.

Rottenfuehrer des SD (Rottenfuehrer SD) The shoulder strap is the same, but the usual German one is sewn at the bottom 9mm aluminum braid. The left buttonhole has two rows of double silver soutache cord.

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

Unterscharfuehrer des SD (Unterscharfuehrer SD) Black police style shoulder strap. The outer row of double soutache cord is silver or light gray (depending on what it is made of, aluminum or silk thread) with black linings. The lining of the shoulder strap, forming a sort of edging, is grass-green. This color is generally characteristic of the German police.
There is one silver star on the left buttonhole.

Scharfuehrer des SD (SD Scharfuehrer) Black police style shoulder strap. Outer row double soutache cord, silver with black highlights.
The lining of the shoulder strap, forming a kind of edging, is grass-green. The lower edge of the shoulder strap is closed with the same silver cord with black piping.

On the left buttonhole, in addition to the star, there is one row of double silver soutache lace. Oberscharfuehrer des SD (Oberscharfuehrer SD) Shoulder strap black
police type. The outer row of double soutache cord is silver with black linings.

the lining of the shoulder strap, forming a sort of edging, is grass-green. The lower edge of the shoulder strap is closed with the same silver cord with black piping. In addition, there is one silver star on the shoulder strap. On the left buttonhole there are two silver stars. police type. The outer row of double soutache cord is silver with black linings.
The lining of the shoulder strap, forming a kind of edging, is grass-green. The lower edge of the shoulder strap is closed with the same silver cord with black piping. In addition, there are two silver stars on the chase.

The left buttonhole has two silver stars and one row of double silver soutache cord. Oberscharfuehrer des SD (Oberscharfuehrer SD) Sturmscharfuehrer des SD (SD Sturmscharfuehrer)

police type. The outer row of double soutache cord is silver with black linings. In the middle part of the shoulder strap there is weaving from the same silver with black lining and black soutache laces. The lining of the shoulder strap, forming a kind of edging, is grass-green. On the left buttonhole there are two silver stars and two rows of double silver soutache cord.

From the author. It remains unclear whether this rank 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.

One gets the impression that the rank of SS-Sturmscharführer mentioned in almost all Russian-language sources (including in my works) is erroneous. In fact, obviously, the rank of SS-Staffscharführer was introduced in the SS troops in May 1942, and Sturmscharführer in the SD. But this is my speculation. The rank insignia of SD officers is described below. Let me remind you that their shoulder straps were of the type officer's shoulder straps

Wehrmacht and SS troops.

In the photo on the left: shoulder straps of an SD chief officer.

The lining of the shoulder strap is black, the piping is grass green and there are two rows of double soutache cord that wrap around the button. Actually, this soutache double cord should be made of aluminum thread and have a dull silver color. At worst, from light gray shiny silk yarn. But this example of a shoulder strap dates back to the final period of the war and the cord is made of simple, harsh, undyed cotton yarn.

The buttonholes were edged with a silver aluminum band.

All SD officers, starting with the Unterschurmführer and ending with the Obersturmbannführer, have an empty right buttonhole, and insignia on the left. From Standartenführer and above, rank insignia is in both buttonholes.
The stars in the buttonholes are silver, and the stars on the shoulder straps are golden. Note that in the general SS and in the SS troops the stars on the shoulder straps were silver.
1. Untersturmfuehrer des SD (Untersturmfuehrer SD).

From the author. If you start looking through the list of the SD management staff, the question arises what position “Comrade Stirlitz” held there. In Amt VI (Ausland-SD), where, judging by the book and film, he served, all leadership positions (except for the 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 there, who occupied a very high position as head of department VI B. A certain Eugen Steimle.
And Müller’s secretary, according to Böchler, Scholz could not have a rank higher than Unterscharführer.
And judging by what Stirlitz did in the film, i.e. ordinary operational work, then he could not possibly have a rank higher than non-commissioned officer.
For example, open the Internet and see that in 1941 the commandant of the huge Auschwitz concentration camp (Auschwitz, as the Poles call it) was an SS officer with the rank of Obersturmührer (senior lieutenant) named Karl Fritzsch. And none of the other commandants was above the captain level.
Of course, both the film and the book are purely artistic, but still, as Stanislavsky used to say, “there must be the truth of life in everything.” The Germans did not throw away ranks and appropriated them sparingly.

And even then, rank in military and police structures is a reflection of the officer’s qualification level and his ability to occupy the relevant positions. The title is assigned based on the position held. And even then, not immediately. But it is by no means some kind of honorary title or reward for military or service success.

There are orders and medals for this.

The shoulder straps of senior SD officers 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 grass-green color.

In the picture on the left there are shoulder straps and buttonholes:

From the author. I deliberately do not provide information here about the correspondence of the ranks of the SD, SS and Wehrmacht. And I certainly don’t 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 deceit. Even the comparison of titles based on positions that I proposed at one time cannot be considered 100% correct. For example, in our country a 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 was placed on both buttonholes.

Moreover, there were differences in lapel insignia before May 1942 and after.
It's interesting that the shoulder straps

The Standarteführer and Oberführer were the same (with two stars, but the lapel insignia were different. And please note that the leaves before May 1942 were curved, and after that they were straight. This is important when dating the photographs.

6.Standartenfuehrer des SD (SD Standartenfuehrer).

From the author. 7.Oberfuehrer des SD (Oberfuehrer SD).
And again, if the Standartenführer can somehow be equated to an Oberst (colonel), based on the fact that there are two stars on his shoulder straps like the Oberst in the Wehrmacht, then to whom can the Oberführer be equated? The shoulder straps are of a colonel, and there are two leaves in the buttonholes.
"Colonel"? Or “Under General”, since until May 1942 the Brigadeführer also wore two leaves in his buttonholes, but with the addition of an asterisk. But the brigadeführer’s shoulder straps are those of a general.

Equate to a brigade commander in the Red Army? So our brigade commander clearly belonged to the senior command staff and wore in his buttonholes the insignia of the senior, not the senior command staff.

Or maybe it’s better not to compare and equate? Simply proceed from the existing scale of ranks and insignia for a given department.

Well, then there are ranks and insignia, which can definitely be considered general ones.

The weaving on the shoulder straps is not made from double silver soutache cord, but from a double cord, and the two outer cords are golden, and the middle one is silver. The stars on the shoulder straps are silver.

This title was awarded to the first head 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 Heydrich's death and until the end of the Third Reich.

However, it should be noted that the vast majority of the SD leadership 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 general rank who did not hold positions in the SS, police, or SD troops simply had the corresponding rank, for example, SS-Brigadefuehrer, then “... and general of the SS troops” was added to the SS rank in the SS troops. . For example, SS-Gruppenfuehrer und General-leutnant der Waffen SS. And for those who served in the police, SD, etc. “..and the police general” was added. For example, SS-Brigadefuehrer und General-major der Polizei.

This is a general rule, but there were many exceptions. For example, the chief of the SD, Walter Schelenberg, was called SS-Brigadefuehrer und General-major der Waffen SS. Those. SS-Brigadeführer and Major General of the SS troops, although he never served a single day in the SS troops.

From the author. Along the way. Schelenberg received the rank of general only in June 1944. And before that, he led “the most important intelligence service of the Third Reich” with the rank of only an Oberfuhrer. And nothing, I managed. Apparently, the SD was not such an important and comprehensive intelligence service in Germany. So, like our today's SVR (foreign intelligence service). And even then of a lower rank. 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 its leader from 1939 was not a member of the SS or a member of the NSDAP, Reichskriminaldirector G. Müller, who was accepted into the NSDAP only in 1939, was accepted into the SS in 1941 and immediately received the rank of SS-Gruppenfuehrer und Generalleutnant der Polizei, that is, SS-Gruppenführer und der Generalleutnant of Police.

Anticipating questions and queries, although this is somewhat off topic, we note that the Reichsführer SS wore insignia slightly different from everyone else. On the gray all-SS uniform introduced in 1934, he wore his previous shoulder straps from the previous black uniform. Only there were now two shoulder straps.

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

A few words in defense of filmmakers and their “film blunders.” The fact is that uniform discipline in the SS (both 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 encounter significant deviations from the rules. For example, a member of the SS somewhere in a provincial town, and not only, and in 1945 he could join the ranks of the city’s defenders in his black preserved uniform of the thirties.
This is what I found online when I was looking for illustrations for my article. This is a group of SD officials sitting in a car. The driver in front holds the rank of SD Rottenführer, although he is dressed in a gray uniform jacket. 1938, but his shoulder straps are from an old black uniform (on which one shoulder strap was worn on the right shoulder). The cap, although gray arr. 38, but the eagle on it is a Wehrmacht uniform (on a dark fabric flap and sewn on the side, not the front. Behind him sits an SD Oberscharführer with buttonholes of the pre-May 1942 pattern (striped edging), but the collar is trimmed with galloon in the Wehrmacht style. And shoulder straps not a police model, but an SS one. Perhaps there are no complaints only about the Untersturmführer sitting on the right. And even then, the shirt is brown, not white.

Literature and sources.

1. P. Lipatov. Uniforms of the Red Army and the Wehrmacht.
Publishing House "Technology for Youth". Moscow. 1996
2. Magazine "Sergeant". Chevron series. 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. NSDAP assault troops 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. Website "Arsenal" (http://www.ipclub.ru/arsenal/platz).

History of the SS military uniform

Initially, soldiers of the SS troops (also “Waffen SS”) wore gray uniforms, very similar to the uniform of regular stormtroopers German army. In 1930, the same, well-known, black uniform was introduced, which was supposed to emphasize the difference between the troops and the rest and 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. Gray military uniform

differed from black only in color. Additionally, SS soldiers were entitled to a black overcoat, which, with the introduction of the gray uniform, was replaced by a double-breasted one, respectively. gray

. High-ranking officers were allowed to wear their overcoat unbuttoned by the top three buttons so that the colored distinctive stripes were visible. Subsequently, holders of the Knight's Cross received the same right (in 1941), who were allowed to display the award.

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

A black ceremonial club jacket 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; 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 special occasions.

Distinctive features of the Nazi uniform

• The SS uniform had a number of distinctive features that are easily remembered even now, after the disbandment of the organization: SS emblem in the form of two Germanic runes
• "zig" was used on uniform insignia. Only ethnic Germans - Aryans - were allowed to wear runes on their uniforms; foreign members of the Waffen SS did not have the right to use this symbolism.
• “Death's 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 soldiers of the 3rd Tank Division.
• The red armband with a black swastika on a white background was worn by members of the SS and stood out significantly against the background of the black dress uniform.

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

Rank insignia on SS uniform

The ranks of Waffen SS soldiers did not differ from the ranks of Wehrmacht employees: the differences were only in form. The uniform used the same distinctive signs, 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 differing in color depending on the type of troops. The backing was edged with a silver cord. On the shoulder straps there were signs of belonging to one or another unit, metal or embroidered with silk threads. The shoulder straps themselves were made of gray braid, while their lining was invariably black. The bumps (or “stars”) on the shoulder straps, designed to indicate the officer’s rank, were bronze or gilded.

The buttonholes featured runic “zigs” on one, and rank insignia on the other. The employees of the 3rd Panzer Division, which was nicknamed "Death's Head" instead of "zig", had an image of a skull, which was previously worn as a cockade on the cap of SS men. The edges of the buttonholes were edged with twisted silk cords, and for generals they were covered with black velvet. They also used it to line the general's caps.

Video: SS form

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