Uniforms and insignia of the Schutzstaffel

Uniforms and insignia of the Schutzstaffel
2nd pattern SS Totenkopf or death’s head, 1934–45
unit.[lower-alpha 1] As with many more formal military uniforms, these SS uniforms were tailored to project authority, and foster fear and respect. As Himmler put it, “I
know there are many people who fall ill when they see
this black uniform; we understand that and don't expect
that we will be loved by many people.”[1]
SS-Gruppenführer Hans Heinrich
Allgemeine-SS uniform 1938
Lammers
in
black
During the war, the German clothing factory that
eventually became the international menswear powerBoss produced thousands of SS and other
The uniforms and insignia of the Schutzstaffel were house Hugo
[2]
uniforms.
paramilitary ranks and uniforms used by the SS between
1925 and 1945 to differentiate that organization from the Once the war began, however, the black uniform was selregular German armed forces, the German state, and the dom worn. The combat units of the SS-Verfügungstruppe
Nazi Party.
(SS-VT) and the later Waffen-SS wore a variation of the
field-grey (grey-green) (feldgrau) army (Heer) uniform
with SS insignia. The majority of SS personnel wore variations of the Waffen-SS uniform or the grey-green SS ser1 Uniform design and function
vice tunic. Branches with personnel that normally would
While a multitude of uniforms existed for the SS, often wear civilian attire in the Reich (such as the Gestapo and
depending on the theatre of war where they were sta- Kripo) were issued grey-green SS uniforms in occupied
tioned, the all black SS uniform is the most well known. territory to avoid being mistaken for civilians.
Black was seen as sombre and authoritative. The blackwhite-red color scheme was characteristic of the German
Empire, and was later adopted by the Nazi Party. Further,
black was popular with fascist movements: a black uniform was introduced by the blackshirts in Italy before the
creation of the SS. There was a traditional reason, as well.
Just as the Prussian kings’ and emperors’ life-guard cavalry (Leibhusaren) had worn black uniforms with skulland-crossbones badges, so would the Führer 's bodyguard
SS uniforms used a variety of insignia, the most standard
of which were collar patches to denote rank and shoulder boards to denote rank and position, along with sleeve
cuffbands and “sleeve diamond” patches to indicate membership in specific branches of the SS. However, most of
these uniforms fell apart as they were often made out of
weaker material than normal cotton. They were highly
flammable and would usually burn off of their wearer after shot. They were later discontinued because of this
1
2
2
UNIFORMS DESIGNS AND STYLES
flaw in their design.
2
2.1
Uniforms designs and styles
Early SS uniforms (1925–1928)
Early SS armband using the rank stripe system
ued the use of the Totenkopf pinned to cap or collar. That
same year, the Schutzkommando was expanded to a national level. It was renamed successively the Sturmstaffel
(storm squadron), and finally the Schutzstaffel (protection
squadron), abbreviated to SS (on 9 November).[7] In the
following year adopted its first recognizable rank insignia
system which was used mainly by senior SS personnel at
major rallies, with the rank and file of the SS, like the
rest of the SA, still wearing a variety of brown shirts or
paramilitary uniforms with no recognizable insignia.
The traditional “Danziger” Totenkopf worn by the SS 1923–34
The SS can trace its origins to several early Freikorps
and Nazi Party formations, among them the Erhardt
Naval Brigade, Stahlhelm, and most significantly the
Sturmabteilung (SA), of which the SS was originally a
subordinate organization.
The very first SA uniforms and insignia were paramilitary
uniforms fashioned by early Nazis which incorporated
parts from World War I uniforms to include such features
used by other Freikorps formation such as high boots,
daggers, and the kepi hat. The 8-man Stabswache (staff
guard), Hitler’s bodyguard, soon renamed the Stosstrupp
(shock troop), also adopted in May 1923 the death’s head
and oak leaf as a means of insignia, both of which were
already deeply rooted in European military history.
The early rank system of 1926 consisted of a swastika
armband worn with white stripes, with the number of
stripes determining the rank of the bearer. Thus, the very
first SS rank system was as follows:
• Reichsführer (“national leader”): three stripes
• Gauführer (“district leader”): two stripes
• Staffelführer (“squadron leader”): one stripe
• Mann (“trooper”): no stripes
Under the above system, basic SS troopers were organized into 10-man Staffeln, each under the authority of a
Staffelführer. SS districts, known as SS-Gaus, were under
the authority of a Gauführer while all SS district leaders answered to a national leader of the SS called the Reichsführer, at this time Josef Berchtold. In line with the
Führerprinzip (“leader principle”) of the Nazi Party’s ideIn 1924, while the Nazi Party was legally banned following the Beer Hall Putsch, Frontbann (underground SA) ology, the word Führer was incorporated into all ranks
leader Gerhard Roßbach located a large store of war- except those for basic SS troopers.
surplus brown denim shirts in Austria, originally intended By 1927, the Sturmabteilung had greatly increased its
for tropical uniforms.[3] When the SA (which included numbers and had standardized the “brown shirt” uniform
the nascent SS) was re-founded in 1925 following Hitler’s which would thereafter be permanently associated with
release from prison, these brown shirts were issued as uni- that group: shirt, tie, breeches, boots, and cylindrical
forms.
kepi, all brown. As the SS was at this time a small unit
In 1925, Hitler ordered the formation of a new bodyguard within the SA, SS personnel during this period likewise
unit, the Schutzkommando (protection command).[4] It wore brown shirt uniforms but distinguished themselves
was formed by Julius Schreck and included old Stoßtrupp as an elite among the SA by wearing black neckties and
members, Emil Maurice and Erhard Heiden.[5][6] The black kepis with Totenkopf and Party eagle badges.
only insignia was the swastika armband, usually home- By this time, with influences from the Stahlhelm, the SA
made, except for the handful of men constituting the leadership adopted its first collar insignia and also added
Stosstrupp’s successor, the Schutzkommando, who contin- a new SA rank of Standartenführer ("standard leader”)
2.2
SS Brownshirts (1929–1932)
3
1st pattern Party eagle, worn by the SS 1927–36
in charge of regiment-sized Standarten (incorporating the
company sized Staffeln); the SS at this time adopted the
same rank as well.
The 1927 ranks had no insignia for SA/SS troopers (still
known by the title "Mann") and the previous rank of
Staffelführer had become shortened to simply Führer
(“leader”). The higher SS ranks of Standartenführer,
Gauführer, and Reichsführer like their SA counterparts
now used a system of oak leaves displayed on both collars of the brown SA shirt. One oak leaf signified a
Standartenführer, two a Gauführer, and three oak leaves
were worn by Reichsführer-SS Berchtold and his successor Erhard Heiden, who reported directly to the Oberste
SA-Führer.
Over the course of the next year, the burgeoning SA saw
the emergence of new units and ranks, and for the first
time a comprehensive system of rank insignia. A basic
squad unit, the 10-man Schar, was grouped into platoonsized Truppen, and these into company-sized Stürme
which in turn made up battalion-sized Sturmbanne. New
ranks went with the new formations: Scharführer, with
one pip worn on the left collar patch, Truppführer, two
pips, Sturmführer, three pips, and Sturmbannführer, four
pips. On the right collar of SA uniforms was worn a patch
with two numbers indicating Standarte and Sturmbann affiliation. Because the SS numbered fewer than a thousand
men, it did not adopt the Sturmbann unit at this time, and
right-hand SS collar patches displayed the number of the
Standarte only.
At the higher end of the organization, in 1928 the SA
Gau-Stürme were restructured into regional Gruppen,
each commanded by a leader with a new general-officer
rank, Gruppenführer; its insignia was the three oak leaf
collar patch. At this time the former rank of Gauführer
was renamed Oberführer (“senior leader”).
The collar patches of the SA were color-coded: each
Gruppe had its own distinctive color. The SS was considered to be a Gruppe unto itself; its color, naturally, was
black, and Reichsführer-SS Heiden held the rank of Gruppenfuhrer and wore its three-oakleaf insignia.
Heinrich Himmler wearing an early SS uniform with Oberführer
insignia in 1928
2.2 SS Brownshirts (1929–1932)
In 1929, under new Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler,
the SS codified its first uniform regulations: the signature
black color was extended to breeches, boots,[lower-alpha 2]
armband edges, and belt and crossbelt; the shirt collar was
edged in black-and-white twist cord except for those of
senior leaders, which were trimmed in silver.
The ability to produce and issue complete uniforms
came about due both to the centralization of the
Reichszeugmeisterei (RZM; national quartermaster office) under NSDAP Treasurer Franz Xaver Schwarz, and
to Himmler’s expansion and reorganization of the fastgrowing SS (from 280 members to 52,000 between 1929
and 1932) into several brigade sized Brigaden throughout
Germany, each comprising three to five regiment-sized
Standarten. Within the Standarten now existed two to
three battalion-sized Sturmbanne (“storm units”), and beneath this level were the Stürme, Truppen, and Scharen.
For the lower ranks, the SS also specified that a patch
showing the wearer’s regiment (Standarte) would be worn
opposite the badge of rank while the higher SS leaders
would continue to wear oakleaf insignia on both collars.
4
2
UNIFORMS DESIGNS AND STYLES
rank of Standartenführer was divided into two separate
grades, known as Standartenführer (I) and Standartenführer (II); the insignia of one oak leaf was used for both
positions. This situation was another reflection of the
SS' rapid expansion: Oberführers now commanded the
three newly created SS-Oberführerbereiche, east, west and
south; and so a senior Standartenführer was promoted to
command each SS-Brigade.
Hitler’s personal guard, known at this stage by the original SS name of Stabswache (later to be known as the
"Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler"), was also expressing its independence and increasing its size under the leadership
of Sepp Dietrich.
1930 pattern SS uniform with shoulder board
The Stennes Revolt of August 1930, in which members of
the SA attacked the Berlin party Gau headquarters which
was defended by the SS, had profound consequences for
the SA and its relationship to its subordinate organization.
In an open letter to Berlin SS leader Kurt Daluege, Adolf
Hitler proclaimed SS Mann, deine Ehre heißt Treue! (“SS
soldier, your honour is called loyalty!"). Subsequently,
Meine Ehre heißt Treue (“My honour is called loyalty”)
was adopted by the SS as its motto. More significantly,
Hitler cashiered SA head Franz Pfeffer von Salomon and
assumed the position of Oberste SA-Führer personally,
and simultaneously promoted both Himmler and Daluege
to the new rank of SS-Obergruppenführer. Daluege was
the SS leader of Northern Germany while Himmler controlled southern SS units out of Munich while serving as
the National Leader for the SS; this move had the effect
of rendering the loyal SS practically independent of the
suspect SA, since Himmler and Daluege now outranked
all SA commanders.
The transitional SS ranks of 1930
The earliest SS rank system, used during the year 1929
Collar tabs below the rank of Sturmführer were edged
in black-and-white twist cord; those of Sturm and Sturmbann leaders used black-and-silver while those of senior
leaders were edged in solid silver cord.
In addition to the collar unit insignia, the SS now created a
cuffband system which was worn on the lower left sleeve.
These cuffbands were black and displayed the bearer’s
Sturm number together with color-coded edges indicating the Sturmbann, which in conjunction with the collar
insignia showed regiment, battalion and company affiliation. Leaders above the company level did not at this time
use the cuffband system.
Another result of the Stennes Revolt was Hitler’s recall of
his old Putsch comrade Ernst Röhm from South America to take over the day-to-day running of the SA with
the title of SA-Stabschef. While Hitler thought that this
would bind the SA more firmly to him, Röhm had other
ambitions, including the conversion of the paramilitary
Sturmabteilung into an army. With his expansions, promotions, and changes to the SA, a revision of the SA
rank system was required although the uniforms and titles essentially stayed the same. The first major change
was the addition of new ranks modeled on the original titles created in 1928 but with the addition of “senior” and “head” designators (ober and haupt): these were
Oberscharführer, Obertruppführer and Sturmhauptführer.
The new rank insignia were created by adding a silver
stripe to the collar pips of the next-lower rank.
The holder of the title of Reichsführer was still considered
an SA-Gruppenführer, with Reichsführer itself not yet an A 1930 change to the SS uniform was the addition of a
actual rank. In addition, for a brief period in 1929, the single narrow shoulder strap worn on the right side. There
2.3
SS black uniforms (1932–1934)
5
were four grades of shoulder strap: until 1933 a blackand-white pattern was worn by SS troopers, an epaulette
of parallel silver cords by Sturm and Sturmbann leaders,
a twisted pattern in silver cord by standarten-, ober- and
Gruppenführers, and a braided silver shoulderboard by the
two Obergruppenführers.
By 1931, Himmler was secure (or independent) enough
to reorganize the SS, formerly one SA-Gruppe, into five
SS-Gruppen divided into several Brigaden led by officers
with the new rank of Brigadeführer; its insignia was the
two oakleaves of an Oberführer with a pip.
2.3
SS black uniforms (1932–1934)
In 1932,[lower-alpha 3] the SS introduced its most notorious uniform, the black ensemble designed by Karl
Diebitsch (later to become an SS-Oberführer) and graphic
designer SS-Sturmhauptführer Walter Heck.[8] The shirt
remained brown as a nod to the SA, of which the SS was
still nominally a part, but all else was black from high
boots[lower-alpha 4] to the new military-style peaked cap,
aside from the red armband. SS men were also issued
black wool greatcoats for inclement weather, which similarly carried the armband, epaulette and collar patches.
Around this time a belt buckle featuring the motto Meine
Ehre heißt Treue (“My Honor Is Loyalty”) in its design
was produced by the Overhoff firm to replace the SA
buckle.[9]
Furthermore, several new ranks and insignia changes
were introduced. The expanded rank system of 1932 still
used the same collar pip method to denote position paired
with a corresponding shoulder board, but added two new
junior positions known as Sturmmann and Rottenführer.
By this time, Himmler had also increased scrutiny on SS
membership with a particular focus on proof of “Aryan”
ancestry, and created a “candidate” position known as SSAnwärter, which prospective SS members were required
to hold for at least six months before formally joining the
SS as an SS-Mann; an Anwärter wore no rank insignia.
With membership continuing to increase, Röhm invented two new officer ranks known as Obersturmführer
and Obersturmbannführer. SS (and SA) officers ranked
Standartenführer (colonel) and above wore rank insignia
on both collars without the use of unit insignia; all personnel Obersturmbannführer (lieutenant colonel) and below
wore a unit insignia patch opposite the badge of rank.
In 1933, after Hitler had become Chancellor, the SS began to make more of a distinction between 'officers’ and
'enlisted men;' an SS man could now only be promoted
to Sturmführer with Himmler’s approval, based upon the
Reichsführer’s personal review of the candidate’s application including his career resume or lebenslauf and recommendations from current and former superior officers.
Note however that this system presupposed enlisted SS
membership; Himmler always detested the army’s class
distinctions. It was forbidden for SS men to follow the
The black uniform for the Allgemeine SS
army custom of addressing superior officers by prefixing
Herr to their rank, and Kamerad was an approved form
of address under most circumstances.
At this time, the SS also began to revamp its unit col-
6
SS rank insignia pattern from 1933
2
UNIFORMS DESIGNS AND STYLES
LSSAH guard detail, Berlin 1938; note sig-runes insignia
this particular unit insignia was largely the work of Sepp
Dietrich who on 4 November 1933, declared the unit an
independent formation and, although a part of the SS, answerable to Hitler alone.[12] Dietrich even went so far as to
forbid entrance of Himmler into the Berlin Leibstandarte
barracks and, for a brief few months in 1933, ordered his
Leibstandarte soldiers to wear the black uniform without
a swastika armband in order to differentate the bodyguard
unit from the rank and file of the Allgemeine-SS (“General
SS”) units throughout Germany.
SS-Haupttruppführer insignia
lar insignia, shoulderboards, and sleeve cuffband system.
These changes were introduced over a period of one year
between 1933 and 1934 and began with the introduction
of a new senior enlisted rank known as Haupttruppführer.
The black-and-white enlisted shoulderboard became
black-and-silver, and officers were brought into parallel
with army practice: the twisted “cruller” board was assigned to the field-grade ranks (Sturmbannführer, Obersturmbannführer, and Standartenführer), and the braided
boards to the general-equivalents of Oberführer through
Obergruppenführer. In late 1934, enlisted collar patches
changed from black-and-white to black-and-silver edging; all officers now wore silver-piped collar tabs.
Also in 1933, the
runes insignia was introduced which
would eventually become known as the symbol for the
entire SS. The first use of the SS runes was as a unit insignia limited only to members of the Leibstandarte Adolf
Hitler[10] which had transferred their headquarters from
Munich to Berlin and had replaced the Army Chancellery
Guard to become Hitler’s main protectors. It was at this
time that the Leibstandarte moved from being a “paramilitary” formation armed with pistols and truncheons to
“military”, equipped with rifles, bayonets, and steel helmets. Their SS runes unit collar patch was to be worn
on the right side of the tunic collar.[11] The adaptation of
At the same time Dietrich and his Leibstandarte adopted
the SS runes as their unit insignia, the full-time SS headquarters and command staffs began using a blank collar
patch, without a unit number, to differentiate themselves
from the “rank and file” SS units in Germany which were
still using regiment Standarten numbers as their unit insignia. Thus, by the end of 1933, there were three unit
collar insignia patches in existence: the SS runes used by
the Leibstandarte, the blank collar patch used by the SS
headquarters and command staff, and the numbered SS
unit insignia worn by regular SS companies throughout
Germany.
SS unit insignia (1934)
In 1934, with the rise of the SS-Verfügungstruppe (SSVT), the SS runes unit insignia was expanded to these
other formatations of the then fledgling military arm of
the SS (later to become known as the Waffen-SS). To separate these new military formations from the main Leibstandarte regiment under Dietrich, the SS runes worn by
the Verfügungstruppe displayed a small number corresponding to the particular SS-VT regiment of the bearer.
2.4
SS pre-war uniforms (1934–1938)
7
In all, there were three possible numbers:
1 for members of the Deutschland Regiment,
2 for
Germania personnel, and (from 1938) 3 for members
of the Der Führer Regiment. These insignia would survive throughout World War II and were kept in use after
the three original regiments had expanded to brigade and
division strength.
A collection of SS cuffbands
In addition to the expansion of the collar unit insignia system, the SS by 1934 had also greatly expanded the system
of sleeve cuffbands which were now a standard part of the
black uniform, worn on the lower left sleeve. Within the
Allgemeine-SS companies, cuffbands were worn in conjunction with a unit collar patch to denote regiment, battalion, and company affiliation. While the unit collar
patch displayed the wearer’s Standarte (regiment) number, the number denoted on the cuffband indicated the
Sturm, or company, while collared piping along the cuffband further denoted in which battalion (Sturmbann) a
member served.
For those personnel serving above the regiment level, a
bare cuffband was worn or a cuffband bearing a Roman
numeral could be displayed. The Roman numeral cuffband indicated membership on the staff of the SS-Brigade
so numbered, which by the end of 1934 had become
known as an SS-Abschnitt. For the even higher levels,
such as Himmler or the senior SS-Gruppe leaders (later
known by the title SS-Oberabschnitt Führer) a solid silver
cuffband was worn.
Within the early military SS, which included the Leibstandarte and the formations of the SS-Verfügungstruppe, a
series of cuffbands were introduced which bore the name
of the regiment to which the bearer was assigned. The
most coveted of these was the “Adolf Hitler” cuffband,
carrying the Führer’s name in Sütterlin script, which was
worn solely by members of the Leibstandarte.
2.4
SS pre-war uniforms (1934–1938)
Heinrich Himmler’s insignia for Reichsführer-SS
that answered only to Hitler. Several of the rank titles
were renamed to completely separate the SS from its SA
origins.
The most significant rank change was the creation of an
actual rank of Reichsführer-SS to denote the commander
of the SS. The new rank was the equivalent of a field marshal in the army. Prior to 1934, Himmler had been regarded simply as an SS-Obergruppenführer. Reichsführer
was merely a title and not a rank prior to 1934, though
Himmler preferred to use his title more than his rank.
In addition to Himmler’s new rank, several of the original SS rank titles were renamed (although retained the
same insignia), bringing about the final nomenclature of
SS ranks which would be used until the SS was disbanded
at the end of World War II.
The change in SS rank titles applied mainly to the noncommissioned officer ranks as well as the ranks of Sturmführer and Sturmhauptführer which received new names.
The titles of the remaining ranks remained unchanged.
In the wake of the "Röhm-Putsch", the SS officially
took over the concentration camps from the SA and police. Soon thereafter, camp guards began wearing the
Totenkopf (“death’s head”) on the right collar patch, to
distinguish themselves from the numbered Allgemeine-SS
Standarten. This was inconsistent in the early days; some
guards instead wore tabs with the initial of their camp (e.
g. “D” for Dachau), and some wore blank tabs. About
1935, the black uniform proving impractical for daily
service wear, the Inspectorate of Concentration Camps
adopted a working uniform in “earth-brown” (erdbraun),
which was identical in cut to the black tunic except for
shoulderboards on both sides. In March 1936, the camp
“service” was formally established as the third branch of
the SS, the Totenkopfverbände or death’s-head units.
An event which significantly altered the SS rank and insignia structure was the Night of the Long Knives which
occurred in June 1934. As a result of SS participation
in the purge and execution of the SA leadership, the SS
was declared an independent formation of the Nazi Party At about this same time, for similar reasons, the military
8
2
UNIFORMS DESIGNS AND STYLES
form was authorized for full-time Allgemeine-SS cadres as
well; the LSSAH and SS-VT then adopted army-pattern
shoulderboards to distinguish themselves from the general SS and emphasize their military role.
2nd pattern SS eagle, 1936-45
In February 1934, the Ehrenwinkel für Alte Kämpfer
(“honor chevron for old campaigners”) was introduced
for all SS men who had joined the Nazi Party or a
Party-affiliated organization prior to January 30, 1933;
after the Anschluss, it was also authorized for Austrians who had joined the DNSAP prior to 18 February
1938. It took the form of a silver lace chevron worn on
the right sleeve. During this period, the principal SS insignia also underwent design changes. The ancient jawless Danziger style of Totenkopf was gradually replaced
by the 'classic' SS skull, a naturalistic design with grinning jaws; the old form was taken up by the army’s newly
formed Panzerwaffe. Additionally, in March 1936, Hitler
approved a new art deco eagle with staggered wingtips for
the SS, which was worn through the end of the war as a
cap badge and on the sleeve.
By the end of 1938, the SS had also adopted a new insignia feature of sleeve diamonds worn on the bottom of
the left sleeve. Between 1939 and 1940, the SS expanded
its cuffband and sleeve diamond system into a vast array
of over 30 cuffbands and more than 12 sleeve diamonds.
2.5 SS uniforms of World War II (1939–
1945)
SS grey service uniform, 1937
SS formations (the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler and the
SS-Verfügungstruppe) adopted a service uniform in what
was termed “earth-grey” (erdgrau).[lower-alpha 5] This also
was based on the black uniform, but without the red Hakenkreuz armband, its place on the left sleeve being taken
by an eagle-and-swastika patch, and worn with trousers
and shoes or calf-high jackboots. In June 1938 this uni-
When World War II began in 1939, the Allgemeine-SS
grey service uniforms took on a more military appearance with the somewhat ad-hoc adoption of Wehrmacht-style shoulderboards, except for SS generals, who,
until 1942, continued to wear the narrow braided silver
SS shoulderboards to denote general rank. It was also
at this time that the rank of SS-Oberführer lost its status as a general officer rank and was instead now regarded as more of a senior colonel position. The black
uniform was increasingly seldom seen, eventually being
worn only by part-time Allgemeine-SS reservists. The
last ceremonial event at which the black uniforms were
worn en masse was the Berlin victory parade following the fall of France in June 1940. In 1942, Himmler ordered most all of the black uniforms recalled and
stripped of insignia. They were sent east for use by the
2.5
SS uniforms of World War II (1939–1945)
9
SS senior and general officer rank insignia, before (top row) and
after (bottom row) April 1942
Sicherheitsdienst sleeve diamond (raute)
Various unit insignia collar patches worn during World War II
Panzer troops wore a double-breasted black uniform similar to the Army model but somewhat different in cut; the
SS also made extensive use of camouflage clothing as the
war progressed. The full-time Allgemeine-SS cadres, especially Reichssicherheitshauptamt personnel, continued
to wear the earth-grey service-dress uniform.
SS rank insignia for enlisted personnel and officers
native auxiliary police units and sent west to be used by
Germanic-SS units such as the ones in the Netherlands
and Denmark.[13] In 1937, the LSSAH and SS-VT had
adopted a closed-collar feldgrau (grey-green) field uniform for combat wear, which with the outbreak of war
became the standard uniform of what would soon be
the Waffen-SS. This feldanzug was very similar to the
Model 1936 Army field uniform; however, the SS version had a somewhat wider collar in feldgrau (grey-green)
rather than Heer bottle-green,[lower-alpha 6] the lower pockets were of the SS angled slash type, and the second button was placed lower to permit the collar optionally to be
worn open with a necktie like the service-dress uniforms.
The Totenkopf branch, which was designated the reserve
for the Waffen-SS, also adopted this uniform. Waffen-SS
A unique situation developed during World War II with
regards to SS ranks held by those who had served in
Allgemeine-SS positions from before the outbreak of war
and now wished to serve in combat conditions with the
Waffen-SS. With such persons being SS members already,
it was expected that they would join the Waffen-SS in order to serve in combat; some members in fact had no
choice and were drafted for combat service due to their
Allgemeine-SS billet being done away with or, in situations
involving disciplinary actions, transferred into combat as
the result of a hearing before an SS and police court;
Wilhelm Höttl was one such example.
As a result of Allgemeine-SS members transferring into
the Waffen-SS, a situation arose where an SS member
would actually hold two separate ranks - one in the
Allgemeine-SS and another in the Waffen-SS; it was further possible to hold a reserve commission in the regular German military (Klaus Barbie, who was a reserve
Feldwebel (“sergeant”) is one such example). Waffen-SS
officers could also hold a regular or reserve commission,
with most Allgemeine-SS members being appointed to the
Waffen-SS reserves (the intent was to easily be able to
10
Obersturmbannführer Otto Kumm in Waffen-SS uniform. Note
the unauthorized Heer (army) style eagle together with SS
Totenkopf on the peaked cap, the Sigrunen and rank tabs on the
closed collar, and the shoulderboards similar to a Wehrmacht
Oberstleutnant
2
UNIFORMS DESIGNS AND STYLES
A concentration camp SS-Scharführer wearing a gray-green
field uniform. The silver-gray braid on the collar was used by
all SS non-commissioned officers
place such members on inactive duty once the war had
ended). With this policy, it was very common for SS
members in the Waffen-SS to hold drastically different
titles from their Allgemeine-SS duties; a Standartenführer
in the regular SS could, for instance, serve as a Rottenführer (lance corporal) in a front line Waffen-SS company.
The security forces of the SS, such as SD troops which
were part of the Einsatzgruppen, were also all considered
part of the Allgemeine-SS, even though many of these persons (especially in the field) wore uniforms nearly identical to the Waffen-SS; to further the confusion, many
agents of the security police (SiPo) in such “field” roles
wore Waffen-SS uniform even though they were not ex
officio members of any branch of the SS. By 1943, the
SS had made a determined effort that most field personnel (including concentration camp staffs) were granted
Waffen-SS ranks and, in 1944, any Allgemeine-SS who
served in an area that commanded SS combat troops, was
M43 field tunic of an SD-Unterscharführer. Note that, in congranted a Waffen-SS commission.
trast to Wehrmacht practice, the SS wore the eagle-and-swastika
To add to the confusion of multiple rank titles, uniform device on the left sleeve, not the right breast
regulations of this time created a mixture of pre-1939
SS shoulder boards, Wehrmacht-pattern shoulder boards,
and police shoulder boards depending on the duties of
11
the SS person in question. It was not until late 1944
that regulations specified that all grey-green SS uniforms
should only display Wehrmacht-style shoulder boards,
with the exception of SD and uniformed SiPo personnel who wore police-pattern shoulderboards with giftgrün
(“poison green”) underlay.[lower-alpha 7]
Another uniform insignia change occurred in April 1942
with the creation of the rank SS-Oberstgruppenführer.
This necessitated an insignia change for SS generals and
all SS generals at this time began wearing Wehrmachtstyle gold shoulder boards; Oberführers wore the shoulderboards of an army Oberst (“colonel”) just as Standartenführers did. The sole exception was Heinrich
Himmler who continued to wear the silver braided shoulderboard with oak leaves of his rank as ReichsführerSS. At the same time the collar patches for general officers were revised; the 1942 pattern used three oakleaves,
rather straighter than the old style, with zero to three pips
indicating rank from Brigadeführer through Oberstgruppenführer.
SS uniform suppliers could not keep up with wartime demand and, as a result, the Waffen-SS and Totenkopfverbande frequently wore uniforms drawn from army stocks,
with the addition of SS insignia. By the middle of World
War II, a wide variety of uniforms could be observed,
even within the same unit, and standardization was never
complete as previous stocks were issued or recycled. Personnel in combat conditions, away from stable supply
lines would combine uniform parts and insignia depending on what uniform parts were available.
throughout the war, but the remaining TK-Standarten
were redesignated SS-Regimenter and switched to sigrunes in February 1941. As the war went on, the WaffenSS recruited heavily among conquered populations, creating 'ethnic' brigades and divisions. These formations
wore, in place of the sig-runes, distinctive unit collar
patches identifying them as Freiwilligen (foreign volunteers). In the last days of World War II, the SS also created a twin swastika collar patch which was used by the
“auxiliary SS” which were non-SS members conscripted
to serve in concentration camp positions.
By 1943, a special staff non-commissioned officer position, known as Stabsscharführer had been adopted by
the Waffen-SS. This position, equivalent to an army
Hauptfeldwebel, was denoted by a special sleeve insignia
and was not an actual rank, but rather a title for the
head SS non-commissioned officer of a particular combat unit. The rank of Sturmscharführer was also unique
to the Waffen-SS as a type of regimental sergeant major.
The SS also, by this time, had created a private first class
position known as Oberschütze, denoted by a silver pip
worn on the sleeve of the SS uniform. The SS continued to use the candidate rank of Anwärter during World
War II, but in a much less formal way especially in the
Waffen-SS where soldiers were typically enlisted directly
as an SS-Schütze, which was the military equivalent of the
Allgemeine-SS rank of SS-Mann. In 1943, the SS created
still a further entry rank with the position of Bewerber
(“applicant”) which was the lowest possible position in
the SS; it had no rank insignia.
Waffen-SS and SS-TV members during this period wore
army-style shoulderboards with SS collar patches; edging
of enlisted collar tabs was discontinued in 1940 while SS
officers’ collar patches continued to be trimmed in silver. Enlisted shoulderboards were made of black fabric
as opposed to army dark green or field-grey (grey-green),
and officers had a black underlay; all shoulderboards were
piped in waffenfarbe (branch-color). Junior leaders (Sturmmann and Rottenführer) wore sleeve chevrons corresponding to army insignia (Gefreiter and Obergefreiter),
but with black backing; SS non-commissioned officers
wore army-style silver-grey braid around the collar.
SS generals of the Waffen-SS were typically addressed by
both their SS rank title and a corresponding general’s rank
associated with the Wehrmacht. All such general ranks
were followed by the phrase der Waffen-SS to distinguish
the SS General from their counterparts in other branches
of the German military. Thus, a typical title would be
Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS. For those
who had held police rank prior to 1944, the SS general’s
title could become rather lengthy. Ernst Kaltenbrunner,
for instance, was listed on the SS rolls in 1945 as Obergruppenführer und General der Polizei und Waffen-SS.
The staffs of concentration camps had by now standardized the death’s head collar patch, whereas between
1934 and 1938 the Totenkopf as well as various camp
specific collar patches, displaying Germanic letters, had
been used as unit insignia. Other unit insignia collar
patches included a Standarte-number patch for most of
the Allgemeine-SS, a blank collar patch worn by SS main
office staffs and Sicherheitsdienst (and some SiPo) personnel, the sig-runes Waffen-SS patch (adopted after 1943 as
the standard unit collar patch for most of the SS), and
a numbered death’s head patch which was used by personnel serving in field units of the Totenkopfverbaende;
the three senior Totenkopfstandarten, formed into the
Totenkopf division, would retain these collar patches
3 Final SS ranks 1934–1945
Main article: Table of ranks and insignia of the WaffenSS
4 Police ranks and insignia
Main article: Ranks and insignia of the Ordnungspolizei
In 1936, the regular German police, previously agencies
of the Länder or states, were nationalized and placed
12
7
under Himmler, who was named Chef der Deutschen
Polizei. The ordinary uniformed police were called the
Ordnungspolizei (“order police”). Known as the Orpo, the
Ordnungspolizei maintained a separate uniform, system
of insignia and Orpo ranks. It was also possible for SS
members to hold dual status in both the Orpo and the SS,
and SS generals were referred to simultaneously by both
rank titles. For instance, an Obergruppenführer in the SS,
who was also a police general, would be referred to as
Obergruppenführer und General der Polizei. In late 1939,
Orpo personnel were formed into a combat division, recognizable by its use of police insignia; in 1942, this formation was absorbed into the Waffen-SS to become the 4.
SS-Polizei-Panzergrenadier division.
5
SS foreign legions
SPECIAL SS UNIFORMS
with the rest of the Waffen-SS, the Germanic-SS was concerned solely with homeland duties and therefore were
provided with surplus black uniforms upon which were
displayed country specific insignia. This led to a wide
variety of insignia and rank titles depending on the country of origin, although standardized throughout the entire
Germanic-SS were the rank insignia pips and oak leaves
used by the SS proper.
The Germanic-SS also had a unique military award,
known as the Germanic Proficiency Runes, awarded for
qualifying under certain physical tests, in much the same
manner as the German Sports Badge and SA Sports
Badge were awarded to the regular SS.
The Germanic-SS effectively ceased to exist in late
1944, after which time most of its members were folded
into the foreign legions of the Waffen-SS. Due to most
Germanic-SS members being considered traitors to their
countries, Germanic-SS uniforms were often destroyed
by their owners to prevent identification as a German
collaborator.
7 Special SS uniforms
A reproduction field blouse of the British Free Corps, considered
a unit of the SS foreign legions; rank of Untersturmführer
As with the senior SS titles, volunteers of non-Germanic
countries had the title "Waffen" prefixed to their rank.
For instance, an Untersturmführer in the foreign legions would be referred to as Waffen-Untersturmführer
whereas a regular SS member would be addressed as SSUntersturmführer. This helped to indicate non-native volunteers, or to separate Germanic individuals in the divisions composed primarily of non-Germans.
6
Germanic-SS uniforms
Main article: Germanic-SS
Formal dress uniform jacket of SS-Obergruppenfuhrer Werner
Lorenz
Germanic-SS uniforms were modified versions of the
original black Allgemeine-SS uniforms and were used
strictly by the Germanic-SS in occupied countries. Unlike the foreign legions of the Waffen-SS, who wore the
standard field gray (grey-green) SS uniform to conform
SS officers had the option of purchasing formal-dress and
mess-dress uniforms. The formal uniform was not unlike U.S. or UK dinner-dress uniforms, cut like a civilian tailcoat without the tails, and worn with white or
black bowtie and waistcoat. This uniform also featured
13
silk-faced lapels, SS shoulderboards and collar patches, a 8 SS titles
Totenkopf breast pin, and silver piping (broad silver-grey
trouser stripes for general officers). Mess dress resem- In addition to the rank titles used by the SS, the following
bled a double-breasted tuxedo, with collar tabs and silver titles were frequently interchanged when addressing SS
piping.
personnel in certain positions of authority.
Officers could also wear a white cotton walking-out
blouse, cut like the black service blouse, between April
• SS-Mann: A generic term for any member of the SS.
and September. Members were also permitted to wear a
Also used as an actual rank of the Allgemeine-SS.
white SS visored service cap with the uniform.
• SS-Führer: Originally an early rank of the SS, the
term SS-Führer designated commissioned officers of
the SS, and means “SS leader”.
• SS-Unterführer:
This term designated noncommissioned officers in the SS. An enlisted SS
soldier, applying for non-commissioned officer status, was often known as an Unterführer-Anwärter.
• SD-Leiter: This title was used by senior officers of
the Sicherheitsdienst, typically those in command of
a major SD office or regional headquarters.
• SS- und Polizeiführer: Translated as “SS and police
leader”, these were some of the most powerful men
in the SS, commanding all SS, Gestapo, Kripo and
Orpo units in a given geographic region, often of the
size of a major military district.
An SS camouflage pattern
A waist-length white “waiter’s jacket” with collar tabs was
issued to those SS men who served as Hitler’s domestic
staff.
For use in hot weather climates like Southern Europe and
North Africa, a tropical uniform of tan cotton was developed. This consisted of a Sahariana-style tunic with
shoulder yokes based on Italian tropical uniforms, longsleeved field shirt, and trousers. Headgear could be a pith
helmet, sidecap, or an M40 tropical cap based on that of
the Afrika Korps. Insignia was similar to that of standard
SS-uniforms but in tan thread on black backing. Police
units deployed to tropical climates wore an identical uniform with police insignia.
Waffen-SS troops were also pioneering among the German forces in the use of camouflage clothing and wore
it extensively during the war. Waffen-SS used a variety
of original spring and autumn designs in many patterns.
Usually, camouflage was worn on overall parkas or helmet covers, and only late in the war were camouflaged
tunics introduced.
• Oberste Führer der Schutzstaffel:
Literally,
“Supreme Leader of the SS”, was a special title intended to be held solely by Adolf Hitler. When
the SS became an independent organization from
the SA, Hitler was listed on SS officer rolls as SS
member #1 and the group’s Supreme Commander.
This title was intended to give Hitler a technically
higher SS rank to Himmler (Reich Leader of the
SS), but there is no photographic record of Hitler
wearing an SS uniform, and there was no special SS
insignia for Hitler above that worn by Himmler.[15]
From 1937 to 1945, Hitler also held the rank of
“Honorary Corporal” in the Italian Blackshirts,
which was a senior General’s rank.
8.1 Secret Police Ranks
In addition to the various titles and ranks of the SS, any
SS member who also served in the Gestapo or Kripo
held a unique criminal investigator rank, one of the more
common of which was Kriminalrat, a police investigator’s
rank denoting professional detectives. Artur Nebe, a career policeman, went by the title of Kriminalrat for most
of the 1930s, only using an SS rank when engaged in nonKripo activities. The Gestapo also maintained an entire
array of ranks which were used interchangeably with a
Gestapo member’s SS rank.
14
9
13 BIBLIOGRAPHY
SS membership numbers
Adolf Hitler, as the Führer of Germany, was considered
SS member #1; Emil Maurice (considered one of the
founders of the SS) was member #2. Based on the seniority system of SS membership numbers, this made Hitler
senior in the SS to all other members. The SS membership number system was also a means to denote the “Old
Guard” of the SS, and to hold a number below 50,000 was
considered a special place of honor since it denoted SS
membership before the Nazi seizure in 1933. Numbers
below 500 were considered the original cadre of the SS,
while any number below fifty denoted an original founder
and, in most cases, a personal associate of Hitler. Himmler, who held membership #168, was known to resent
those with lower numbers than his and was known for his
attempts to sabotage such SS careers for his own interests. Emil Maurice was one such example, who Himmler
attempted unsuccessfully to have dismissed from the SS
after rumors surfaced of Jewish heritage.
10
See also
• Comparative military ranks of World War II
• Degen, the SS Sword
• Glossary of Nazi Germany
• List of SS personnel
• Nazi party paramilitary ranks
• Ranks and insignia of the Sturmabteilung
• Ranks and insignia of the Nazi Party
• Ranks and Insignia of the German Army in World
War II
• Runic insignia of the Schutzstaffel
[5] In practice, earth-grey was little if any different from
army field-grey (feldgrau); however, Himmler resented
the army and preferred a distinct SS term
[6] However, many Waffen-SS officers had their tunics made
with green collars.
[7] Except that SD/SiPo shoulderboards used black where the
Orpo used dark brown
[8] This rank has been alternatively translated as “colonel
group leader”.[14]
12 References
[1] Himmler, Heinrich (1936), Die Schutzstaffel als antibolschewistiche Kampf-organisation, p. 29 as quoted in
The Third Reich: A New History, 2001, p. 192.
[2] Givhan, Robin (1997-08-15). “Clothier Made Nazi Uniforms”. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2008-11-08.
[3] Toland, John (1976), Adolf Hitler, New York: Doubleday
& Co, ISBN 0-385-03724-4.
[4] Lumsden 2002, p. 14.
[5] Weale 2010, pp. 16, 26.
[6] McNab 2009, pp. 10, 11.
[7] Weale 2010, p. 29.
[8] Lumsden 2002, p. 53.
[9] Lumsden 2002, p. 49.
[10] Cook & Bender 1994, pp. 288, 292.
[11] Cook & Bender 1994, p. 292.
[12] Cook & Bender 1994, p. 15.
[13] Lumsden 2002, p. 56.
[14] Yerger, Mark (1997), Allgemeine-SS, Atglen, PA: Schiffer.
11
Notes
[1] This same tradition in its 'cavalry' aspect would also manifest itself in the black uniforms and totenkopf badges of
the army’s Panzer troops.
[15] Schutzstaffel der NSDAP, SS Officers List, Berlin (1942),
Reprinted by Schiffer Publishing, Atglen, PA (2000)
13 Bibliography
[2] The regulation boot was by now the standard army-style
Marschstiefel or jackboot, a calf-high pebbled-leather
pull-on boot with hobnailed leather soles. The standard
size was a Euro: 41–42 or a US: 9.5
• Bedurftig, Friedemann, and Zenter, Christian
(1985). The Encyclopedia of the Third Reich.
[3] Ironically, the iconic black uniform was brought out during a short-lived legal prohibition on political party uniforms
• Cook, Stan; Bender, R James (1994). Leibstandarte
SS Adolf Hitler. One: Uniforms, Organization, &
History. San Jose, CA: R. James Bender. ISBN
978-0-912138-55-8.
[4] In contrast to the army, the black SS uniform included riding boots and breeches for enlisted men as well as officers.
• Hayes, A. SS Uniforms, Insignia and Accoutrements
15
• Lumsden, Robin (2002). A Collector’s Guide To:
The Allgemeine — SS. Ian Allan Publishing, Inc.
ISBN 0-7110-2905-9.
• McNab, Chris (2009). The SS: 1923–1945. Amber
Books Ltd. ISBN 978-1-906626-49-5.
• Mollo, Andrew. Uniforms of the SS, Collected Edition Vol. 1–6 (ISBN)
• National Socialist German
(1938).Deutsche Uniformen.
Workers
Party
• Personnel Service Records of the SS, National
Archives and Records Administration, College
Park, MD.
• Weale, Adrian (2010). The SS: A New History. London: Little, Brown. ISBN 978-1408703045.
14
External links
• German WWII Army & SS Rank & Insignia
• Grey uniform of a SS-Sturmbannführer of a selfpropelled gun crew of the SS-Totenkopf-Division
• Black uniform of a SS-Standartenführer of the SSTotenkopfverbände
• Uniform of a SS-Unterscharführer of the early SSTotenkopf-Division
• Examples of different cuff titles of the SS
• Examples of different cuff titles of the Waffen-SS
• Cuff title of the “training camp Dachau” (carried by members of the Waffen-SS there during
their “platoon leader training course” aka German
"Zugführerlehrgang")
• Cuff titles & Patches of the SS
16
15
15
15.1
TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES
Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses
Text
• Uniforms and insignia of the Schutzstaffel Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uniforms%20and%20insignia%20of%20the%
20Schutzstaffel?oldid=638230988 Contributors: The Anome, Yooden, Paul Barlow, Paul A, Furrykef, Wernher, Pibwl, GreatWhiteNortherner, DocWatson42, Nichalp, HangingCurve, Marcika, Ukas, Husnock, Necrothesp, Hammersfan, Klemen Kocjancic, DmitryKo, Cnyborg, Rama, Alphax, Haham hanuka, Alansohn, Anthony Appleyard, Andrewpmk, Denniss, Grenavitar, Cosal, JALockhart, Lohengrin,
Gimboid13, Mandarax, Sjakkalle, Koavf, Biederman, Ghepeu, Brighterorange, CosmicEngine, Margosbot, Catsmeat, Srleffler, Chobot,
YurikBot, Tommyt, RussBot, Hede2000, Fnorp, Ytcracker, Howcheng, Renata3, Resigua, Charlik, Curpsbot-unicodify, Nixer, Roitr,
Thomas Blomberg, Prvc, SmackBot, Historian932, WikiuserNI, Eskimbot, Kintetsubuffalo, Squiddy, Izehar, Bluebot, Hibernian, Colonies
Chris, OrphanBot, MrRadioGuy, Tt1, D Boland, Rheo1905, Esrever, JHunterJ, Arctic-Editor, Peripitus, ABickerstaff, Aldis90, Uvaphdman, Antique Rose, Shardz, Edward J. Picardy, Adam Grenberg, Jemauvais, FlieGerFaUstMe262, R'n'B, CommonsDelinker, Tgeairn,
Whitebox, Snake bgd, Philip Trueman, Lvivske, SGT141, StillTrill, Mcattell, Solicitr, W4chris, Vidarfe, OberRanks, Dreamafter, Jack
Merridew, PbBot, Bot-iww, Lastingwar, Brian Geppert, ImageRemovalBot, WikiBotas, Hutcher, Gits (Neo), Deanlaw, Mild Bill Hiccup, Parsival74, DerBorg, XLinkBot, Jan D. Berends, Wikiuser100, WikHead, Wyatt915, Addbot, Magus732, Ben Ben, TaBOT-zerem,
Donfbreed, AnomieBOT, Floquenbeam, FreeRangeFrog, Comt Till, Ruy Pugliesi, Shadowjams, Kierzek, Ace of Spades, Degen Earthfast,
Mediatech492, Diannaa, John of Reading, Expertim, Aspie aussie, HammerFilmFan, Liuthar, ClueBot NG, HHaeckel, Neogeolegend,
MerlIwBot, Helpful Pixie Bot, BG19bot, ChrisGualtieri, Khazar2, Хайзенберг, Georgethewriter, Ginsuloft and Anonymous: 131
15.2
Images
• File:1930_pattern_Schutzstaffel_uniform_with_shoulder_board.png Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/
7b/1930_pattern_Schutzstaffel_uniform_with_shoulder_board.png License: Public domain Contributors: http://commons.wikimedia.org/
wiki/Image:Die_Uniformen_der_Allgemeinen_SS.jpg Original artist: The author of this work is anonymous and this work is more than 50
years old. According to the Berne convention Art. 7, and the laws of many countries, this work is in the public domain.
• File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_101III-Zschaeckel-195-21,_Otto_Krumm.jpg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/
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• File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_146-2008-0276,_Hans_Heinrich_Lammers.jpg Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/
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provided to Wikimedia Commons by the German Federal Archive (Deutsches Bundesarchiv) as part of a cooperation project. The German
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• File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-H15390,_Berlin,_Kaserne_der_LSSAH,_Vergatterung.jpg Source:
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• File:Collar_insignia_of_the_Schutzstaffel.png
Schutzstaffel.png License: ? Contributors:
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Source:
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• File:Die_Uniformen_der_Allgemeinen_SS_32-45.jpg
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17
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Available from the National Archives and Records Administration, SS records and photographs collection, in College Park, Maryland. To
obtain additional verification or information, write to 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD 20740-6001. Original artist: ?
• File:Kriegsmarine_insignia_casco.svg Source:
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/></a> Heer - decal for helmet 1942.svg (by F l a n k e r). Original artist: Lancaster, F l a n k e r
• File:Left_and_right_collar_insignia_of_the_Schutzstaffel.png Source:
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• File:NSDAP_eagle_(early).gif Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4a/NSDAP_eagle_%28early%29.gif License: Public domain Contributors: Organisationsbuch der NSDAP, 3d Ed (1937) Original artist: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei
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