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 Staffscharführers had the unofficial nickname “tier Spiess” and wore a jacket, the cuffs of which were decorated with double piping 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

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

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

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

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

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

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, the 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.

Even before the final decision on the advisability of the existence of two parallel “advanced party security detachments” 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 the black uniform designed by Diebitsch-Heck was introduced in 1934, only the red swastika armband with black piping remained from the days of the first SS units.

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 part of the SS Panzer Corps. 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;
• overcoat black or gray colors, 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” colors of fabrics created in Nazi Germany. They are aesthetic and comfortable. And therefore they are widely used not only for reenactor games or work on personal plots, but also modern fashionable couturiers in the world of big fashion.

Video

Military insignia are present on the uniform of military personnel and indicate the corresponding personal rank, a specific affiliation with one of the branches of the armed forces (in this case, the Wehrmacht), branch of the military, department or service.

Interpretation of the concept "Wehrmacht"

These are the “defense forces” in 1935 - 1945. In other words, the Wehrmacht (photo below) is nothing more than the armed forces of Nazi Germany. It is headed by the Supreme Command of the country's armed forces, which subordinates the ground forces, the Navy and Air Force, and the SS troops. They were led by the main commands (OKL, OKH, OKM) and commanders-in-chief various types Armed Forces (since 1940 also SS troops). Wehrmacht - Reich Chancellor A. Hitler. A photo of Wehrmacht soldiers is shown below.

According to historical data, the word in question in German-speaking countries denoted the armed forces of any country. It acquired its usual meaning when the NSDAP came to power.

On the eve of World War II, the Wehrmacht numbered approximately three million people, and its maximum strength was 11 million people (as of December 1943).

Types of military signs

These include:

Uniforms and insignia of the Wehrmacht

There were several types of uniforms and clothing. Each soldier had to independently monitor the condition of his weapons and uniform. They were replaced in accordance with the established procedure or in case of serious damage during the training process. Military uniforms lost color very quickly due to washing and daily brushing.

The soldiers' shoes were thoroughly inspected (at all times, bad boots were a serious problem).

Since the formation of the Reichswehr in the period 1919 - 1935), the military uniform has become unified for all existing German states. Its color is “feldgrau” (translated as “field gray”) - a wormwood shade with a predominant green pigment.

A new uniform (uniform of the Wehrmacht - the armed forces of Nazi Germany in the period 1935 - 1945) was introduced along with a new model of steel helmet. The ammunition, uniforms and helmets did not differ in appearance from their predecessors (existing in the Kaiser's era).

At the whim of the Fuhrer, the attire of the military personnel was emphasized by a large number of different elements (signs, stripes, piping, badges, etc.). Devotion to National Socialism was expressed by applying the black, white and red imperial cockade and the tricolor shield on the right side of the helmet. The appearance of the imperial tricolor dates back to mid-March 1933. In October 1935, the uniform was supplemented by an imperial eagle holding a swastika in its claws. At this time, the Reichswehr was renamed the Wehrmacht (photo was shown earlier).

This topic will be considered in relation to the Ground Forces and SS troops.

Insignia of the Wehrmacht and specifically the SS troops

To begin with, we should clarify some points. Firstly, the SS troops and the SS organization itself are not identical concepts. The latter is the fighting component of the Nazi party, formed by members public organization, conducting their core activities parallel to the SS (worker, shopkeeper, civil servant, etc.). They were allowed to wear a black uniform, which since 1938 was replaced by a light gray uniform with two Wehrmacht-type shoulder straps. The latter reflected general SS ranks.

As for the SS troops, we can say that these are a kind of security detachments (“reserve troops” - “Totenkopf formations” - Hitler’s own troops), into which exclusively SS members were accepted. They were considered equal to Wehrmacht soldiers.

The difference in the ranks of members of the SS organization based on buttonholes existed until 1938. On the black uniform there was a single shoulder strap (on the right shoulder), from which it was possible to determine only the category of a particular SS member (private or non-commissioned officer, or junior or senior officer, or general). And after the light gray uniform was introduced (1938), another distinctive feature was added - Wehrmacht-type shoulder straps.

The SS insignia of both military personnel and members of the organization are the same. However, the former still wear a field uniform, which is an analogue of the Wehrmacht. It has two shoulder straps that are similar in appearance to those of the Wehrmacht, and their military rank insignia are identical.

The rank system, and therefore the insignia, was subject to changes many times, the last of which occurred in May 1942 (they were not transformed until May 1945).

Military ranks of the Wehrmacht were designated by buttonholes, shoulder straps, braid and chevrons on the collar, and the last two insignia on the sleeves, as well as special sleeve patches mainly on camouflage military clothing, various stripes (gaps of a contrasting color) on trousers, and the design of headdresses.

It was the SS field uniform that was finally established around 1938. If we consider cut as a comparison criterion, we can say that the Wehrmacht (ground forces) uniform and the SS uniform were no different. The color of the second one was a little grayer and lighter, the green tint was practically not visible.

Also, if we describe the insignia of the SS (specifically the patch), we can highlight the following points: the imperial eagle was slightly above the middle of the segment from the shoulder to the elbow of the left sleeve, its design differed in the shape of the wings (there were often cases when the Wehrmacht eagle was sewn onto the SS field uniform ).

Also a distinctive feature, for example, on the SS tank uniform, was that the buttonholes, just like those of the Wehrmacht tankers, were surrounded by a pink border. The Wehrmacht insignia in this case is represented by the presence of a “dead head” in both buttonholes. SS tankmen could have rank insignia in the left buttonhole, and either a “dead head” or SS runes in the right buttonhole (in some cases there might not have been any insignia or, for example, in a number of divisions the tank crew emblem was placed there - skull with crossed bones). The collar had even buttonholes, the size of which was 45x45 mm.

Also, the insignia of the Wehrmacht includes the way battalion or company numbers were embossed on the buttons of the uniform, which was not done in the case of military uniform SS.

The emblem of the shoulder straps, although identical to those of the Wehrmacht, was quite rare (the exception was the first tank division, where the monogram was regularly worn on the shoulder straps).

Another difference in the system accumulating SS insignia is how soldiers who were candidates for the rank of SS navigator wore a cord at the bottom of the shoulder strap of the same color as its piping. This rank is the equivalent of a gefreiter in the Wehrmacht. And candidates for SS Unterscharführer also wore a braid (braid embroidered with silver) nine millimeters wide at the bottom of their shoulder straps. This rank is equivalent to non-commissioned officer in the Wehrmacht.

As for the ranks of the rank and file, the difference was in the buttonholes and sleeve stripes, which were located above the elbow, but below the imperial eagle in the center of the left sleeve.

If we consider camouflage clothing (where there are no buttonholes or shoulder straps), we can say that the SS men never had rank insignia on it, but they preferred to wear collars with their own buttonholes over this one.

In general, the discipline of wearing uniforms in the Wehrmacht was much higher than in the troops where they allowed themselves a large number of liberties regarding this issue, and their generals and officers did not strive to stop this type of violation, on the contrary, they often committed similar ones. And this is only a small part of the distinctive features of the uniforms of the Wehrmacht and SS troops.

If we summarize all of the above, we can conclude that the Wehrmacht insignia is much more sophisticated not only than the SS, but also the Soviet ones.

Army ranks

They were presented as follows:

• privates;
• non-commissioned officers without belts (a braided or belt sling for carrying a tashka, bladed weapons, and later firearms);
• non-commissioned officers with sword belts;
• lieutenants;
• captains;
• staff officers;
• generals.

Combat ranks also extended to military officials of various departments and departments. The military administration was divided into categories from the most junior non-commissioned officers to the noble generals.

Military colors of the Wehrmacht ground forces

In Germany, branches of the military were traditionally designated by the corresponding colors of edgings and buttonholes, hats and uniforms, and so on. They changed quite often. At the beginning of World War II, the following color division was in effect:

1. White - infantry and border guards, financiers and treasurers.
2. Scarlet - field, horse and self-propelled artillery, as well as general edgings, buttonholes and stripes.
3. Raspberry or carmine red - non-commissioned officers of the veterinary service, as well as buttonholes, stripes and shoulder straps of the Headquarters and General Staff of the High Command of the Wehrmacht and ground forces.
4. Pink - anti-tank self-propelled artillery; edging of details of tank uniforms; gaps and selection of buttonholes of service jackets of officers, gray-green jackets of non-commissioned officers and soldiers.
5. Golden yellow - cavalry, reconnaissance units of tank units and scooters.
6. Lemon yellow - signal troops.
7. Burgundy - military chemists and courts; smoke curtains and multi-barrel rocket-propelled “chemical” mortars.
8. Cherny - engineering troops (sapper, railway, training units), technical service. Tank unit sappers have black and white edging.
9. Cornflower blue - medical and sanitary personnel (except generals).
10. Light blue - edgings of motor transport parts.
11. Light green - military pharmacists, rangers and mountain units.
12. Grass Green - motorized infantry regiment, motorcycle units.
13. Gray - army propagandists and officers of the Landwehr and reserve (edging on shoulder straps in military colors).
14. Gray-blue - registration service, officials of the American administration, specialist officers.
15. Orange - military police and officers of the engineering academy, recruiting service (edging color).
16. Purple - military priests
17. Dark green - military officials.
18. Light red - quartermasters.
19. Blue - military lawyers.
20. Yellow - horse reserve service.
21. Lemon - feld post.
22. Light brown - recruit training service.

Shoulder straps in German military uniform

They had a dual purpose: as a means of determining rank and as carriers of a unitary function (fastening various types of equipment on the shoulder).

Shoulder straps of the Wehrmacht (rank and file) were made of simple cloth, but with edging, which had a certain color corresponding to the branch of the army. If we take into account the shoulder straps of a non-commissioned officer, we can note the presence of an additional edging consisting of braid (width - nine millimeters).

Until 1938, there was a special army shoulder strap exclusively for field uniforms, which was worn by all ranks below officer. It was entirely dark blue-green with a slightly tapered end towards the button. There was no edging attached to it, corresponding to the color of the branch of service. Wehrmacht soldiers embroidered insignia (numbers, letters, emblems) on them to highlight the color.

The officers (lieutenants, captains) had narrower shoulder straps, which looked like two intertwined strands made of flat silver “Russian braid” (the strand is woven in such a way that thinner threads are visible). All strands were sewn onto the flap in the color of the branch of the military that is the basis of this shoulder strap. A special bend (U-shaped) of the braid in the place of the button hole helped create the illusion of eight strands of it, when in fact there were only two.

The Wehrmacht (staff officers) shoulder straps were also made using Russian braid, but in such a way as to demonstrate a row consisting of five separate loops located on either side of the shoulder strap, in addition to the loop around the button located at the top of it.

The general's shoulder straps had a distinctive feature - “Russian braid”. It was made from two separate gold strands, twisted on both sides with one silver ribbed thread. The weaving method implied the appearance of three knots in the middle and four loops on each side in addition to one loop located around the button at the top of the shoulder strap.

Wehrmacht officials, as a rule, had the same shoulder straps as those of the active army. However, they were still distinguished by the slight introduction of a thread of dark green braid and various kinds of emblems.

It would not be amiss to remind you once again that shoulder straps are insignia of the Wehrmacht.

Buttonholes and shoulder straps of generals

As mentioned earlier, Wehrmacht generals wore shoulder straps, which were woven using two thick gold-metal strands and a silver soutache between them.

They also had removable shoulder straps, having (as in the case of ground forces) lining made of scarlet cloth with a special figured cutout running along the edge of the strands (their lower edge). And the bent and sewn-in shoulder straps were distinguished by a straight lining.

The Wehrmacht generals wore silver stars on their shoulder straps, but there was some difference: major generals had no stars, lieutenant generals had one, a general of a certain type of troops (infantry, tank troops, cavalry, etc.) had two, and an oberst general had two. three (two stars located next to each other at the bottom of the shoulder strap and one slightly above them). Previously, there was such a rank as Colonel General in the position of Field Marshal General, which was not used at the beginning of the war. Shoulder strap this title had two stars, which were located in its upper and lower parts. A field marshal could be identified by the crossed silver batons along his shoulder straps.

There were also exceptional moments. So, for example, Gerd von Rundstedt (Field Marshal General, who was removed from command due to the defeat near Rostov, chief of the 18th Infantry Regiment) wore the regiment number on his shoulder straps on top of his field marshal's batons, as well as the white and silver ceremonial buttonholes of an infantry officer on his collar troops in return for the richly ornamented gold buttonholes embroidered on a scarlet cloth flap (size 40x90 mm) for generals. Their drawing was found back in the days Kaiser's army and the Reichswehr, with the formation of the GDR and the Federal Republic of Germany it also arose among the generals.

From the beginning of April 1941, elongated buttonholes were introduced for field marshals, which had three (instead of the previous two) ornamental elements and shoulder straps made of golden thickened cords.

Another sign of the general's dignity is stripes.

The field marshal could also carry in his hand a natural staff, which was made of special wood valuable species, individually decorated, lavishly inlaid with silver and gold and decorated with reliefs.

Personal identification mark

It looked like an oval aluminum token with three longitudinal slots, which served so that at a certain moment (the hour of death) it could be broken into two halves (the first, with two holes, was left on the body of the deceased, and the second half with one hole was given to headquarters).

Wehrmacht soldiers usually wore this on a chain or neck cord. The following was stamped on each token: blood type, badge number, battalion number, regiment number where this badge was issued for the first time. This information was supposed to accompany the soldier throughout his entire service life, if necessary supplemented by similar data from other units and troops.

An image of German military personnel can be seen in the photo “Wehrmacht Soldier” shown above.

Nakhodka in Besh-Kungei

According to official data, in April 2014, a treasure from the World War II era was found by citizen D. Lukichev in the village of Besh-Kungei (Kyrgyzstan). While digging a cesspool, he came across a metal army field locker from the Third Reich. Its contents are luggage items from 1944 - 1945. (age - more than 60 years), which was not damaged by moisture due to dense insulation through the rubber gasket of the box lid.

It included:

• a light-colored case with the inscription “Mastenbrille” containing glasses;
• a rolled-up travel bag with pockets filled with toiletries;
• mittens, replacement collars, socks with foot wraps, clothes brush, sweater, suspenders and dust protectors;
• a bundle tied with twine containing a supply of leather and fabric for repairs;
• granules of some kind of product (presumably anti-moth);
• an almost new jacket worn by a Wehrmacht officer, with a spare sewn-on emblem of the branch of service and a metal badge;
• headdresses (winter hat and cap) with insignia;
• military passes through front-line checkpoints;
• a banknote of five Reichsmarks;
• a couple of bottles of rum;
• box of cigars

Dmitry thought about donating most of the uniform to the museum. As for the bottles of rum, the box of cigars and the jacket worn by the Wehrmacht officer, he wants to keep them according to the legal 25% granted by the state when finding historical value.

One of the most cruel and merciless organizations of the 20th century is the SS. Ranks, distinctive insignia, functions - all this was different from those in other types and branches of troops in Nazi Germany. Reich Minister Himmler completely brought together all the scattered security detachments (SS) into a single army - the Waffen SS. In the article we will take a closer look at the military ranks and insignia of the SS troops. And first, a little about the history of the creation of this organization.

Prerequisites for the formation of the SS

In March 1923, Hitler was concerned that the leaders of the assault troops (SA) were beginning to feel their power and importance in the NSDAP party. This was due to the fact that both the party and the SA had the same sponsors, for whom the goal of the National Socialists was important - to carry out a coup, and they did not have much sympathy for the leaders themselves. Sometimes it even came to an open confrontation between the leader of the SA, Ernst Röhm, and Adolf Hitler. It was at this time, apparently, that the future Fuhrer decided to strengthen his personal power by creating a detachment of bodyguards - the headquarters guard. He was the first prototype of the future SS. They had no ranks, but insignia had already appeared. The abbreviation for the Staff Guard was also SS, but it came from the German word Stawsbache. In every hundred of the SA, Hitler allocated 10-20 people, supposedly to protect high-ranking party leaders. They personally had to take an oath to Hitler, and their selection was carried out carefully.

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

Stosstrup Adolf Hitler - strike force"Adolf Hitler" - acquired the final features of the future SS. They did not yet have their own ranks, but insignia appeared that Himmler would later retain - a skull on their headdress, a black distinctive color of the uniform, etc. The “Death's Head” on the uniform symbolized the readiness of the detachment to defend Hitler himself at the cost of their lives. The basis for future usurpation of power was prepared.

Appearance of Strumstaffel - SS

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

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

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

Selection for the SS

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

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

New development under Heinrich Himmler

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

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

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

Reichsführer SS

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

Let's look at the highest ranks of the SS among the Germans and their correspondence with the German army.

Hierarchy of the SS High Command

The insignia of the SS high command consisted of Nordic ritual symbols and oak leaves on both sides of the lapels. The exceptions - SS Standartenführer and SS Oberführer - wore oak leaf, but belonged to senior officers. The more of them there were on the buttonholes, the higher the rank of their owner.

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

SS officers

Let's consider the features of the officer corps. The SS Hauptsturmführer and lower ranks no longer had oak leaves on their buttonholes. Also on their right buttonhole was the SS coat of arms - a Nordic symbol of two lightning bolts.

Hierarchy of SS officers:

SS rank	Lapels	Compliance in the military
SS Oberführer	Double oak leaf	No match
Standartenführer SS	Single sheet	Colonel
SS Obersturmbannführer	4 stars and two rows of aluminum thread	Lieutenant colonel
SS Sturmbannführer	4 stars
SS Hauptsturmführer	3 stars and 4 rows of thread	Hauptmann
SS Obersturmführer	3 stars and 2 rows	Chief Lieutenant
SS Untersturmführer	3 stars	Lieutenant

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

Non-commissioned officers

Hierarchy of non-commissioned officers:

SS rank	Lapels	Compliance in the military
SS Sturmscharführer	2 stars, 4 rows of thread	Staff sergeant major
Standartenoberunker SS	2 stars, 2 rows of thread, silver edging	Chief Sergeant Major
SS Hauptscharführer	2 stars, 2 rows of thread	Oberfenrich
SS Oberscharführer	2 stars	Sergeant Major
Standartenjunker SS	1 star and 2 rows of thread (differing in shoulder straps)	Fanenjunker-sergeant-major
Scharführer SS		Non-commissioned sergeant major
SS Unterscharführer	2 threads at the bottom	Non-commissioned officer

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