What does ss mean? SS troops: ranks and insignia. Standartenführer SS. SS Hauptsturmführer. Uniforms of the SS troops

SS, short for Schutzstaffeln - security detachments) - in 1925-45 German paramilitary detachments. fascists. There were basic as Hitler's personal guard; in 1933-45 they played the role of special forces. Before the Nazi seizure of power (1933), they were supported by funds allocated by the Germans. monopolies, in subsequent years they were on the general state. budget. The SS accepted specially selected persons who had distinguished themselves in carrying out terrorist activities. actions against the revolution. workers led by the KKE. Command posts in the SS were, as a rule, occupied by professional military men. Under the Nazi regime, the number of SS members reached 300 thousand people. (1939). Even before World War 2, special units were created. SS divisions are the striking force of Hitler's army. By the end of the war, the SS troops numbered approx. 580 thousand people (40 divisions). The most serious crimes of Nazism were associated with SS units; The SS men practically carried out the plans of Hitler and his clique, which included physical. destruction of entire nations. SS "Totenkopf" units provided security and supervision over Hitler's death camps. After the defeat of the Nazis. Germany Int. military the tribunal recognized the SS as a criminal organization (see Nuremberg trials). Contrary to the decision of this tribunal and the decisions of the Potsdam Conference of 1945, there are associations of SS men in Germany that enjoy the patronage of reactionary circles; former SS men receive high pensions from the state. Doc.: SS in action. Documents on SS crimes, trans. from German, M., 1968. Lit.: Nuremberg trial of the main German war criminals, vol. 1-7, M., 1957-61; Heyden K., History of German Fascism, trans. from German, M.-L., 1935; Trainin I.P., The mechanism of the German fascist dictatorship, Tash., 1942; Vintser O., 12 years of struggle against fascism and war, trans. from German, M., 1956.

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SS

Schutzstaffel), elite security units of the Nazi Party, created by order of Hitler as a stronghold of the Nazi totalitarian police state, the so-called. "Black Order".

In April 1925, Hitler instructed one of the former SA militants, Julius Schreck, to form a new personal guard. On September 21, 1925, Schreck issued a circular ordering all local NSDAP organizations to create SS units consisting of 10 people locally and 20 people in Berlin. The created small detachments were initially part of the SA and were subordinate (until 1934) to the SA chief of staff, Franz Pfeffer von Salomon. In November 1926, the post of Reichsführer SS was introduced and the first to take it was the commander of the Adolf Hitler Shock Detachment, Joseph Berchtold.

In an effort to raise and strengthen the prestige of the SS among members of the NSDAP, Hitler at the party congress in Weimar (1926) solemnly handed over to them the so-called. "Banner of Blood"

In the spring of 1927, Erhard Heiden became Reichsführer of the SS, but under him the development of the SS was rather sluggish, since the influence of the governing bodies of the SA was still strong. On January 6, 1929, Heinrich Himmler was appointed head of the SS. From that moment on, the SS personnel under the leadership of Himmler began to rapidly increase: in January 1929 it numbered 280 people, in December 1930 - 2727, in December 1931 - 14964, in June 1932 - 30 thousand, in May 1933 - 52 thousand. The SS composition was accompanied by the expansion of the department code-named "IC" - the Security Service (SD), organized by Reinhard Heydrich.

The growth of SS personnel caused concern among SA leaders. Hitler resolved this issue: “No SA commander has the right to give orders to the SS.” A new organizational structure of the SS was introduced: the lowest cell was a squad (ball) - 8 people under the command of a Scharführer. Three squads made up a detachment (troupe), three squads - an assault (about 70-120 people) led by an Obersturmführer. Three "Sturm" made up the "Sturmbann" (250-600 people) led by the Sturmbannführer. Three or four "Sturmbanne" formed the "Standarte" (1000-3000 people) led by the Standartenführer. Several “standarten” made up an “abschnit”, close in number to a brigade. Several "abschnites" formed a "gruppe" (division) led by a Gruppenführer.

In accordance with Hitler's order of November 7, 1930, the SS was to become a tool for strengthening the unity of the NSDAP, subordinating the will and orders of the Fuhrer to all party levels and authorities. However, the split between the nationalist wing and supporters of the socialist part of the party program, led by Ernst Röhm, Gregor Strasser and his brother Otto Strasser, grew rapidly. On August 30, 1930, things came to a head between SA and SS militants.

In mid-March 1933, having received information from the head of the SS about preventing the assassination attempt on Hitler, the Fuhrer ordered Himmler to form a personal security unit for himself, which later received the name “Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler.” At the head of this detachment, numbering about 120 people, SS Gruppenführer Joseph (Sepp) Dietrich was placed. In addition, Himmler formed new SS units called Sonderkommando-SS in different provinces of the Third Reich, whose task was to protect the highest representatives of the Nazi government on the ground and fight opponents of the regime.

SS units were the main active force in the destruction of SA leaders and supporters of Ernst Röhm during the bloody events of the “Night of the Long Knives”, after which the SS completely became an independent element of the NSDAP.

On July 20, 1934, Hitler issued the following order: “Taking into account the outstanding services of the SS forces, especially during the events of June 30, 1934, I elevate the SS to the rank of an independent organization within the NSDAP. The Reichsführer SS, as well as the Chief of Staff of the SA [Victor Lutze] will henceforth be in direct subordination to the SA High Command." And Hitler himself became the supreme commander of the SA. The order of July 20, 1934 put Himmler on an equal footing with Viktor Lutze, and the SS services received complete independence from the SA organizations, of which they were still a division. Himmler now obeyed only Hitler. Himmler could now create and arm SS military units. The only armed unit that the SS had previously had was the Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler, which provided Hitler's personal security. After June 30, the widespread formation and development of marching and special units began, which soon turned into Hitler’s personal army, as well as the creation of the “Totenkopf” regiments, whose bloody tyranny in the concentration camps lasted eleven years.

Replenishment of the ranks of the SS came through special schools that appeared in 1933, where racially “full-fledged” boys and young men from the Hitler Youth aged 10 to 18 were selected. By 1943, there were 33 such schools for boys and four for girls in Germany. They functioned on the principle of a boarding school, students received uniforms, they were raised “physically, spiritually and morally in the spirit of National Socialism, serving the people and the national community.” In addition to instilling the Nazi worldview, students were required to master military knowledge, and each was required to receive a sports badge certifying good athletic training.

On the anniversary of the Beer Hall Putsch of 1923 (November 9), 18-year-old SS candidates received their first uniforms (since 1935, wearing a dagger was introduced as part of the uniform). Then, on January 30, the anniversary of Hitler's rise to power, they were given temporary SS certificates. On April 20, Hitler's birthday, candidates received a permanent SS certificate and took the oath: “I swear to you, Adolf Hitler, Fuhrer and Chancellor of the German Reich, to be faithful and courageous. I swear to you and the commanders appointed by you to obey unquestioningly until my death. May it help God for me!" The oath ceremony took place at midnight under the light of thousands of burning torches.

By the end of 1938, the number of SS reached 238,159 people.

Between the ages of 25 and 30, a member of the SS had to start a family, and the newlyweds were required to undergo a medical examination by a doctor of the SS sanitary service and present documents certifying their “racial purity.” The church marriage was replaced by a developed ceremony with the participation of the commander of the local SS organization.

The baptism ceremony for a newborn in the family of an SS man was a naming ceremony in front of a portrait of Adolf Hitler, his book “Mein Kampf” and a swastika sign. Presenting the SS as a successor to the ancient German cults and traditions of medieval chivalry, Himmler tried to give them the appropriate attributes of the order. Silver rings with the image of a skull, awarded to officers after three years of service in command positions, served as props. The most distinguished ones received an honorary sword from the hands of the Reichsführer SS. The leaders of the SS turned to the traditions of the Crusader Order and the principles of “faith and obedience” they proclaimed. Every year, young SS cadres came to take the oath of office in Brunswick at the tomb of the Duke of Mecklenburg, where military school cadets were promoted to officers. In the vicinity of the city of Paderborn there were the ruins of the medieval castle of Wewelsburg, which became the residence of the SS leadership, where the SS elite periodically gathered in a large hall and held meditation sessions. In the dungeons of the castle there was a sanctuary of the order, a place of blood cult, where “baptism in blood” took place - a ritual that accompanied the acceptance of a new member.

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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 - the Adolf Hitler strike force - 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 loved to apply aviation terms to 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:

Age from 25 to 35 years.
Having two recommendations from current members of the CC.
Permanent residence in one place for five years.
The presence of such positive qualities as 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 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 of the 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 the Western allies would need such a person. 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	1 star and 2 rows of thread (differing in shoulder straps)	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. SS military ranks were sometimes subject to change. However, above we presented the hierarchy and the main differences at the end of World War II.

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; the general appearance of the dress and field uniforms was constantly being refined.

When the black uniform designed by Diebitsch-Heck was introduced in 1934, only 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.

Changes affected the appearance of the 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 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;
overcoats in black or gray, also with armbands.

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

After the decrees and innovations of Hitler, Himmler and (under their leadership) Theodor Eicke and Paul Hausser, the division of the SS into police units (primarily “Totenkopf” units) and combat units was finally formed.

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

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

SS uniform in wartime

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

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

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

The triangles on the field uniform were replaced with rectangles of varying thickness (the thinnest for the Unterscharführer, the thickest, almost square, for the Sturmscharführer).

These SS men had the following insignia:

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

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

SS officer uniform

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

Lieutenant (Untersturmführer) ─ silver “empty” shoulder straps, three squares on the buttonhole;
senior lieutenant (Obersturführer) ─ square on shoulder straps, a silver stripe was added to the insignia on the buttonhole, two lines on the sleeve patch under the “leaves”;
captain (Hauptsturmführer) ─ additional lines on the patch and on the buttonhole, shoulder straps with two “knobs”;
major (Sturmbannführer) ─ silver “braided” shoulder straps, three squares on the buttonhole;
Lieutenant Colonel (Oberbannsturmführer) ─ one square on a twisted shoulder strap. Two thin stripes under the four squares on the buttonhole.

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

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

The remaining insignia of senior officers looked like this:

Colonel (Standartenführer) ─ three stripes under double leaves on the patch, two stars on the shoulder straps, oak leaf on both buttonholes;
the unparalleled rank of Oberführer (something like “senior colonel”) ─ four thick stripes on the patch, double oak leaf on the buttonholes.

It is characteristic that these officers also had black and green “camouflage” shoulder straps for “field” combat uniforms. For commanders of higher ranks, the colors became less “protective.”

SS general uniform

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

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

High command insignia on shoulder straps and buttonholes, respectively:

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

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

Gestapo insignia

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

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

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

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

Camouflage

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

helmet cover;
jacket;
face mask.

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

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

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

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

autumn;
summer (spring);
smoky (black and gray peas);
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 cloaks 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, “Serving the Soviet Union” (about how the army fled, but political prisoners on the western border defeated the SS sabotage units) ─ we see the SS men in 1941, dressed in something between “Beringtes Eichenlaubmuster” and even more modern digital camouflages;
the sad picture “In June 41st” (2008) allows you to see SS men on the battlefield in full ceremonial black uniform.

There are many similar examples; even the “anti-Soviet” joint Russian-German film of 2011 with Guskov, “4 Days in May,” where the Nazis, in 1945, are mostly dressed in camouflage from the first years of the war, is not spared from mistakes.

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

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

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

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Schutzstaffel, or security detachment - so in Nazi Germany in 1923-1945. were called SS soldiers, paramilitary forces. The main task of a combat unit at the initial stage of formation was the personal security of the leader, Adolf Hitler.

SS soldiers: the beginning of the story

It all started in March 1923, when A. Hitler’s personal security guard and driver, a watchmaker by profession, together with a stationery dealer, and part-time politician of Nazi Germany, Joseph Berchtold, created a headquarters guard in Munich. The main purpose of the newly formed combat formation was to protect the NSDAP Fuhrer Adolf Hitler from possible threats and provocations from other parties and other political formations.

After humble beginnings as a defense unit for the NSDAP leadership, the combat unit grew into the Waffen-SS, an armed defense squadron. The officers and men of the Waffen-SS constituted a formidable fighting force. The total number was more than 950 thousand people, in total 38 combat units were formed.

Beer Hall Putsch by A. Hitler and E. Ludendorff

"Bürgerbräukeller" is a beer hall in Munich at Rosenheimerstrasse 15. The area of the drinking establishment could accommodate up to 1830 people. Since the Weimar Republic, thanks to its capacity, the Bürgerbräukeller has become the most popular venue for various events, including political ones.

So, on the night of November 8-9, 1923, an uprising took place in the hall of a drinking establishment, the purpose of which was to overthrow the current government of Germany. The first to speak was A. Hitler's comrade in political convictions, Erich Friedrich Wilhelm Ludendorff, outlining the general goals and objectives of this gathering. The main organizer and ideological inspirer of the event was Adolf Hitler, the leader of the NSDAP, the young Nazi party. In his, he called for the ruthless destruction of all enemies of his National Socialist Party.

The SS soldiers, led at that time by the treasurer and close friend of the Fuhrer J. Berchtold, undertook to ensure the safety of the Beer Hall Putsch - this is how this political event went down in history. However, the German authorities reacted in time to this gathering of Nazis and took all measures to eliminate them. Adolf Hitler was convicted and imprisoned, and the NSDAP party was banned in Germany. Naturally, the need for the protective functions of the newly created paramilitary guard also disappeared. The SS soldiers (photo presented in the article), as a combat formation of the “Shock Detachment”, were disbanded.

The restless Fuhrer

Released from prison in April 1925, Adolf Hitler orders his fellow party member and bodyguard Yu. Schreck to form a personal guard. Preference was given to former fighters of the Shock Squad. Having gathered eight people, Yu. Shrek creates a defense team. By the end of 1925, the total strength of the combat formation was about a thousand people. From now on they were given the name “SS soldiers of the National Socialist German Workers' Party.”

Not everyone could join the SS NSDAP organization. Strict conditions were imposed on candidates for this “honorary” position:

age from 25 to 35 years;
living in the area for at least 5 years;
the presence of two guarantors from among the party members;
good health;
discipline;
sanity.

In addition, in order to become a party member and, accordingly, an SS soldier, the candidate had to confirm his belonging to the superior Aryan race. These were the official rules of the SS (Schutzstaffel).

Education and training

SS soldiers had to undergo appropriate combat training, which was carried out in several stages and lasted for three months. The main objectives of the intensive training of recruits were:

excellent;
knowledge of small arms and impeccable possession of them;
political indoctrination.

The training in the art of war was so intense that only one out of three people could complete the entire distance. After the basic training course, recruits were sent to specialized schools, where they received additional education appropriate to the chosen branch of the military.

Further training in military wisdom in the army was based not only on the specialization of the branch of service, but also on mutual trust and respect between candidates for officer or soldier. This is how the Wehrmacht soldiers differed from the SS soldiers, where strict discipline and a strict policy of separation between officers and privates were at the forefront.

New chief of the combat unit

Adolf Hitler attached special importance to the newly created own troops, which were distinguished by their impeccable devotion and loyalty to their Fuhrer. The main dream of the leader of Nazi Germany was to create an elite formation capable of performing any tasks that the National Socialist Party set for them. This required a leader who could handle this task. So, in January 1929, on the recommendation of A. Hitler, Heinrich Luitpold Himmler, one of A. Hitler’s faithful assistants in the Third Reich, became Reichsführer SS. The personal personnel number of the new SS chief is 168.

The new boss began his work as the head of an elite division by tightening personnel policies. Having developed new requirements for personnel, G. Himmler cleared the ranks of the combat formation by half. The Reichsführer SS personally spent hours studying photographs of SS members and candidates, finding flaws in their “racial purity.” However, soon the number of SS soldiers and officers increased noticeably, increasing almost 10 times. The SS chief achieved such success in two years.

Thanks to this, the prestige of the SS troops increased significantly. It is G. Himmler who is credited with the authorship of the famous gesture, familiar to everyone from films about the Great Patriotic War - “Heil Hitler”, with the raising of the straightened right arm at an angle of 45º. In addition, thanks to the Reichsführer, the uniform of Wehrmacht soldiers (including the SS) was modernized, which lasted until the fall of Nazi Germany in May 1945.

Fuhrer's order

The authority of the Schutzstaffel (SS) increased significantly thanks to the personal order of the Fuhrer. The published order stated that no one had the right to give orders to SS soldiers and officers except their immediate superiors. In addition, it was recommended that all SA units, the assault troops known as the “Brown Shirts,” assist in every possible way in staffing the SS Army, supplying the latter with their best soldiers.

Uniforms of the SS troops

From now on, the uniform of an SS soldier was noticeably different from the clothing of the assault troops (SA), the security service (SD) and other combined arms units of the Third Reich. A distinctive feature of the SS military uniform was:

black jacket and black trousers;
White shirt;
black cap and black tie.

In addition, on the left sleeve of the jacket and/or shirt there was now a digital abbreviation indicating belonging to one or another standard of the SS troops. With the outbreak of hostilities in Europe in 1939, the uniform of SS soldiers began to change. Strict implementation of G. Himmler’s order on a single black and white uniform color, which distinguished the soldiers of A. Hitler’s personal army from the combined arms color of other Nazi formations, was somewhat relaxed.

The party factory for sewing military uniforms, due to its enormous workload, was not able to provide uniforms to all SS units. The military personnel were asked to alter the Schutzstaffel insignia from the Wehrmacht combined arms uniform.

Military ranks of the SS troops

As in any military unit, the SS Army had its own hierarchy in military ranks. Below is a comparative table of the equivalent military ranks of military personnel of the Soviet Army, Wehrmacht and SS troops.

Red Army	Ground forces of the Third Reich	SS troops
Red Army soldier	Private, rifleman
Corporal	Chief Grenadier	Rottenführer SS
Lance Sergeant	Non-commissioned officer	SS Unterscharführer
	Non-commissioned sergeant major	Scharführer SS
Staff Sergeant	Sergeant Major	SS Oberscharführer
Sergeant Major	Chief Sergeant Major	SS Hauptscharführer
Ensign
Lieutenant	Lieutenant	SS Untersturmführer
Senior Lieutenant	Chief Lieutenant	SS Obersturmführer
	Captain/Hauptmann	SS Hauptsturmführer
		SS Sturmbannführer
Lieutenant colonel	Oberst-lieutenant	SS Obersturmbannführer
Colonel		Standartenführer SS
Major General	Major General	SS Brigadeführer
Lieutenant General	Lieutenant General	SS Gruppenführer
Colonel General	General of the troops	SS Oberstgruppenführer
Army General	Field Marshal General	SS Oberstgruppenführer

The highest military rank in Adolf Hitler's elite army was Reichsführer SS, which until May 23, 1945, was held by Heinrich Himmler, equivalent to Marshal of the Soviet Union in the Red Army.

Awards and insignia in the SS

Soldiers and officers of the elite unit of the SS troops could be awarded orders, medals and other insignia, just like military personnel of other military formations of the army of Nazi Germany. There were only a small number of distinctive awards that were developed specifically for the “favorites” of the Fuhrer. These included medals for 4- and 8-year service in Adolf Hitler's elite unit, as well as a special cross with a swastika, which was awarded to SS men for 12 and 25 years of dedicated service to their Fuhrer.

Faithful sons of their Fuhrer

Recollection of an SS soldier: “Our guiding principles were duty, loyalty and honor. Defense of the Fatherland and a sense of camaraderie are the main qualities that we cultivated in ourselves. We were forced to kill everyone who was in front of the barrel of our weapons. A feeling of pity should not stop a soldier of great Germany, either in front of a woman begging for mercy, or in front of children's eyes. We were taught the motto: “Accept death and bear death.” Death should become commonplace. Each soldier understood that by sacrificing himself, he thereby helped great Germany in the fight against the common enemy, communism. We considered ourselves warriors behind Hitler’s elite.”

These words belong to one of the soldiers of the former Third Reich, private SS infantry unit Gustav Franke, who miraculously survived the Battle of Stalingrad and was captured by the Russians. Were these words of repentance or the simple youthful bravado of a twenty-year-old Nazi? Today it is difficult to judge this.

There are the most contradictory rumors about the “elite” security units of the Nazi Party, created on Hitler’s personal orders.
I propose to figure out what the SS and their troops - "Waffen - SS" - were.

Long before coming to power, in April 1925, Hitler instructed one of the former SA stormtroopers, Julius Schreck, to form a new personal guard. On September 21, 1925, Schreck issued a circular that ordered all local NSDAP organizations to create SS units consisting of 10 people locally and 20 people in Berlin.
These initially small detachments were part of the SA until 1934. In November 1926, the post of Reichsführer SS was introduced and the first to take it was the commander of the Adolf Hitler strike force, Joseph Berchtold.

In order to raise the prestige of the SS among party members, in 1926, at the NSDAP congress in Weimar, Hitler solemnly handed over to them the so-called “banner of blood.”

On January 6, 1929, he was appointed head of the SS Heinrich Himmler , under which the SS personnel began to rapidly increase: if in January 1929 it numbered only 280 people, then by May 1933 there were already 52 thousand SS men. And by the end of 1938, the strength of the SS reached 238,159 people.

The growth in the size of the SS was accompanied by the expansion of the SD department - the security service, which was headed by Reinhard Heydrich .

The increase in the number of the SS and their influence greatly worried the SA leaders. Hitler resolved this issue in favor of the SS: “Not a single SA commander has the right to give orders to the SS.” A new organizational structure of the SS was introduced: the lowest cell was a squad (ball) - 8 people under the command of a Scharführer. Three squads made up a detachment (troupe), three troupes - an assault (70-120 people) led by an Obersturmführer. Three assaults consisted of a Sturmbann (250-600 people) led by a Sturmbannführer. Three or four Sturmbanne formed the Standarte (1000-3000 people) led by the Standartenführer (thus everyone's favorite Standattenführer von Stirlitz , he is the Soviet intelligence officer Isaev, he is also a magnificent actor Tikhonov was not such a big “big shot” in the SS, just a colonel translated into a language that everyone understands).

Several standarten made up an abschnit, similar in number to a brigade. Well, several abschnites formed a group, that is, a division led by a Gruppenführer. So, Heinrich Müller , being the head of the Gestapo, had the rank of SS Gruppenführer. By the way, the real Muller was completely different from the cinematic “Muller”, superbly played by Bronev.
In accordance with Hitler's order of November 7, 1930, the SS was supposed to become a tool for strengthening the unity of the party, subordinating the will and orders of the Fuhrer to all party levels and authorities. However, the split between the Nazis and the socialists within the NSDAP (Ernst Röhm, Gregor and Otto Strasser) was constantly growing. It even came to the point of clashes between SA and SS militants.
In March 1930, having received information from Himmler about preventing the impending assassination attempt on Hitler, the Fuhrer ordered him to form a personal security unit for himself, which later received the name “Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler”. In addition, Himmler formed new SS units called Sonderkommando-SS in different provinces of the Reich, whose task was to protect senior local authorities and fight opponents of the Nazi regime.
SS units were the main active force in the liquidation of SA leaders and supporters Ernest Roehm during the famous "Night of the Long Knives" on June 30, 1934.

On July 20, 1934, Hitler issued the order: “Taking into account the outstanding services of the SS forces, especially during the events of June 30, 1934, I elevate the SS to the rank of an independent organization within the NSDAP.” The head of the SS, Heinrich Himmler, from that moment obeyed only Hitler and no one else.

Now he could create SS military units. After June 30, 1934, the widespread formation of marching and special units began, which soon turned into Hitler’s personal army, as well as the creation of regiments "Dead Head" , who became famous for their “work” in concentration camps.

Replenishment of the ranks of the SS came through special schools, which appeared in 1933; "Hitler Youth" aged 10 to 18 years. For example, these:

and at the end of the war - even these:

On April 20, Hitler's birthday, candidates for SS membership took the oath of office at midnight by torchlight. Here is its full text:
“I swear to you, Adolf Hitler, Fuhrer and Chancellor of the German Reich, to be faithful and courageous. I swear to you and the commanders appointed by you to obey unquestioningly until my death. May God help me!”

Between the ages of 25 and 30, a member of the SS was required to start a family, and newlyweds were required to undergo a medical examination by an SS health officer and present documents confirming their racial purity. The church marriage was replaced by a developed ceremony with the participation of the commander of the local SS organization. The ceremony of baptism of a newborn in the family of an SS man was a ceremony of naming the baby in front of a portrait of Hitler, the book “Mein Kampf” and a swastika sign.

In the SS troops, which began to be created in 1933, the same principle of “blood rules” was initially in effect, requiring “racial purity” from the SS men. But during the Second World War, when the Reich had to constantly increase the power of the army, this principle faded into the background.
Himmler had to form several SS divisions consisting of "Untermensch":

SS Volunteer Motorized Infantry Division "Nordland" (1942 - Scandinavians);
- SS mountain division "Handschar" (1943 - Yugoslavs);
- 1st SS Infantry Division "Galicia" (1943 - Ukrainians);
- 1st SS Infantry Division "Latvia" (1943 - Latvians);
- 2nd SS Infantry Division "Latvia" (1944 - Latvians);
- 1st SS Infantry Division "Estonia" (1944 - Estonians);
- 1st Albanian SS Mountain Division "Skanderbeg" (1944 - Albanians);
- SS mountain division "Kama" (1944 - Yugoslavs);
- volunteer SS tank division "Netherlands" (1945 - Dutch);
- SS mountain division "Karstjäger" (1944 - Italians);
- 1st and 2nd SS divisions "Hunyadi" (1944 - Hungarians);
- SS volunteer infantry division "Langemarck" (1945 - Flemings, Belgians);
- SS volunteer infantry division "Wallonia" (1945 - Walloons, Belgians);
- 1st and 2nd SS Infantry Divisions "Russia" (1944 - Russian. Became part of Vlasov's army);
- 1st SS Infantry Division "Italy" (1945 - Italians);
- SS infantry division "Charlemagne" (1945 - French);
- SS volunteer infantry division "Landstrom-Netherlands" (1945 - Dutch).

In October 1944, when the strength of the SS troops was at its highest, it consisted of 38 divisions and more than a million men. The SS men, especially those who were not ethnic Germans, were particularly cruel and atrocious towards the population of the territories occupied by Nazi Germany.

This cannot be forgotten!!!

Sergey Vorobiev.