Uniforms and insignia of the Schutzstael

2nd pattern SS Totenkopf or deaths head, 193445

SS-Gruppenfhrer Hans Heinrich

Allgemeine-SS uniform 1938

Lammers

in

bodyguard unit.[lower-alpha 1] As with many more formal

military uniforms, these SS uniforms were tailored to
project authority, and foster fear and respect. As Himmler put it, I know there are many people who fall ill when
they see this black uniform; we understand that and don't
expect that we will be loved by many people.[1]

black

The uniforms and insignia of the Schutzstael were

paramilitary ranks and uniforms used by the SS between
1925 and 1945 to dierentiate that organization from the
regular German armed forces, the German state, and the
Nazi Party.

During the war, the German clothing factory that

eventually became the international menswear powerhouse Hugo Boss produced thousands of SS and other
uniforms;[2] with the black SS uniform having been designed by Karl Diebitsch and Walter Heck.
Once the war began, however, the black uniform was seldom worn. The combat units of the SS-Verfgungstruppe
(SS-VT) and the later Waen-SS wore a variation of the
eld-grey (grey-green) (feldgrau) army (Heer) uniform
with SS insignia. The majority of SS personnel wore variations of the Waen-SS uniform or the grey-green SS service tunic. Branches with personnel that normally would
wear civilian attire in the Reich (such as the Gestapo and
Kripo) were issued grey-green SS uniforms in occupied
territory to avoid being mistaken for civilians.

Uniform design and function

While a multitude of uniforms existed for the SS, often

depending on the theatre of war where they were stationed, the all black SS uniform is the most well known.
Black was seen as sombre and authoritative. The blackwhite-red colour scheme was characteristic of the German Empire, and was later adopted by the Nazi Party.
Further, black was popular with fascist movements: a
black uniform was introduced by the blackshirts in Italy
before the creation of the SS. There was a traditional reason, as well. Just as the Prussian kings and emperors
life-guard cavalry (Leibhusaren) had worn black uniforms
with skull-and-crossbones badges, so would the Fhrer's

SS uniforms used a variety of insignia, the most standard

of which were collar patches to denote rank and shoulder boards to denote rank and position, along with sleeve
cubands and sleeve diamond patches to indicate membership in specic branches of the SS.
1

2
2.1

UNIFORMS DESIGNS AND STYLES

Uniforms designs and styles

Early SS uniforms (19251928)

Early SS armband using the rank stripe system

squadron), abbreviated to SS (on 9 November).[6] In the

following year adopted its rst recognizable rank insignia
system which was used mainly by senior SS personnel at
major rallies, with the rank and le of the SS, like the
rest of the SA, still wearing a variety of brown shirts or
paramilitary uniforms with no recognizable insignia.

The traditional Danziger Totenkopf worn by the SS 192334

The SS can trace its origins to several early Freikorps

and Nazi Party formations, among them the Erhardt
Naval Brigade, Stahlhelm, and most signicantly the
Sturmabteilung (SA), of which the SS was originally a
subordinate organization.
The very rst SA uniforms and insignia were paramilitary
uniforms fashioned by early Nazis which incorporated
parts from World War I uniforms to include such features
used by other Freikorps formation such as high boots,
daggers, and the kepi hat. The 8-man Stabswache (sta
guard), Hitlers bodyguard, soon renamed the Stosstrupp
(shock troop), also adopted in May 1923 the skull and oak
leaf as a means of insignia, both of which were already
deeply rooted in European military history.

The early rank system of 1926 consisted of a swastika

armband worn with white stripes, with the number of
stripes determining the rank of the bearer. Thus, the very
rst SS rank system was as follows:
Reichsfhrer (national leader): three stripes
Gaufhrer (district leader): two stripes
Staelfhrer (squadron leader): one stripe
Mann (trooper): no stripes

Under the above system, basic SS troopers were organized into 10-man Staeln, each under the authority of a
Staelfhrer. SS districts, known as SS-Gaus, were under
the authority of a Gaufhrer while all SS district leaders answered to a national leader of the SS called the Reichsfhrer, at this time Josef Berchtold.[7] In line with the
Fhrerprinzip (leader principle) of the Nazi Partys ideology, the word Fhrer was incorporated into all ranks
In 1924, while the Nazi Party was legally banned follow- except those for basic SS troopers.
ing the Beer Hall Putsch, Frontbann (underground SA)
By 1927, the Sturmabteilung had greatly increased its
leader Gerhard Robach located a large store of warsurplus brown denim shirts in Austria, originally intended numbers and had standardized the brown shirt uniform
which would thereafter be permanently associated with
for tropical uniforms.[3] When the SA (which included
the nascent SS) was re-founded in 1925 following Hitlers that group: shirt, tie, breeches, boots, and cylindrical
release from prison, these brown shirts were issued as uni- kepi, all brown. As the SS was at this time a small unit
within the SA, SS personnel during this period likewise
forms.
wore brown shirt uniforms but distinguished themselves
In 1925, Hitler ordered the formation of a new bodyguard as an elite among the SA by wearing black neckties and
unit, the Schutzkommando (protection command).[4] It black kepis with Totenkopf and Party eagle badges.
was formed by Julius Schreck and included old Stotrupp
members, Emil Maurice and Erhard Heiden.[5] The By this time, with inuences from the Stahlhelm, the SA
only insignia was the swastika armband, usually home- leadership adopted its rst collar insignia and also added
made, except for the handful of men constituting the a new SA rank of Standartenfhrer ("standard leader)
Stosstrupps successor, the Schutzkommando, who contin- in charge of regiment-sized Standarten (incorporating the
ued the use of the Totenkopf pinned to cap or collar. That company sized Staeln); the SS at this time adopted the
same year, the Schutzkommando was expanded to a na- same rank as well.
tional level. It was renamed successively the Sturmstael The 1927 ranks had no insignia for SA/SS troopers (still
(storm squadron), and nally the Schutzstael (protection known by the title "Mann") and the previous rank of

2.2

SS Brownshirts (19291932)

1st pattern Party eagle, worn by the SS 192736

Staelfhrer had become shortened to simply Fhrer

(leader). The higher SS ranks of Standartenfhrer,
Gaufhrer, and Reichsfhrer like their SA counterparts
now used a system of oak leaves displayed on both collars of the brown SA shirt. One oak leaf signied a
Standartenfhrer, two a Gaufhrer, and three oak leaves
were worn by Reichsfhrer-SS Berchtold and his successor Erhard Heiden, who reported directly to the Oberste
SA-Fhrer.
Over the course of the next year, the burgeoning SA saw
the emergence of new units and ranks, and for the rst
time a comprehensive system of rank insignia. A basic
squad unit, the 10-man Schar, was grouped into platoonsized Truppen, and these into company-sized Strme
which in turn made up battalion-sized Sturmbanne. New
ranks went with the new formations: Scharfhrer, with
one pip worn on the left collar patch, Truppfhrer, two
pips, Sturmfhrer, three pips, and Sturmbannfhrer, four
pips. On the right collar of SA uniforms was worn a patch
with two numbers indicating Standarte and Sturmbann afliation. Because the SS numbered fewer than a thousand
men, it did not adopt the Sturmbann unit at this time, and
right-hand SS collar patches displayed the number of the
Standarte only.

Heinrich Himmler wearing an early SS uniform with Oberfhrer

insignia in 1928

the signature black color was extended to breeches,

boots,[lower-alpha 2] armband edges, and belt and crossbelt;
the shirt collar was edged in black-and-white twist cord
except for those of senior leaders, which were trimmed
in silver.

The ability to produce and issue complete uniforms

came about due both to the centralization of the
Reichszeugmeisterei (RZM; national quartermaster ofce) under NSDAP Treasurer Franz Xaver Schwarz, and
to Himmlers expansion and reorganization of the fastgrowing SS (from 280 members to 52,000 between 1929
and 1932) into several brigade sized Brigaden throughout
Germany, each comprising three to ve regiment-sized
The collar patches of the SA were color-coded: each
Standarten. Within the Standarten now existed two to
Gruppe had its own distinctive color. The SS was considthree battalion-sized Sturmbanne (storm units), and beered to be a Gruppe unto itself; its color, naturally, was
neath this level were the Strme, Truppen, and Scharen.
black, and Reichsfhrer-SS Heiden held the rank of GrupFor the lower ranks, the SS also specied that a patch
penfuhrer and wore its three-oakleaf insignia.
showing the wearers regiment (Standarte) would be worn
opposite the badge of rank while the higher SS leaders
would continue to wear oakleaf insignia on both collars.
2.2 SS Brownshirts (19291932)
Collar tabs below the rank of Sturmfhrer were edged
In 1929, under new Reichsfhrer-SS Heinrich Himm- in black-and-white twist cord; those of Sturm and Sturmler,[8] the SS codied its rst uniform regulations: bann leaders used black-and-silver while those of senior
At the higher end of the organization, in 1928 the SA
Gau-Strme were restructured into regional Gruppen,
each commanded by a leader with a new general-ocer
rank, Gruppenfhrer; its insignia was the three oak leaf
collar patch. At this time the former rank of Gaufhrer
was renamed Oberfhrer (senior leader).

UNIFORMS DESIGNS AND STYLES

the National Leader for the SS; this move had the eect
of rendering the loyal SS practically independent of the
suspect SA, since Himmler and Daluege now outranked
all SA commanders.

The transitional SS ranks of 1930

The earliest SS rank system, used during the year 1929

leaders were edged in solid silver cord.

In addition to the collar unit insignia, the SS now created a
cuband system which was worn on the lower left sleeve.
These cubands were black and displayed the bearers
Sturm number together with color-coded edges indicating the Sturmbann, which in conjunction with the collar
insignia showed regiment, battalion and company aliation. Leaders above the company level did not at this time
use the cuband system.
The holder of the title of Reichsfhrer was still considered
an SA-Gruppenfhrer, with Reichsfhrer itself not yet an
actual rank. In addition, for a brief period in 1929, the
rank of Standartenfhrer was divided into two separate
grades, known as Standartenfhrer (I) and Standartenfhrer (II); the insignia of one oak leaf was used for both
positions. This situation was another reection of the
SS' rapid expansion: Oberfhrers now commanded the
three newly created SS-Oberfhrerbereiche, east, west and
south; and so a senior Standartenfhrer was promoted to
command each SS-Brigade.

Another result of the Stennes Revolt was Hitlers recall of

his old Putsch comrade Ernst Rhm from South America to take over the day-to-day running of the SA with
the title of SA-Stabschef. While Hitler thought that this
would bind the SA more rmly to him, Rhm had other
ambitions, including the conversion of the paramilitary
Sturmabteilung into an army. With his expansions, promotions, and changes to the SA, a revision of the SA
rank system was required although the uniforms and titles essentially stayed the same. The rst major change
was the addition of new ranks modeled on the original titles created in 1928 but with the addition of senior and head designators (ober and haupt): these were
Oberscharfhrer, Obertruppfhrer and Sturmhauptfhrer.
The new rank insignia were created by adding a silver
stripe to the collar pips of the next-lower rank.
A 1930 change to the SS uniform was the addition of a
single narrow shoulder strap worn on the right side. There
were four grades of shoulder strap: until 1933 a blackand-white pattern was worn by SS troopers, an epaulette
of parallel silver cords by Sturm and Sturmbann leaders,
a twisted pattern in silver cord by standarten-, ober- and
Gruppenfhrers, and a braided silver shoulderboard by the
two Obergruppenfhrers.

By 1931, Himmler was secure (or independent) enough

to reorganize the SS, formerly one SA-Gruppe, into ve
Hitlers personal guard, known at this stage by the orig- SS-Gruppen divided into several Brigaden led by ocers
inal SS name of Stabswache (later to be known as the with the new rank of Brigadefhrer; its insignia was the
Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler), was also expressing its inde- two oakleaves of an Oberfhrer with a pip.
pendence and increasing its size under the leadership of
Sepp Dietrich.
The Stennes Revolt of August 1930, in which members of
the SA attacked the Berlin party Gau headquarters which
was defended by the SS, had profound consequences for
the SA and its relationship to its subordinate organization.
In an open letter to Berlin SS leader Kurt Daluege, Adolf
Hitler proclaimed SS Mann, deine Ehre heit Treue! (SS
soldier, your honour is called loyalty!"). Subsequently,
Meine Ehre heit Treue (My honour is called loyalty)
was adopted by the SS as its motto. More signicantly,
Hitler cashiered SA head Franz Pfeer von Salomon and
assumed the position of Oberste SA-Fhrer personally,
and simultaneously promoted both Himmler and Daluege
to the new rank of SS-Obergruppenfhrer. Daluege was
the SS leader of Northern Germany while Himmler controlled southern SS units out of Munich while serving as

2.3 SS black uniforms (19321934)

In 1932,[lower-alpha 3] the SS introduced its most notorious uniform, the black ensemble designed by Karl
Diebitsch (later to become an SS-Oberfhrer) and graphic
designer SS-Sturmhauptfhrer Walter Heck.[9] The shirt
remained brown as a nod to the SA, of which the SS was
still nominally a part, but all else was black from high
boots[lower-alpha 4] to the new military-style peaked cap,
aside from the red armband. SS men were also issued
black wool greatcoats for inclement weather, which similarly carried the armband, epaulette and collar patches.
Around this time a belt buckle featuring the motto Meine
Ehre heit Treue (My Honour Is Loyalty) in its design
was produced by the Overho rm to replace the SA

2.3

SS black uniforms (19321934)

buckle.
Furthermore, several new ranks and insignia changes
were introduced. The expanded rank system of 1932 still
used the same collar pip method to denote position paired
with a corresponding shoulder board, but added two new
junior positions known as Sturmmann and Rottenfhrer.
By this time, Himmler had also increased scrutiny on SS
membership with a particular focus on proof of Aryan
ancestry, and created a candidate position known as SSAnwrter, which prospective SS members were required
to hold for at least six months before formally joining the
SS as an SS-Mann; an Anwrter wore no rank insignia.
With membership continuing to increase, Rhm invented two new ocer ranks known as Obersturmfhrer
and Obersturmbannfhrer. SS (and SA) ocers ranked
Standartenfhrer (colonel) and above wore rank insignia
on both collars without the use of unit insignia; all personnel Obersturmbannfhrer (lieutenant colonel) and below
wore a unit insignia patch opposite the badge of rank.

SS-Haupttruppfhrer insignia

with army practice: the twisted cruller board was assigned to the eld-grade ranks (Sturmbannfhrer, Obersturmbannfhrer, and Standartenfhrer), and the braided
boards to the general-equivalents of Oberfhrer through
Obergruppenfhrer. In late 1934, enlisted collar patches
changed from black-and-white to black-and-silver edging; all ocers now wore silver-piped collar tabs.

SS rank insignia pattern from 1933

In 1933, after Hitler had become Chancellor, the SS began to make more of a distinction between 'ocers and
'enlisted men;' an SS man could now only be promoted
to Sturmfhrer with Himmlers approval, based upon the
Reichsfhrers personal review of the candidates application including his career resume or lebenslauf and recommendations from current and former superior ocers.
Note however that this system presupposed enlisted SS
membership; Himmler always detested the armys class
distinctions. It was forbidden for SS men to follow the
army custom of addressing superior ocers by prexing
Herr to their rank, and Kamerad was an approved form
of address under most circumstances.
At this time, the SS also began to revamp its unit collar insignia, shoulderboards, and sleeve cuband system.
These changes were introduced over a period of one year
between 1933 and 1934 and began with the introduction
of a new senior enlisted rank known as Haupttruppfhrer.
The black-and-white enlisted shoulderboard became
black-and-silver, and ocers were brought into parallel

LSSAH guard detail, Berlin 1938; note sig-runes insignia

Also in 1933, the

runes insignia was introduced which
would eventually become known as the symbol for the
entire SS. The rst use of the SS runes was as a unit insignia limited only to members of the Leibstandarte Adolf
Hitler[10] which had transferred their headquarters from
Munich to Berlin and had replaced the Army Chancellery
Guard to become Hitlers main protectors. It was at this
time that the Leibstandarte moved from being a paramilitary formation armed with pistols and truncheons to
military, equipped with ries, bayonets, and steel helmets. Their SS runes unit collar patch was to be worn
on the right side of the tunic collar.[11] The adaptation of
this particular unit insignia was largely the work of Sepp
Dietrich who on 4 November 1933, declared the unit an
independent formation and, although a part of the SS, answerable to Hitler alone.[12] Dietrich even went so far as to
forbid entrance of Himmler into the Berlin Leibstandarte
barracks and, for a brief few months in 1933, ordered his

Leibstandarte soldiers to wear the black uniform without

a swastika armband in order to dierentate the bodyguard
unit from the rank and le of the Allgemeine-SS (General
SS) units throughout Germany.
At the same time Dietrich and his Leibstandarte adopted
the SS runes as their unit insignia, the full-time SS headquarters and command stas began using a blank collar
patch, without a unit number, to dierentiate themselves
from the rank and le SS units in Germany which were
still using regiment Standarten numbers as their unit insignia. Thus, by the end of 1933, there were three unit
collar insignia patches in existence: the SS runes used by
the Leibstandarte, the blank collar patch used by the SS
headquarters and command sta, and the numbered SS
unit insignia worn by regular SS companies throughout
Germany.

SS unit insignia (1934)

UNIFORMS DESIGNS AND STYLES

of sleeve cubands which were now a standard part of the

black uniform, worn on the lower left sleeve. Within the
Allgemeine-SS companies, cubands were worn in conjunction with a unit collar patch to denote regiment, battalion, and company aliation. While the unit collar
patch displayed the wearers Standarte (regiment) number, the number denoted on the cuband indicated the
Sturm, or company, while collared piping along the cuband further denoted in which battalion (Sturmbann) a
member served.
For those personnel serving above the regiment level, a
bare cuband was worn or a cuband bearing a Roman
numeral could be displayed. The Roman numeral cuband indicated membership on the sta of the SS-Brigade
so numbered, which by the end of 1934 had become
known as an SS-Abschnitt. For the even higher levels,
such as Himmler or the senior SS-Gruppe leaders (later
known by the title SS-Oberabschnitt Fhrer) a solid silver
cuband was worn.
Within the early military SS, which included the Leibstandarte and the formations of the SS-Verfgungstruppe, a
series of cubands were introduced which bore the name
of the regiment to which the bearer was assigned. The
most coveted of these was the Adolf Hitler cuband,
carrying the Fhrers name in Stterlin script, which was
worn solely by members of the Leibstandarte.

In 1934, with the rise of the SS-Verfgungstruppe (SSVT), the SS runes unit insignia was expanded to these 2.4
other formatations of the then edgling military arm of
the SS (later to become known as the Waen-SS). To
separate these new military formations from the main
Leibstandarte regiment under Dietrich, the SS runes worn
by the Verfgungstruppe displayed a small number corresponding to the particular SS-VT regiment of the bearer.
In all, there were three possible numbers:

SS pre-war uniforms (19341938)

for members of the Deutschland Regiment, 2 for

Germania personnel, and (from 1938) 3 for members
of the Der Fhrer Regiment. These insignia would survive throughout World War II and were kept in use after
the three original regiments had expanded to brigade and
division strength.
1

Heinrich Himmlers insignia for Reichsfhrer-SS

An event which signicantly altered the SS rank and insignia structure was the Night of the Long Knives which
A collection of SS cubands
occurred from 30 June to 2 July 1934. As a result of SS
participation in the purge and execution of the SA leadIn addition to the expansion of the collar unit insignia sys- ership, the SS was declared an independent formation of
tem, the SS by 1934 had also greatly expanded the system the Nazi Party that answered only to Hitler.[13] Several of

2.5

SS uniforms of World War II (19391945)

the rank titles were renamed to completely separate the In February 1934, the Ehrenwinkel fr Alte Kmpfer
SS from its SA origins.
(honor chevron for old campaigners) was introduced
The most signicant rank change was the creation of an for all SS men who had joined the Nazi Party or a
actual rank of Reichsfhrer-SS to denote the commander Party-aliated organization prior to January 30, 1933;
of the SS. The new rank was the equivalent of a eld mar- after the Anschluss, it was also authorized for Austrishal in the army.[14] Prior to 1934, Himmler had been re- ans who had joined the DNSAP prior to 18 February
garded simply as an SS-Obergruppenfhrer. Reichsfhrer 1938. It took the form of a silver lace chevron worn on
was merely a title and not a rank prior to 1934, though the right sleeve. During this period, the principal SS insignia also underwent design changes. The ancient jawHimmler preferred to use his title more than his rank.[14]
In addition to Himmlers new rank, several of the orig- less Danziger style of Totenkopf was gradually replaced
by the 'classic' SS skull, a naturalistic design with grininal SS rank titles were renamed (although retained the
ning
jaws; the old form was taken up by the armys newly
same insignia), bringing about the nal nomenclature of
formed Panzerwae. Additionally, in March 1936, Hitler
SS ranks which would be used until the SS was disbanded
approved a new art deco eagle with staggered wingtips for
at the end of World War II.
the SS, which was worn through the end of the war as a
The change in SS rank titles applied mainly to the non- cap badge and on the sleeve.
commissioned ocer ranks as well as the ranks of Sturmfhrer and Sturmhauptfhrer which received new names.
The titles of the remaining ranks remained unchanged.
In the wake of the "Rhm-Putsch", the SS ocially
took over the concentration camps from the SA and police. Soon thereafter, camp guards began wearing the
Totenkopf (skull) on the right collar patch, to distinguish themselves from the numbered Allgemeine-SS Standarten. This was inconsistent in the early days; some
guards instead wore tabs with the initial of their camp (e.
g. D for Dachau), and some wore blank tabs. About
1935, the black uniform proving impractical for daily
service wear, the Inspectorate of Concentration Camps
adopted a working uniform in earth-brown (erdbraun),
which was identical in cut to the black tunic except for
shoulderboards on both sides. In March 1936, the camp
service was formally established as the third branch of
the SS, the Totenkopfverbnde or skull units.
At about this same time, for similar reasons, the military
SS formations (the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler and the
SS-Verfgungstruppe) adopted a service uniform in what
was termed earth-grey (erdgrau).[lower-alpha 5] This also
was based on the black uniform, but without the red Hakenkreuz armband, its place on the left sleeve being taken
by an eagle-and-swastika patch, and worn with trousers
and shoes or calf-high jackboots. In June 1938 this uniform was authorized for full-time Allgemeine-SS cadres as Sicherheitsdienst sleeve diamond (raute)
well; the LSSAH and SS-VT then adopted army-pattern
shoulderboards to distinguish themselves from the gen- By the end of 1938, the SS had also adopted a new insignia feature of sleeve diamonds worn on the bottom of
eral SS and emphasize their military role.
the left sleeve. Between 1939 and 1940, the SS expanded
its cuband and sleeve diamond system into a vast array
of over 30 cubands and more than 12 sleeve diamonds.

2.5 SS uniforms of World War II (1939

1945)

2nd pattern SS eagle, 1936-45

When World War II began in 1939, the Allgemeine-SS

grey service uniforms took on a more military appearance with the somewhat ad-hoc adoption of Wehrmacht-style shoulderboards, except for SS generals, who,

UNIFORMS DESIGNS AND STYLES

SS rank insignia for enlisted personnel and ocers

SS senior and general ocer rank insignia, before (top row) and
after (bottom row) April 1942

Various unit insignia collar patches worn during World War II

until 1942, continued to wear the narrow braided silver

SS shoulderboards to denote general rank. It was also
at this time that the rank of SS-Oberfhrer lost its status as a general ocer rank and was instead now regarded as more of a senior colonel position. The black
uniform was increasingly seldom seen, eventually being
worn only by part-time Allgemeine-SS reservists. The
last ceremonial event at which the black uniforms were
worn en masse was the Berlin victory parade following the fall of France in June 1940. In 1942, Himmler ordered most all of the black uniforms recalled and
stripped of insignia. They were sent east for use by the
native auxiliary police units and sent west to be used by

Obersturmbannfhrer Otto Kumm in Waen-SS uniform. Note

the unauthorized Heer (army) style eagle together with SS
Totenkopf on the peaked cap, the Sigrunen and rank tabs on the
closed collar, and the shoulderboards similar to a Wehrmacht
Oberstleutnant

Germanic-SS units such as the ones in the Netherlands

and Denmark. In 1937, the LSSAH and SS-VT had
adopted a closed-collar feldgrau (grey-green) eld uniform for combat wear, which with the outbreak of war
became the standard uniform of what would soon be the
Waen-SS. This feldanzug was very similar to the Model
1936 Army eld uniform; however, the SS version had
a somewhat wider collar in feldgrau (grey-green) rather
than Heer bottle-green,[lower-alpha 6] the lower pockets were
of the SS angled slash type, and the second button was
placed lower to permit the collar optionally to be worn
open with a necktie like the service-dress uniforms. The
Totenkopf branch, which was designated the reserve for
the Waen-SS, also adopted this uniform. Waen-SS
Panzer troops wore a double-breasted black uniform similar to the Army model but somewhat dierent in cut; the
SS also made extensive use of camouage clothing as the
war progressed. The full-time Allgemeine-SS cadres, especially Reichssicherheitshauptamt personnel, continued
to wear the earth-grey service-dress uniform.
A unique situation developed during World War II with
regards to SS ranks held by those who had served in
Allgemeine-SS positions from before the outbreak of war
and now wished to serve in combat conditions with the
Waen-SS. With such persons being SS members al-

2.5

SS uniforms of World War II (19391945)

9
ready, it was expected that they would join the WaenSS in order to serve in combat; some members in fact
had no choice and were drafted for combat service due
to their Allgemeine-SS billet being done away with or, in
situations involving disciplinary actions, transferred into
combat as the result of a hearing before an SS and police
court; Wilhelm Httl was one such example.
As a result of Allgemeine-SS members transferring into
the Waen-SS, a situation arose where an SS member would actually hold two separate ranks - one in the
Allgemeine-SS and another in the Waen-SS; it was further possible to hold a reserve commission in the regular German military (Klaus Barbie, who was a reserve
Feldwebel (sergeant) is one such example). Waen-SS
ocers could also hold a regular or reserve commission,
with most Allgemeine-SS members being appointed to the
Waen-SS reserves (the intent was to easily be able to
place such members on inactive duty once the war had
ended). With this policy, it was very common for SS
members in the Waen-SS to hold drastically dierent
titles from their Allgemeine-SS duties; a Standartenfhrer
in the regular SS could, for instance, serve as a Rottenfhrer (lance corporal) in a front line Waen-SS company.

A concentration camp SS-Scharfhrer wearing a gray-green

eld uniform. The silver-gray braid on the collar was used by
all SS non-commissioned ocers

The security forces of the SS, such as SD troops which

were part of the Einsatzgruppen, were also all considered
part of the Allgemeine-SS, even though many of these persons (especially in the eld) wore uniforms nearly identical to the Waen-SS; to further the confusion, many
agents of the security police (SiPo) in such eld roles
wore Waen-SS uniform even though they were not ex
ocio members of any branch of the SS. By 1943, the
SS had made a determined eort that most eld personnel (including concentration camp stas) were granted
Waen-SS ranks and, in 1944, any Allgemeine-SS who
served in an area that commanded SS combat troops, was
granted a Waen-SS commission.
To add to the confusion of multiple rank titles, uniform
regulations of this time created a mixture of pre-1939
SS shoulder boards, Wehrmacht-pattern shoulder boards,
and police shoulder boards depending on the duties of
the SS person in question. It was not until late 1944
that regulations specied that all grey-green SS uniforms
should only display Wehrmacht-style shoulder boards,
with the exception of SD and uniformed SiPo personnel who wore police-pattern shoulderboards with giftgrn
(poison green) underlay.[lower-alpha 7]

Another uniform insignia change occurred in April 1942

with the creation of the rank SS-Oberstgruppenfhrer.
This necessitated an insignia change for SS generals and
all SS generals at this time began wearing Wehrmachtstyle gold shoulder boards; Oberfhrers wore the shoulM43 eld tunic of an SD-Unterscharfhrer. Note that, in contrast to Wehrmacht practice, the SS wore the eagle-and-swastika derboards of an army Oberst (colonel) just as Standartenfhrers did. The sole exception was Heinrich
device on the left sleeve, not the right breast
Himmler who continued to wear the silver braided shoulderboard with oak leaves of his rank as Reichsfhrer-

10
SS. At the same time the collar patches for general ocers were revised; the 1942 pattern used three oakleaves,
rather straighter than the old style, with zero to three pips
indicating rank from Brigadefhrer through Oberstgruppenfhrer.
SS uniform suppliers could not keep up with wartime demand and, as a result, the Waen-SS and Totenkopfverbande frequently wore uniforms drawn from army stocks,
with the addition of SS insignia. By the middle of World
War II, a wide variety of uniforms could be observed,
even within the same unit, and standardization was never
complete as previous stocks were issued or recycled. Personnel in combat conditions, away from stable supply
lines would combine uniform parts and insignia depending on what uniform parts were available.
Waen-SS and SS-TV members during this period wore
army-style shoulderboards with SS collar patches; edging
of enlisted collar tabs was discontinued in 1940 while SS
ocers collar patches continued to be trimmed in silver. Enlisted shoulderboards were made of black fabric
as opposed to army dark green or eld-grey (grey-green),
and ocers had a black underlay; all shoulderboards were
piped in waenfarbe (branch-color). Junior leaders (Sturmmann and Rottenfhrer) wore sleeve chevrons corresponding to army insignia (Gefreiter and Obergefreiter),
but with black backing; SS non-commissioned ocers
wore army-style silver-grey braid around the collar.
The stas of concentration camps had by now standardized the skull collar patch, whereas between 1934 and
1938 the Totenkopf as well as various camp specic collar patches, displaying Germanic letters, had been used as
unit insignia. Other unit insignia collar patches included
a Standarte-number patch for most of the Allgemeine-SS,
a blank collar patch worn by SS main oce stas and
Sicherheitsdienst (and some SiPo) personnel, the sig-runes
Waen-SS patch (adopted after 1943 as the standard unit
collar patch for most of the SS), and a numbered skull
patch which was used by personnel serving in eld units
of the Totenkopfverbaende; the three senior Totenkopfstandarten, formed into the Totenkopf division, would retain these collar patches throughout the war, but the remaining TK-Standarten were redesignated SS-Regimenter
and switched to sig-runes in February 1941. As the war
went on, the Waen-SS recruited heavily among conquered populations, creating 'ethnic' brigades and divisions. These formations wore, in place of the sig-runes,
distinctive unit collar patches identifying them as Freiwilligen (foreign volunteers). In the last days of World
War II, the SS also created a twin swastika collar patch
which was used by the auxiliary SS which were nonSS members conscripted to serve in concentration camp
positions.
By 1943, a special sta non-commissioned ocer position, known as Stabsscharfhrer had been adopted by
the Waen-SS. This position, equivalent to an army
Hauptfeldwebel, was denoted by a special sleeve insignia

4 POLICE RANKS AND INSIGNIA

and was not an actual rank, but rather a title for the
head SS non-commissioned ocer of a particular combat unit. The rank of Sturmscharfhrer was also unique
to the Waen-SS as a type of regimental sergeant major.
The SS also, by this time, had created a private rst class
position known as Oberschtze, denoted by a silver pip
worn on the sleeve of the SS uniform. The SS continued to use the candidate rank of Anwrter during World
War II, but in a much less formal way especially in the
Waen-SS where soldiers were typically enlisted directly
as an SS-Schtze, which was the military equivalent of the
Allgemeine-SS rank of SS-Mann. In 1943, the SS created
still a further entry rank with the position of Bewerber
(applicant) which was the lowest possible position in
the SS; it had no rank insignia.
SS generals of the Waen-SS were typically addressed by
both their SS rank title and a corresponding generals rank
associated with the Wehrmacht. All such general ranks
were followed by the phrase der Waen-SS to distinguish
the SS General from their counterparts in other branches
of the German military. Thus, a typical title would be
Obergruppenfhrer und General der Waen-SS. For those
who had held police rank prior to 1944, the SS generals
title could become rather lengthy. Ernst Kaltenbrunner,
for instance, was listed on the SS rolls in 1945 as Obergruppenfhrer und General der Polizei und Waen-SS.

3 Final SS ranks 19341945

Main article: Table of ranks and insignia of the WaenSS

4 Police ranks and insignia

Main article: Ranks and insignia of the Ordnungspolizei
In 1936, the regular German police, previously agencies
of the Lnder or states, were nationalized and placed
under Himmler, who was named Chef der Deutschen
Polizei. The ordinary uniformed police were called the
Ordnungspolizei (order police). Known as the Orpo,
the Ordnungspolizei maintained a separate uniform, system of insignia and Orpo ranks. It was also possible for
SS members to hold dual status in both the Orpo and the
SS, and SS generals were referred to simultaneously by
both rank titles. For instance, an Obergruppenfhrer in
the SS, who was also a police general, would be referred
to as Obergruppenfhrer und General der Polizei. In late
1939, Orpo personnel were formed into a combat division, recognizable by its use of police insignia; in 1942,
this formation was absorbed into the Waen-SS to become the 4. SS-Polizei-Panzergrenadier division.

11

SS foreign legions

into the foreign legions of the Waen-SS. Due to most

Germanic-SS members being considered traitors to their
countries, Germanic-SS uniforms were often destroyed
by their owners to prevent identication as a German
collaborator.

7 Special SS uniforms

A reproduction eld blouse of the British Free Corps, considered

a unit of the SS foreign legions; rank of Untersturmfhrer

As with the senior SS titles, volunteers of non-Germanic

countries had the title "Waen" prexed to their rank.
For instance, an Untersturmfhrer in the foreign legions would be referred to as Waen-Untersturmfhrer
whereas a regular SS member would be addressed as SSUntersturmfhrer. This helped to indicate non-native volunteers, or to separate Germanic individuals in the divisions composed primarily of non-Germans.

Germanic-SS uniforms

Main article: Germanic-SS

Germanic-SS uniforms were modied versions of the
original black Allgemeine-SS uniforms and were used
strictly by the Germanic-SS in occupied countries. Unlike the foreign legions of the Waen-SS, who wore the
standard eld gray (grey-green) SS uniform to conform
with the rest of the Waen-SS, the Germanic-SS was concerned solely with homeland duties and therefore were
provided with surplus black uniforms upon which were
displayed country specic insignia. This led to a wide
variety of insignia and rank titles depending on the country of origin, although standardized throughout the entire
Germanic-SS were the rank insignia pips and oak leaves
used by the SS proper.

Formal dress uniform jacket of SS-Obergruppenfuhrer Werner

Lorenz

SS ocers had the option of purchasing formal-dress and

mess-dress uniforms. The formal uniform was not unlike U.S. or UK dinner-dress uniforms, cut like a civilian tailcoat without the tails, and worn with white or
black bowtie and waistcoat. This uniform also featured
silk-faced lapels, SS shoulderboards and collar patches, a
Totenkopf breast pin, and silver piping (broad silver-grey
trouser stripes for general ocers). Mess dress resembled a double-breasted tuxedo, with collar tabs and silver
piping.

Ocers could also wear a white cotton walking-out

blouse, cut like the black service blouse, between April
and September. Members were also permitted to wear a
The Germanic-SS also had a unique military award, white SS visored service cap with the uniform.
known as the Germanic Prociency Runes, awarded for A waist-length white waiters jacket with collar tabs was
qualifying under certain physical tests, in much the same issued to those SS men who served as Hitlers domestic
manner as the German Sports Badge and SA Sports sta.
Badge were awarded to the regular SS.
For use in hot weather climates like Southern Europe and
The Germanic-SS eectively ceased to exist in late North Africa, a tropical uniform of tan cotton was de1944, after which time most of its members were folded veloped. This consisted of a Sahariana-style tunic with

12

9 SS MEMBERSHIP NUMBERS
soldier, applying for non-commissioned ocer status, was often known as an Unterfhrer-Anwrter.
SD-Leiter: This title was used by senior ocers of
the Sicherheitsdienst, typically those in command of
a major SD oce or regional headquarters.
SS- und Polizeifhrer: Translated as SS and police
leader, these were some of the most powerful men
in the SS, commanding all SS, Gestapo, Kripo and
Orpo units in a given geographic region, often of the
size of a major military district.

An SS camouage pattern

Oberste Fhrer der Schutzstael:

Literally,
Supreme Leader of the SS, was a special title intended to be held solely by Adolf Hitler. When
the SS became an independent organization from
the SA, Hitler was listed on SS ocer rolls as SS
member #1 and the groups Supreme Commander.
This title was intended to give Hitler a technically
higher SS rank to Himmler (Reich Leader of the
SS), but there is no photographic record of Hitler
wearing an SS uniform, and there was no special SS
insignia for Hitler above that worn by Himmler.[16]
From 1937 to 1945, Hitler also held the rank of
Honorary Corporal in the Italian Blackshirts,
which was a senior Generals rank.

shoulder yokes based on Italian tropical uniforms, longsleeved eld shirt, and trousers. Headgear could be a pith 8.1 Secret Police ranks
helmet, sidecap, or an M40 tropical cap based on that of
the Afrika Korps. Insignia was similar to that of standard
Main Article: Gestapo Ranks
SS-uniforms but in tan thread on black backing. Police
units deployed to tropical climates wore an identical uniIn addition to the various titles and ranks of the SS, any
form with police insignia.
SS member who also served in the Gestapo or Kripo
Waen-SS troops were pioneering among the German held a unique criminal investigator rank, one of the more
forces in the use of camouage clothing and wore it exten- common of which was Kriminalrat, a police investigators
sively during the war. Waen-SS used a variety of origi- rank denoting professional detectives. Arthur Nebe, a canal spring and autumn designs in many patterns. Usually, reer policeman, went by the title of Kriminalrat for most
camouage was worn on overall parkas or helmet covers, of the 1930s, only using an SS rank when engaged in nonand only late in the war were camouaged tunics intro- Kripo activities. The Gestapo also maintained an entire
duced.
array of ranks which were used interchangeably with a
Gestapo members SS rank.

SS titles
9 SS membership numbers

In addition to the rank titles used by the SS, the following

titles were frequently interchanged when addressing SS Adolf Hitler, as the Fhrer of Germany, was considered
personnel in certain positions of authority.
SS member #1; Emil Maurice (considered one of the
founders of the SS) was member #2. Based on the senior SS-Mann: A generic term for any member of the SS. ity system of SS membership numbers, this made Hitler
Also used as an actual rank of the Allgemeine-SS.
senior in the SS to all other members. The SS member SS-Fhrer: Originally an early rank of the SS, the ship number system was also a means to denote the Old
term SS-Fhrer designated commissioned ocers of Guard of the SS, and to hold a number below 50,000 was
considered a special place of honor since it denoted SS
the SS, and means SS leader.
membership before the Nazi seizure in 1933. Numbers
SS-Unterfhrer:
This term designated non- below 500 were considered the original cadre of the SS,
commissioned ocers in the SS. An enlisted SS while any number below fty denoted an original founder

13
and, in most cases, a personal associate of Hitler. Himmler, who held membership #168, was known to resent
those with lower numbers than his and was known for his
attempts to sabotage such SS careers for his own interests. Emil Maurice was one such example, who Himmler
attempted unsuccessfully to have dismissed from the SS
after rumors surfaced of Jewish heritage.

10

See also

12 References
[1] Himmler, Heinrich (1936), Die Schutzstael als antibolschewistiche Kampf-organisation, p. 29 as quoted in
The Third Reich: A New History, 2001, p. 192.
[2] Givhan, Robin (1997-08-15). Clothier Made Nazi Uniforms. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2008-11-08.
[3] Toland, John (1976), Adolf Hitler, New York: Doubleday
& Co, ISBN 0-385-03724-4.
[4] Weale 2010, p. 26.

Comparative military ranks of World War II

[5] Weale 2010, pp. 16, 26.

Degen, the SS Sword

[6] Weale 2010, p. 29.

Glossary of Nazi Germany

[7] Weale 2010, p. 30.

List of SS personnel

[8] Weale 2010, p. 47.

[9] Laqueur & Baumel 2001, p. 604.

Nazi party paramilitary ranks

[10] Cook & Bender 1994, pp. 288, 292.

Ranks and insignia of the Sturmabteilung

[11] Cook & Bender 1994, p. 292.

Ranks and insignia of the Nazi Party

[12] Cook & Bender 1994, p. 15.

Ranks and Insignia of the German Army in World

War II

[13] Kershaw 2008, pp. 308314.

Runic insignia of the Schutzstael

[15] Yerger, Mark (1997), Allgemeine-SS, Atglen, PA: Schiffer.

11

Notes

[1] This same tradition in its 'cavalry' aspect would also manifest itself in the black uniforms and totenkopf badges of
the armys Panzer troops.
[2] The regulation boot was by now the standard army-style
Marschstiefel or jackboot, a calf-high pebbled-leather
pull-on boot with hobnailed leather soles. The standard
size was a Euro: 4142 or a US: 9.5
[3] Ironically, the iconic black uniform was brought out during a short-lived legal prohibition on political party uniforms

[14] Kershaw 2008, pp. 313, 316.

[16] Schutzstael der NSDAP, SS Ocers List, Berlin (1942),

Reprinted by Schier Publishing, Atglen, PA (2000)

13 Bibliography
Bedurftig, Friedemann, and Zenter, Christian
(1985). The Encyclopedia of the Third Reich.
Cook, Stan; Bender, R. James (1994). Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler: Uniforms, Organization, &
History. San Jose, CA: R. James Bender. ISBN
978-0-912138-55-8.
Hayes, A. SS Uniforms, Insignia and Accoutrements

[4] In contrast to the army, the black SS uniform included riding boots and breeches for enlisted men as well as ocers.

Kershaw, Ian (2008). Hitler: A Biography. W. W.

Norton & Company. ISBN 978-0-393-06757-6.

[5] In practice, earth-grey was little if any dierent from

army eld-grey (feldgrau); however, Himmler resented
the army and preferred a distinct SS term

Laqueur, Walter; Baumel, Judith Tydor (2001). The

Holocaust Encyclopedia. New Haven; London: Yale
University Press. ISBN 978-0-30008-432-0.

[6] However, many Waen-SS ocers had their tunics made

with green collars.

McNab, Chris (2009). The SS: 19231945. Amber

Books Ltd. ISBN 978-1-906626-49-5.

[7] Except that SD/SiPo shoulderboards used black where the

Orpo used dark brown

Mollo, Andrew. Uniforms of the SS, Collected Edition Vol. 16 (ISBN)

[8] This rank has been alternatively translated as colonel

group leader.[15]

National Socialist German

(1938).Deutsche Uniformen.

Workers

Party

14

15

Personnel Service Records of the SS, National

Archives and Records Administration, College
Park, MD.
Weale, Adrian (2010). The SS: A New History. London: Little, Brown. ISBN 978-1408703045.

14

Further reading

Angolia, John (1989). Cloth Insignia of the SS. R.

James Bender Publishing. ISBN 978-0912138282.

15

External links

German WWII Army & SS Rank & Insignia

Grey uniform of a SS-Sturmbannfhrer of a selfpropelled gun crew of the SS-Totenkopf-Division
Black uniform of a SS-Standartenfhrer of the SSTotenkopfverbnde
Uniform of a SS-Unterscharfhrer of the early SSTotenkopf-Division
Examples of dierent cu titles of the SS
Examples of dierent cu titles of the Waen-SS
Cu title of the training camp Dachau (carried by members of the Waen-SS there during
their platoon leader training course aka German
"Zugfhrerlehrgang")
Cu titles & Patches of the SS

EXTERNAL LINKS

15

16

Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

16.1

Text

Uniforms and insignia of the Schutzstael Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uniforms_and_insignia_of_the_Schutzstaffel?oldid=

722455349 Contributors: The Anome, Yooden, Paul Barlow, Paul A, Furrykef, Wernher, Topbanana, Dimadick, Pibwl, GreatWhiteNortherner, DocWatson42, Nichalp, HangingCurve, Marcika, Ukas, Husnock, Necrothesp, Hammersfan, Klemen Kocjancic, DmitryKo, Cnyborg, Rama, Alphax, Haham hanuka, Alansohn, Anthony Appleyard, Andrewpmk, Denniss, Grenavitar, Cosal, JALockhart, Lohengrin~enwiki, Gimboid13, Mandarax, Sjakkalle, Koavf, Biederman, Ghepeu, Brighterorange, CosmicEngine, Margosbot~enwiki, Catsmeat,
Srleer, Chobot, YurikBot, Tommyt, RussBot, Hede2000, Fnorp, Ytcracker, Howcheng, Renata3, Resigua, Charlik, Curpsbot-unicodify,
Nixer, Roitr, Thomas Blomberg, Prvc, SmackBot, Historian932, WikiuserNI, Eskimbot, Kintetsubualo, Gilliam, Squiddy, Izehar, Bluebot, Hibernian, Colonies Chris, OrphanBot, MrRadioGuy, Tt1, D Boland, Rheo1905, Esrever, JHunterJ, Arctic-Editor, Peripitus, ABickersta, Aldis90, Uvaphdman, Antique Rose, Shardz, Edward J. Picardy, Adam Grenberg, Jemauvais, FlieGerFaUstMe262, R'n'B, CommonsDelinker, Tgeairn, Whitebox, Snake bgd, Philip Trueman, Lvivske, SGT141, StillTrill, Wiae, Kaiketsu, Mcattell, Solicitr, W4chris,
Vidarfe, OberRanks, Dreamafter, Jack Merridew, PbBot, Bot-iww, Lastingwar, Brian Geppert, ImageRemovalBot, WikiBotas, Hutcher,
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Skjoldbro, HHaeckel, Neogeolegend, MerlIwBot, Helpful Pixie Bot, BG19bot, ChrisGualtieri, Khazar2, , Georgethewriter,
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Source:

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Administration Original artist: Uploaded by User:OberRanks on en.wikipedia
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Contributors: Own work Original artist: Fornax (modied by DIREKTOR)
File:M36_British_Free_Corps_Tunic.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/25/M36_British_Free_Corps_
Tunic.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: en:Image:M36_British_Free_Corps_Tunic.jpg (uploader: en:User:Boothferry) Original
artist: en:User:Boothferry, see disc.
File:NSDAP_eagle_(early).gif Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4a/NSDAP_eagle_%28early%29.gif License: Public domain Contributors: Organisationsbuch der NSDAP, 3d Ed (1937) Original artist: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei
File:NewRfPatchs1934.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/6e/NewRfPatchs1934.jpg License: PD Contributors:
National Archives and Records Administration
Original artist:
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File:Question_book-new.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/99/Question_book-new.svg License: Cc-by-sa-3.0
Contributors:
Created from scratch in Adobe Illustrator. Based on Image:Question book.png created by User:Equazcion Original artist:
Tkgd2007
File:Rank_insignia_of_the_Schutzstaffel_1930.png Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/32/Rank_insignia_of_the_
Schutzstaffel_1930.png License: PD Contributors:
National Archives & Records Administration
Original artist:
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File:Reichsadler_der_Deutsches_Reich_(19331945).svg
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Reichsadler_der_Deutsches_Reich_%281933%E2%80%931945%29.svg License: Public domain Contributors: Own work. Original artist: RsVe.
File:Reichsfhrer-SS_Collar_Rank.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b5/Reichsf%C3%BChrer-SS_
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File:SA-Logo.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dc/SA-Logo.svg License: Public domain Contributors:
based on Image:SturmabteilungSA.jpg Original artist: Ratatosk
File:SDInsig.png Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6c/SDInsig.png License: Public domain Contributors:
En:WP Original artist: Unknown<a href='//www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4233718' title='wikidata:Q4233718'><img alt='wikidata:Q4233718'
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width='20'
height='11' srcset='https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Wikidata-logo.svg/30px-Wikidata-logo.svg.png 1.5x,
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File:SDJacke.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/SDJacke.jpg License: CC-BY-SA-3.0 Contributors: ?
Original artist: ?
File:SS-Armband.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/92/SS-Armband.svg License: Public domain Contributors: ? Original artist: ?

16.2

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File:SS-Brigadefhrer_Collar_Rank.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c5/SS-Brigadef%C3%BChrer_

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File:SS-Gruppenfhrer_Collar_Rank.svg Source:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1a/SS-Gruppenf%C3%
BChrer_Collar_Rank.svg License: Public domain Contributors: Own work Original artist: Mintz l
File:SS-Hauptscharfhrer_Collar_Rank.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/43/SS-Hauptscharf%C3%
BChrer_Collar_Rank.svg License: CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Mintz l
File:SS-Hauptsturmfhrer_Collar_Rank.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4b/SS-Hauptsturmf%C3%
BChrer_Collar_Rank.svg License: CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Mintz l
File:SS-Mann,_SS-Schuetze,_SS-Oberschuetze_collar.svg Source:
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SS-Mann%2C_SS-Schuetze%2C_SS-Oberschuetze_collar.svg License: Public domain Contributors: Own work Original artist: Rama
File:SS-Oberfhrer_Collar_Rank.svg Source:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/SS-Oberf%C3%BChrer_
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File:SS-Obergruppenfhrer_Collar_Rank.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/SS-Obergruppenf%
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File:SS-Oberscharfhrer_Collar_Rank.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/43/SS-Oberscharf%C3%
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File:SS-Oberst-Gruppenfhrer_collar.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1b/SS-Oberst-Gruppenf%
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File:SS-Obersturmbannfhrer_Collar_Rank.svg
Source:
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SS-Obersturmbannf%C3%BChrer_Collar_Rank.svg License: CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Mintz l
File:SS-Obersturmfhrer_Collar_Rank.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/SS-Obersturmf%C3%
BChrer_Collar_Rank.svg License: CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Mintz l
File:SS-Rottenfhrer_Collar_Rank.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/18/SS-Rottenf%C3%BChrer_
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File:SS-Scharfhrer_Collar_Rank.svg Source:
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File:SS-Standartenfhrer_Collar_Rank.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8e/SS-Standartenf%C3%
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File:SS-Sturmmann_Collar_Rank.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/82/SS-Sturmmann_Collar_Rank.
svg License: CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Mintz l
File:SS-Sturmscharfhrer_Collar_Rank.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/17/SS-Sturmscharf%C3%
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File:SS-Unterscharfhrer_Collar_Rank.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f0/SS-Unterscharf%C3%
BChrer_Collar_Rank.svg License: CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Mintz l
File:SS-Untersturmfhrer_Collar_Rank.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a7/SS-Untersturmf%C3%
BChrer_Collar_Rank.svg License: CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Mintz l
File:SSHpttruppfuhrer.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/72/SSHpttruppfuhrer.jpg License: PD Contributors:
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File:SS_Full_Dress.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/db/SS_Full_Dress.jpg License: CC-BY-3.0 Contributors:
http://www.themarshalsbaton.com Original artist:
Michael Holderson
File:SS_Hoheitszeichen.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7d/SS_Hoheitszeichen.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: TM-E 30-451: Handbook on German Military Forces Original artist: U.S. War Department
File:SS_Platanenmuster_Herbst.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cf/SS_Platanenmuster_Herbst.jpg
License: CC-BY-SA-3.0 Contributors: Own work. I have made this from a original jacket with Adobe Photoshop Original artist: Mediatus
File:SS_Totenkopf.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/SS_Totenkopf.jpg License: CC BY-SA 2.0 fr
Contributors:
SS_hat_f3549736.jpg Original artist: SS_hat_f3549736.jpg: Rama
File:SS_Totenkopf_1923-34.gif Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d4/SS_Totenkopf_1923-34.gif License:
Public domain Contributors: Organisationsbuch der NSDAP, 3d Ed (1937) Original artist: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei
File:SScuffbands.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/SScuffbands.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons. (Original text: National Archives and Records Administration) Original artist: Uploaded
by User:OberRanks
File:SSpfcsldr.gif Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/38/SSpfcsldr.gif License: CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors:
http://www.axishistory.com Original artist: Marcus Wendel - http://www.axishistory.com
File:Schutzstaffel_SS_SVG1.1.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dd/Schutzstaffel_SS.svg License: Public domain Contributors: Derivative work from File:Schutzstaffel SS.png Original artist: ?

18

16

TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES

File:Sleeve_and_collar_insignia_of_the_Schutzstaffel.png Source:
collar_insignia_of_the_Schutzstaffel.png License: PD Contributors:
National Archives and Records Administration
Original artist:
Uploaded by User:OberRanks

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/8b/Sleeve_and_

File:Transitional_rank_insignia_of_the_Schutzstaffel.png Source:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6f/
Transitional_rank_insignia_of_the_Schutzstaffel.png License: Public domain Contributors: Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons.
(Original text: National Archives & Records Administration) Original artist: Uploaded by User:OberRanks

16.3

Content license

Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0