SS man

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

SS man (address: SS man), also Staffelmann , was the collective name in the German Reich for all full members of the Schutzstaffel up to and including the Reichsführer SS , as well as for all those who were still to be finally accepted into the SS. For example, Paul Hausser was SS-Oberst-Gruppenführer and Colonel-General of the Waffen SS and at the same time an SS man . In addition, the designation SS man represented the lowest rank of the rank group of the men .

In 1941, the SS-Mann party designation in the Waffen-SS was given up in favor of the Army designation Schütze .

etymology

The term man was chosen based on the storm man , elite soldier of the storm troops, shock troops, storm pioneer companies and storm battalions from the battles of the First World War. The elitist Sturm-Mann had been preserved in the self-image of the Freikorps up to the NSDAP and the subordinate organizational areas. So it is hardly surprising that man was used as a paramilitary rank designation in substantial connection with SA and SS, such as SA man or SS man, and was comparable to the lowest military rank in the Wehrmacht.

With the growth of the SS available troops from 1938, the transition to the Waffen-SS and the increased reliance on structures and designations of the Wehrmacht, the rank designation SS-Mann became uniform in SS-Schützen or SS-Grenadier, SS-Pioneer etc. in depending upon the particular branch of service of the weapon SS binding.

Classification

The SS men were internally divided into groups according to age, and if necessary also according to physical ability:

  1. SS-I: All SS men between 18 and 25 years of age.
  2. SS-II: All SS men between 25 and 35 years of age.
  3. SS reserve: All SS men between 35 and 45 years of age.
  4. SS-Stammabteilung: All SS men over 45 years of age.

But not all 45-year-olds (and beyond) were transferred to the main section of the SS. Old, deserving relatives who were unable to do their “service” in the “Active SS” (ie in the SS-I and SS-II) for professional and / or health reasons were not dismissed, but in a trunk department moved; even if they had not yet reached the intended age. Excepted from this rule, d. i.e., from the division into age groups, were the members of the staffs.

Ranking and insignia

The appointment as SS man was tied to a number of conditions, which are described in more detail under SS applicants and SS candidates . An SS man could only be promoted to SS storm man after two years of service .

The pictures show the badges of rank or rank badges that were worn as epaulettes and collar tabs. The collar tabs were worn on the black uniform jacket of the Allgemeine SS. The epaulets were also kept in black in contrast to the field gray used by the Waffen SS.

General SS

The SS man of the Allgemeine SS performed his service there on an honorary and voluntary basis , whereby the principle of voluntariness generally applied to all organizational areas of the SS. The shoulder cords of the Allgemeine SS are not shown in the graphic.

Armed SS

SS riflemen of the Waffen SS in camouflage suit.
Badge of rank of the Waffen SS
SS rank designations compared to the SA and Wehrmacht
1st rank 2nd rank 3rd rank
Candidate Status , General SS General SS
SS man 		SS storm man
Volunteer applicant , Waffen SS
  • SS applicants (relay applicants)
  • SS-Jungmann (Staffel-Jungmann)
  • SS candidate (relay candidate)
Waffen SS
SS rifleman 		SS upper rifle SS storm man
Candidate
status SA candidate 		SA
SA-Sturmmann
( SA-man before 1942) 		SA-Obersturmmann
( SA-Sturmmann before 1942)
Wehrmacht conscript
 Wehrmacht
soldier
(e.g. hunter, marksman, radio operator ... etc) 		Ober (soldier) .....
(e.g. Oberjäger, Oberschützen, Oberfunker ... etc) 		Private

See also

Web links

Wiktionary: SS-Mann  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

References and comments

  1. ↑ a b Andrew Mollo: Uniforms of the Waffen-SS , p. 152
  2. ^ John F. Steiner: Power Politics and Social Change in National Socialist Germany: A Process of Escalation into Mass Destruction , p. 252
  3. ^ Dictionary of German military history. 1st edition. Military Publishing House of the GDR, Berlin 1985, p. 145 Rank badge 29/30.
  4. ↑ The full-time SS leaders of the General SS, who belonged to one of the main SS offices , had been subordinate to the Waffen SS from 1940 .