Allgemeine SS
On his return to Germany in 1939, Berger helped Dirlewanger join the "Allgemeine SS" (General-SS) with the rank of SS-"Untersturmführer". In mid-1940, after the invasion of Poland, Berger arranged for Dirlewanger to command and train a military unit of convicted poachers for partisan-hunting ("Bandenbekämpfung").