page_title: Uniforms and insignia of the Schutzstaffel
section_title: SS pre-war uniforms (1934–1938)
hierarchical_section_title: Uniforms and insignia of the Schutzstaffel / Uniforms designs and styles / SS pre-war uniforms (1934–1938)
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: Dienstuniform Rottenführer der Waffen-SS in Feldgrau, eine Illustration der Ausführung aus dem Jahre 1937. English: Illustration of the fieldgrey Waffen-SS service uniform, Model 1937. Русский: Иллюстрация служебной формы Ваффен-ССa защитного серого цвета, модель из 1937ого года
context_page_description: The uniforms and insignia of the Schutzstaffel were paramilitary ranks and uniforms used by the Schutzstaffel between 1925 and 1945 to differentiate that organization from the regular German armed forces, the German state, and the Nazi Party.
context_section_description: An event which significantly altered the SS rank and insignia structure was the Night of the Long Knives which occurred from 30 June to 2 July 1934.  As a result of SS participation in the purge and execution of the SA leadership, the SS was declared an independent formation of the Nazi Party that answered only to Hitler. Several of the rank titles were renamed to completely separate the SS from its SA origins.
  The most significant rank change was the creation of an actual rank of Reichsführer-SS to denote the commander of the SS.  The new rank was the equivalent of a field marshal in the army.  Prior to 1934, Himmler had been regarded simply as an SS-Obergruppenführer.  Reichsführer was merely a title and not a rank prior to 1934, though Himmler preferred to use his title more than his rank.  In addition to Himmler’s new rank, several of the original SS rank titles were renamed (although retained the same insignia), bringing about the final nomenclature of SS ranks which would be used until the SS was disbanded at the end of World War II.
  The change in SS rank titles applied mainly to the non-commissioned officer ranks as well as the ranks of Sturmführer and Sturmhauptführer which received new names. The titles of the remaining ranks remained unchanged.
  In the wake of the "Röhm-Putsch", the SS officially 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 Totenkopfverbände or Death’s Head units
  At about this same time, for similar reasons, the military SS formations (the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler and the SS-Verfügungstruppe) adopted a service uniform in what was termed "earth-grey" (erdgrau). This also was based on the black uniform, but without the red swastika 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 well; the LSSAH and SS-VT then adopted army-pattern shoulderboards to distinguish themselves from the general SS and emphasize their military role.
  In February 1934, the Ehrenwinkel für Alte Kämpfer ("honor chevron for old campaigners") was introduced for all SS men who had joined the Nazi Party or a Party-affiliated organization prior to January 30, 1933; after the Anschluss, it was also authorized for Austrians who had joined the DNSAP prior to 18 February 1938. It took the form of a silver lace chevron worn on the right sleeve. During this period, the principal SS insignia also underwent design changes. The ancient jawless Danziger style of Totenkopf was gradually replaced by the 'classic' SS skull, a naturalistic design with grinning jaws; the old form was taken up by the army's newly formed Panzerwaffe. Additionally, in March 1936, Hitler approved a new art deco eagle with staggered wingtips for the SS, which was worn through the end of the war as a cap badge and on the sleeve.
  By the end of 1938, the SS had also adopted a new insignia feature of sleeve diamonds worn on the bottom of the left sleeve. Between 1939 and 1940, the SS expanded its cuffband and sleeve diamond system into a vast array of over 30 cuffbands and more than 12 sleeve diamonds.
caption: The SS grey service uniform
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