Uniforms and insignia of the Schutzstaffel The uniforms and insignia of the " Schutzstaffel " were paramilitary ranks and uniforms used by the SS between 1925 and 1945 to differentiate that organization from the regular German armed forces , the German state , and the Nazi Party . 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 black - white - red color 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 Prussia n kings ' and emperors ' life - guard cavalry ( " Leibhusaren " ) had worn , so would the " Führer " s bodyguard unit . 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 . " During the war , the German clothing factory that eventually became the international menswear powerhouse Hugo Boss produced thousands of SS and other uniforms . Once the war began , however , the black uniform was seldom worn . The combat units of the " SS - Verfügungstruppe ( SS - VT ) " and the later " Waffen - SS " wore a variation of the field - grey ( grey - green ) ( " feldgrau " ) army ( " Heer " ) uniform with SS insignia . The majority of SS personnel wore variations of the " Waffen - 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 . 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 cuffbands and " sleeve diamond " patches to indicate membership in specific branches of the SS . However , Most of these uniforms fell apart as they were often made out of weaker material than normal cotton . They were highly flammable and would usually burn off of their wearer after shot . They were later discontinued because of this flaw in their design . Uniforms designs and styles . Early SS uniforms ( 1925 – 1928 ) . The SS can trace its origins to several early " Freikorps " and Nazi Party formations , among them the Erhardt Naval Brigade , " Stahlhelm " , and most significantly the " Sturmabteilung " ( SA ) , of which the SS was originally a subordinate organization . The very first 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 " ( " staff guard " ) , Hitler ' s bodyguard , soon renamed the " Stosstrupp " ( " shock troop " ) , also adopted in May 1923 the death ' s head and oak leaf as a means of insignia , both of which were already deeply rooted in European military history . In 1924 , while the Nazi Party was legally banned following the Beer Hall Putsch , " Frontbann " ( underground SA ) leader Gerhard Roßbach located a large store of war - surplus brown denim shirts in Austria , originally intended for tropical uniforms . When the SA ( which included the nascent SS ) was re - founded in 1925 following Hitler ' s release from prison , these brown shirts were issued as uniforms . The only insignia was the swastika armband , usually homemade , except for the handful of men constituting the " Stosstrupp ' s " successor , the " Schutzkommando " ( " protection command " ) , who continued the use of the " Totenkopf " pinned to cap or collar . In mid - 1925 , the " Schutzkommando " was renamed the " Sturmstaffel " ( " storm squadron " ) and in December the " Schutzstaffel " ( " protection squadron " ) , and in the following year adopted its first recognizable rank insignia system which was used mainly by senior SS personnel at major rallies , with the rank and file of the SS , like the rest of the SA , still wearing a variety of brown shirts or paramilitary uniforms with no recognizable insignia . 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 first SS rank system was as follows : Under the above system , basic SS troopers were organized into 10 - man " Staffeln , " each under the authority of a " Staffelführer " . SS districts , known as " SS - Gaus " , were under the authority of a " Gauführer " while all SS district leaders answered to a national leader of the SS called the " Reichsführer " , at this time Josef Berchtold . In line with the " Führerprinzip " ( " leader principle " ) of the Nazi Party ' s ideology , the word " Führer " was incorporated into all ranks except those for basic SS troopers . By 1927 , the " Sturmabteilung " had greatly increased its numbers and had standardized the " brown shirt " uniform which would thereafter be permanently associated with that group : shirt , tie , breeches , boots , and cylindrical kepi , all brown . As the SS was at this time a small unit within the SA , SS personnel during this period likewise wore brown shirt uniforms but distinguished themselves as an elite among the SA by wearing black neckties and black kepis with " Totenkopf " and Party eagle badges . By this time , with influences from the " Stahlhelm " , the SA leadership adopted its first collar insignia and also added a new SA rank of " Standartenführer " ( " standard leader " ) in charge of regiment - sized " Standarten " ( incorporating the company sized " Staffeln " ) ; the SS at this time adopted the same rank as well . The 1927 ranks had no insignia for SA / SS troopers ( still known by the title " " Mann " " ) and the previous rank of " Staffelführer " had become shortened to simply " Führer " ( " leader " ) . The higher SS ranks of " Standartenführer " , " Gauführer " , and " Reichsführer " like their SA counterparts now used a system of oak leaves displayed on both collars of the brown SA shirt . One oak leaf signified a " Standartenführer " , two a " Gauführer " , and three oak leaves were worn by " Reichsführer - SS " Berchtold and his successor Erhard Heiden , who reported directly to the " Oberste SA - Führer " . Over the course of the next year , the burgeoning SA saw the emergence of new units and ranks , and for the first time a comprehensive system of rank insignia . A basic squad unit , the 10 - man " Schar " , was grouped into platoon - sized " Truppen " , and these into company - sized " Stürme " which in turn made up battalion - sized " Sturmbanne . " New ranks went with the new formations : " Scharführer " , with one pip worn on the left collar patch , " Truppführer " , two pips , " Sturmführer " , three pips , and " Sturmbannführer " , four pips . On the right collar of SA uniforms was worn a patch with two numbers indicating " Standarte " and " Sturmbann " affiliation . 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 . At the higher end of the organization , in 1928 the SA " Gau - Stürme " were restructured into regional " Gruppen , " each commanded by a leader with a new general - officer rank , " Gruppenführer " ; its insignia was the three oak leaf collar patch . At this time the former rank of " Gauführer " was renamed " Oberführer " ( " senior leader " ) . The collar patches of the SA were color - coded : each " Gruppe " had its own distinctive color . The SS was considered to be a " Gruppe " unto itself ; its color , naturally , was black , and " Reichsführer - SS " Heiden held the rank of " Gruppenfuhrer " and wore its three - oakleaf insignia . SS Brownshirts ( 1929 – 1932 ) . In 1929 , under new " Reichsführer - SS " Heinrich Himmler , the SS codified its first uniform regulations : the signature black color was extended to breeches , boots , 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 office " ) under NSDAP Treasurer Franz Xaver Schwarz , and to Himmler ' s expansion and reorganization of the fast - growing SS ( from 280 members to 52 , 000 between 1929 and 1932 ) into several brigade sized " Brigaden " throughout Germany , each comprising three to five regiment - sized " Standarten " . Within the " Standarten " now existed two to three battalion - sized " Sturmbanne " ( " storm units " ) , and beneath this level were the " Stürme " , " Truppen " , and " Scharen " . For the lower ranks , the SS also specified that a patch showing the wearer ' s regiment ( " Standarte " ) would be worn opposite the badge of rank while the higher SS leaders would continue to wear oakleaf insignia on both collars . Collar tabs below the rank of " Sturmführer " were edged in black - and - white twist cord ; those of " Sturm " and " Sturmbann " leaders used black - and - silver while those of senior leaders were edged in solid silver cord . In addition to the collar unit insignia , the SS now created a cuffband system which was worn on the lower left sleeve . These cuffbands were black and displayed the bearer ' s " Sturm " number together with color - coded edges indicating the " Sturmbann " , which in conjunction with the collar insignia showed regiment , battalion and company affiliation . Leaders above the company level did not at this time use the cuffband system . The holder of the title of " Reichsführer " was still considered an " SA - Gruppenführer " , with " Reichsführer " itself not yet an actual rank . In addition , for a brief period in 1929 , the rank of " Standartenführer " was divided into two separate grades , known as " Standartenführer ( I ) " and " Standartenführer ( II ) " ; the insignia of one oak leaf was used for both positions . This situation was another reflection of the SS ' rapid expansion : " Oberführers " now commanded the three newly created " SS - Oberführerbereiche " , east , west and south ; and so a senior " Standartenführer " was promoted to command each " SS - Brigade " . Hitler ' s personal guard , known at this stage by the original SS name of " Stabswache " ( later to be known as the " " Leibstandarte " Adolf Hitler " ) , was also expressing its independence 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 heißt Treue ! " ( " SS soldier , your honour is called loyalty ! " ) . Subsequently , " Meine Ehre heißt Treue " ( " My honour is called loyalty " ) was adopted by the SS as its motto . More significantly , Hitler cashiered SA head Franz Pfeffer von Salomon and assumed the position of " Oberste SA - Führer " personally , and simultaneously promoted both Himmler and Daluege to the new rank of " SS - Obergruppenführer " . Daluege was the SS leader of Northern Germany while Himmler controlled southern SS units out of Munich while serving as the National Leader for the SS ; this move had the effect of rendering the loyal SS practically independent of the suspect SA , since Himmler and Daluege now outranked all SA commanders . Another result of the Stennes Revolt was Hitler ' s recall of his old " Putsch " comrade Ernst Röhm 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 firmly to him , Röhm 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 first 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 " Oberscharführer " , " Obertruppführer " and " Sturmhauptführer " . 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 black - and - 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 " Gruppenführers " , and a braided silver shoulderboard by the two " Obergruppenführers " . By 1931 , Himmler was secure ( or independent ) enough to reorganize the SS , formerly one " SA - Gruppe " , into five " SS - Gruppen " divided into several " Brigaden " led by officers with the new rank of " Brigadeführer " ; its insignia was the two oakleaves of an " Oberführer " with a pip . SS black uniforms ( 1932 – 1934 ) . In 1932 , the SS introduced its most notorious uniform , the black ensemble designed by Karl Diebitsch ( later to become an " SS - Oberführer " ) and graphic designer " SS - Sturmhauptführer " Walter Heck . 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 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 heißt Treue " ( " My Honor Is Loyalty " ) in its design was produced by the Overhoff firm to replace the SA 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 " Rottenführer " . 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 " SS - Anwärter " , which prospective SS members were required to hold for at least six months before formally joining the SS as an " SS - Mann " ; an " Anwärter " wore no rank insignia . With membership continuing to increase , Röhm invented two new officer ranks known as " Obersturmführer " and " Obersturmbannführer " . SS ( and SA ) officers ranked " Standartenführer " ( colonel ) and above wore rank insignia on both collars without the use of unit insignia ; all personnel " Obersturmbannführer " ( lieutenant colonel ) and below wore a unit insignia patch opposite the badge of rank . In 1933 , after Hitler had become Chancellor , the SS began to make more of a distinction between ' officers ' and ' enlisted men ; ' an SS man could now only be promoted to " Sturmführer " with Himmler ' s approval , based upon the " Reichsführer " ’ s personal review of the candidate ' s application including his career resume or " lebenslauf " and recommendations from current and former superior officers . Note however that this system presupposed enlisted SS membership ; Himmler always detested the army ' s class distinctions . It was forbidden for SS men to follow the army custom of addressing superior officers by prefixing " 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 cuffband 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 " Haupttruppführer " . The black - and - white enlisted shoulderboard became black - and - silver , and officers were brought into parallel with army practice : the twisted " cruller " board was assigned to the field - grade ranks ( " Sturmbannführer , Obersturmbannführer , " and " Standartenführer " ) , and the braided boards to the general - equivalents of " Oberführer " through " Obergruppenführer " . In late 1934 , enlisted collar patches changed from black - and - white to black - and - silver edging ; all officers now wore silver - piped collar tabs . Also in 1933 , the runes insignia was introduced which would eventually become known as the symbol for the entire SS . The first use of the SS runes was as a unit insignia limited only to members of the " Leibstandarte " Adolf Hitler which had transferred their headquarters from Munich to Berlin and had replaced the Army Chancellery Guard to become Hitler ’ s 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 rifles , bayonets , and steel helmets . Their SS runes unit collar patch was to be worn on the right side of the tunic collar . 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 . 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 differentate the bodyguard unit from the rank and file 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 staffs began using a blank collar patch , without a unit number , to differentiate themselves from the " rank and file " 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 staff , and the numbered SS unit insignia worn by regular SS companies throughout Germany . In 1934 , with the rise of the " SS - Verfügungstruppe " ( SS - VT ) , the SS runes unit insignia was expanded to these other formatations of the then fledgling military arm of the SS ( later to become known as the " Waffen - SS " ) . To separate these new military formations from the main " Leibstandarte " regiment under Dietrich , the SS runes worn by the " Verfügungstruppe " displayed a small number corresponding to the particular SS - VT regiment of the bearer . In all , there were three possible numbers : In addition to the expansion of the collar unit insignia system , the SS by 1934 had also greatly expanded the system of sleeve cuffbands which were now a standard part of the black uniform , worn on the lower left sleeve . Within the " Allgemeine - SS " companies , cuffbands were worn in conjunction with a unit collar patch to denote regiment , battalion , and company affiliation . While the unit collar patch displayed the wearer ' s " Standarte " ( regiment ) number , the number denoted on the cuffband indicated the " Sturm " , or company , while collared piping along the cuffband further denoted in which battalion ( " Sturmbann " ) a member served . For those personnel serving above the regiment level , a bare cuffband was worn or a cuffband bearing a roman numeral could be displayed . The roman numeral cuffband indicated membership on the staff 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 Führer " ) a solid silver cuffband was worn . Within the early military SS , which included the " Leibstandarte " and the formations of the " SS - Verfügungstruppe " , a series of cuffbands were introduced which bore the name of the regiment to which the bearer was assigned . The most coveted of these was the " Adolf Hitler " cuffband , carrying the " Führer " ’ s name in Sütterlin script , which was worn solely by members of the " Leibstandarte " . SS pre - war uniforms ( 1934 – 1938 ) . An event which significantly altered the SS rank and insignia structure was the Night of the Long Knives which occurred in June 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 and 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 " ( prior to 1934 , Himmler had been regarded simply as an " SS - Obergruppenführer " ) . 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 conclusion of World War II and the fall of the SS in 1945 . 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 " ( " death ' s head " ) 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 - gray " ( " erdgrau " ) . 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 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 . SS uniforms of World War II ( 1939 – 1945 ) . 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 , until 1942 , continued to wear the narrow braided silver SS shoulderboards to denote flag rank . It was also at this time that the rank of " SS - Oberführer " lost its status as a general officer 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 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 ) field uniform for combat wear , which with the outbreak of war became the standard uniform of what would soon be the " Waffen - SS " . This " feldanzug " was very similar to the Model 1936 Army field uniform ; however , the SS version had a somewhat wider collar in " feldgrau " ( grey - green ) rather than " Heer " bottle - green , 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 " Waffen - SS " , also adopted this uniform . " Waffen - SS Panzer " troops wore a double - breasted black uniform similar to the Army model but somewhat different in cut ; the SS also made extensive use of camouflage 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 " Waffen - SS " . With such persons being SS members already , it was expected that they would join the " Waffen - SS " 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 Höttl was one such example . As a result of " Allgemeine - SS " members transferring into the " Waffen - SS " , a situation arose where an SS member would actually hold two separate ranks - one in the " Allgemeine - SS " and another in the " Waffen - 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 ) . " Waffen - SS " officers could also hold a regular or reserve commission , with most " Allgemeine - SS " members being appointed to the " Waffen - 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 " Waffen - SS " to hold drastically different titles from their " Allgemeine - SS " duties ; a " Standartenführer " in the regular SS could , for instance , serve as a " Rottenführer " ( lance corporal ) in a front line " Waffen - SS " company . 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 field ) wore uniforms nearly identical to the " Waffen - SS " ; to further the confusion , many agents of the security police ( SiPo ) in such " field " roles wore " Waffen - SS " uniform even though they were not " ex officio " members of any branch of the SS . By 1943 , the SS had made a determined effort that most field personnel ( including concentration camp staffs ) were granted " Waffen - SS " ranks and , in 1944 , any " Allgemeine - SS " who served in an area that commanded SS combat troops , was granted a " Waffen - 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 specified 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 " giftgrün " ( " poison green " ) underlay . Another uniform insignia change occurred in April 1942 with the creation of the rank " SS - Oberstgruppenführer " . This necessitated an insignia change for SS generals and all SS generals at this time began wearing " Wehrmacht " - style gold shoulder boards ; " Oberführers " wore the shoulderboards of an army " Oberst " ( " colonel " ) just as " Standartenführers " did . The sole exception was Heinrich Himmler who continued to wear the silver braided shoulderboard with oak leaves of his rank as " Reichsführer - SS " . At the same time the collar patches for general officers were revised ; the 1942 pattern used three oakleaves , rather straighter than the old style , with zero to three pips indicating rank from " Brigadeführer " through " Oberstgruppenführer " . SS uniform suppliers could not keep up with wartime demand and , as a result , the " Waffen - 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 . " Waffen - 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 officers ' collar patches continued to be trimmed in silver . Enlisted shoulderboards were made of black fabric as opposed to army dark green or field - grey ( grey - green ) , and officers had a black underlay ; all shoulderboards were piped in " waffenfarbe " ( branch - color ) . Junior leaders ( " Sturmmann " and " Rottenführer " ) wore sleeve chevrons corresponding to army insignia ( " Gefreiter " and " Obergefreiter " ) , but with black backing ; SS non - commissioned officers wore army - style silver - grey braid around the collar . The staffs of concentration camps had by now standardized the death ' s head collar patch , whereas between 1934 and 1938 the " Totenkopf " as well as various camp specific 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 office staffs and " Sicherheitsdienst " ( and some SiPo ) personnel , the sig - runes " Waffen - SS " patch ( adopted after 1943 as the standard unit collar patch for most of the SS ) , and a numbered death ' s head patch which was used by personnel serving in field 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 " Waffen - 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 non - SS members conscripted to serve in concentration camp positions . By 1943 , a special staff non - commissioned officer position , known as " Stabsscharführer " had been adopted by the " Waffen - SS " . This position , equivalent to an army " Hauptfeldwebel " , was denoted by a special sleeve insignia and was not an actual rank , but rather a title for the head SS non - commissioned officer of a particular combat unit . The rank of " Sturmscharführer " was also unique to the " Waffen - SS " as a type of regimental sergeant major . The SS also , by this time , had created a private first class position known as " Oberschütze " , denoted by a silver pip worn on the sleeve of the SS uniform . The SS continued to use the candidate rank of " Anwärter " during World War II , but in a much less formal way especially in the " Waffen - SS " where soldiers were typically enlisted directly as an " SS - Schütze " , 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 " Waffen - SS " were typically addressed by both their SS rank title and a corresponding general ' s rank associated with the " Wehrmacht " . All such general ranks were followed by the phrase " der Waffen - SS " to distinguish the SS General from their counterparts in other branches of the German military . Thus , a typical title would be " Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen - SS " . For those who had held police rank prior to 1944 , the SS general ' s title could become rather lengthy . Ernst Kaltenbrunner , for instance , was listed on the SS rolls in 1945 as " Obergruppenführer und General der Polizei und Waffen - SS " . Police ranks and insignia . In 1936 , the regular German police , previously agencies of the " Länder " 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 " Obergruppenführer " in the SS , who was also a police general , would be referred to as " Obergruppenführer 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 " Waffen - SS " to become the 4 . " SS - Polizei - Panzergrenadier division " . SS foreign legions . As with the senior SS titles , volunteers of non - Germanic countries had the title " " Waffen " " prefixed to their rank . For instance , an " Untersturmführer " in the foreign legions would be referred to as " Waffen - Untersturmführer " whereas a regular SS member would be addressed as " SS - Untersturmführer " . This helped to indicate non - native volunteers , or to separate Germanic individuals in the divisions composed primarily of non - Germans . Germanic - SS uniforms . Germanic - SS uniforms were modified 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 " Waffen - SS " , who wore the standard field gray ( grey - green ) SS uniform to conform with the rest of the " Waffen - SS " , the Germanic - SS was concerned solely with homeland duties and therefore were provided with surplus black uniforms upon which were displayed country specific 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 . The Germanic - SS also had a unique military award , known as the Germanic Proficiency Runes , awarded for qualifying under certain physical tests , in much the same manner as the German Sports Badge and SA Sports Badge were awarded to the regular SS . The Germanic - SS effectively ceased to exist in late 1944 , after which time most of its members were folded into the foreign legions of the " Waffen - SS " . Due to most Germanic - SS members being considered traitors to their countries , Germanic - SS uniforms were often destroyed by their owners to prevent identification as a German collaborator . Special SS uniforms . SS officers 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 officers ) . Mess dress resembled a double - breasted tuxedo , with collar tabs and silver piping . Officers 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 white SS visored service cap with the uniform . A waist - length white " waiter ' s jacket " with collar tabs was issued to those SS men who served as Hitler ' s domestic staff . For use in hot weather climates like Southern Europe and North Africa , a tropical uniform of tan cotton was developed . This consisted of a Sahariana - style tunic with shoulder yokes based on Italian tropical uniforms , long - sleeved field shirt , and trousers . Headgear could be a pith helmet , sidecap , or an M40 tropical cap based on that of the " Afrika Korps " . Insignia was similar to that of standard SS - uniforms but in tan thread on black backing . Police units deployed to tropical climates wore an identical uniform with police insignia . " Waffen - SS " troops were also pioneering among the German forces in the use of camouflage clothing and wore it extensively during the war . " Waffen - SS " used a variety of original spring and autumn designs in many patterns . Usually , camouflage was worn on overall parkas or helmet covers , and only late in the war were camouflaged tunics introduced . SS titles . In addition to the rank titles used by the SS , the following titles were frequently interchanged when addressing SS personnel in certain positions of authority . SS membership numbers . Adolf Hitler , as the " Führer " of Germany , was by default the supreme commander of the SS and outranked Heinrich Himmler , who served as " Reich leader " of the entire SS . After 1930 Hitler was the " Oberster SA - Führer " and thus supreme commander of the SA stormtroopers . Hitler ' s supreme SA rank , when the SS was still under the authority of the SA , was seen as a rank superior to that of " Reichsführer - SS " . Hitler also was considered SS member # 1 , Emil Maurice ( considered the founder of the SS ) was member # 2 , while Himmler was SS member # 168 . Based on the seniority system of SS membership number , this made Hitler senior in the SS to all other members even if not by rank . After the Night of the Long Knives , when the SS became independent from the SA , Hitler was listed on SS officer rolls as SS member # 1 and as the Oberste Führer der Schutzstaffel ( Supreme Commander of the SS ) . Thus , Hitler technically held a rank superior 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 .