Units and Commands of the Schutzstaffel

Units and commands of the Schutzstaffel were organizational titles used by the SS to describe the many groups, forces, and formations that existed within the SS from its inception in 1923 to the eventual fall of Nazi Germany in 1945.

The SS unit nomenclature can be divided into several different types of organizations, mainly the early titles used by the SS, SS unit titles of the Allgemeine-SS, the military formation titles used by the Waffen-SS, titles of commands associated with the SS Security Police, and special units titles used by such SS organizations as the death squad units of the Einsatzgruppen.

Contents

Early SS commands

1920 - 1925

From 1920 through 1925, several early paramilitary terms were used to describe the various groups which would eventually become the SS. Among the most were:

1925 - 1929

In September 1925, the then fledgling SS established its first organizational structure, using the following titles:

1929 - 1931

In January 1929, after Heinrich Himmler took over leadership of the SS, old organizational titles were done away with and the following terms came into being:

1931 - 1933

In 1931, as SS membership began to surpass 100,000, Himmler again reorganized the SS and created these new command titles:

Allgemeine-SS commands

The core of the "General-SS" were the mustering formations spread throughout Germany, divided into several division sized formations and extending downwards into brigade, regiment, battalion, company, and squad like formations. Most of these formations were "part time" and mustered weekly or monthly without pay. The Allgemeine-SS used unique names for these formations which were different from standard military terms in use by the German military.

Initially, General-SS formations were operated strictly in Germany and Austria but would later be formed in occupied countries during World War II. Most often, Allgemeine-SS units in occupied territories were "paper commands", formed under the authority of an SS and Police Leader (who would serve as a dual commander) in order to give senior SS officers in occupation commands a command billet within the General-SS.

Cavalry Commands

The Allgemeine-SS also formed several cavalry commands, which were mainly intended to attract German nobility into the ranks of the SS. These formations were little more than equestrian riding clubs and, by the start of World War II, the General-SS Cavalry had mostly ceased to exist except for a handful of members. The command names of the General-SS cavalry were modeled after those of the regular mustering SS formations and were separate from the military cavalry terms of the Waffen-SS.

Waffen-SS commands

Senior SS commands

By the mid 1930s, the SS leadership had grouped itself into two major senior commands which would last throughout World War II. The two most senior positions in the SS, apart from the Reichsfuhrer-SS, were the SS and Police Leaders and the SS Main Office Commanders.

SS and Police Leaders

A war-time office which was granted considerable power was that of the SS and Police Leader. This unique position was a command authority of every SS unit in a given geographical area. SS and Police leaders had control over administrative SS commands, concentration camps, security forces, and (as World War II progressed) certain units of the Waffen-SS.

There were three levels of SS and Police Leaders, these being:

Main Office commands

There were eventually twelve main offices of the SS, these being:

The heiraracy of command in the main offices was:

Below the level of Department heads existed a plethora of administrative and bureaucratic titles to indicate positions as Assistant Department Heads, staff officers, and other clerical duties within the various main offices.

Security Police commands

Death's Head commands

Special Unit commands

References

  1. ^ Lumsden, Robin (2000), p. 7
  2. ^ Yeger, p. 82
  3. ^ Yerger, p. 82
  4. ^ Yerger, pp. 82, 117
  5. ^ Yerger, pp. 169, 172, 178
  6. ^ Lumsden (2001), p. 83
  7. ^ Lumsden (2001), pp. 80-84
  8. ^ Lumsden (2001), p. 84

Sources