Allgemeine SS officer's cap

Although the SS was the most complex of all the structures that made up the NSDAP, the rank system changed little throughout the history of this organization. In 1942, the rank system took its final form and existed until the end of the war.

Mannschaften (lower ranks):
SS-Bewerber - SS candidate
SS-Anwaerter - cadet
SS-Mann (SS-Schuetze in Waffen-SS) - private
SS-Oberschuetze (Waffen-SS) - private after six months of service
SS-Strummann - Lance Corporal
SS-Rollenfuehrer - corporal
Unterfuehrer (non-commissioned officers)
SS-Unterscharfuehrer - corporal
SS-Scharfuehrer - junior sergeant
SS-Oberscharfuehrer - sergeant
SS-Hauptscharfuehrer - senior sergeant
SS-Sturmscharfuerer (Waffen-SS) - company senior sergeant

Left buttonhole with SS Obergruppenführer insignia, front and back view

SS Sturmbannführer buttonholes

Sleeve eagle ss

On Labor Day 1935, the Fuhrer watched a parade of members of the Hitler Youth. To Hitler's left stands SS Gruppenführer Philipp Bowler, head of the Fuhrer's personal office. Bowler has a dagger on his belt. Bowler and Goebbels (behind the Führer) wear a badge on their chests issued especially for the "Tag der Arbeit 1935", while Hitler, who avoided wearing jewelry on his clothes, limited himself to only one Iron Cross. The Fuhrer did not even wear a Golden Party Badge.

Samples of SS insignia

From left - top to bottom: Oberstgruppenführer buttonhole, Obergruppenführer buttonhole, Gruppenführer buttonhole (before 1942)

In the middle - from top to bottom: Gruppenführer's shoulder straps, Gruppenführer's buttonhole, Brigadeführer's buttonhole. Bottom left: Oberführer's buttonhole, Standartenführer's buttonhole.

Bottom right: Obersturmbannführer's buttonhole, collar with Hauptsturmführer's buttonhole, Hauptscharführer's buttonhole.

Below in the middle: shoulder straps of an Obersturmbannführer of the infantry, shoulder straps of an Untersturmführer of the communications units of the Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler division, shoulder straps of an Oberscharführer of anti-tank self-propelled artillery.

From top to bottom: Oberscharführer's collar, Scharführer's collar, Rottenführer's buttonhole.

Top right: officer's all-SS buttonhole, soldier's buttonhole of the "Totenkopf" ("Death's Head") division, buttonhole of the 20th Estonian SS Grenadier Division, buttonhole of the 19th Latvian SS Grenadier Division

Back of the buttonhole

In the Waffen-SS, non-commissioned officers could obtain the position of SS-Stabscharfuerer (non-commissioned officer on duty). The duties of the duty non-commissioned officer included various administrative, disciplinary and reporting functions. SS Staffsharführers had the unofficial nickname “tier Spiess” and wore a jacket, the cuffs of which were decorated with double piping made of aluminum braid (Tresse).

Untere Fuehrer (junior officers):
SS-Untersturmfuehrer - lieutenant
SS-Obcrstrumfuehrer - chief lieutenant
SS-Hauptsturmfuehrer - captain

Mittlere Fuehrer (senior officers):
SS-Sturmbannfuehrer - major
SS-Obersturmbannfuehrer - lieutenant colonel
SS“Standar£enfuehrer - Colonel
SS-Oberfuehrer - senior colonel
Hoehere Fuehrer (senior officers)
SS-Brigadefuehrer - brigadier general
SS-Gruppenl "uchrer - Major General
SS-Obergruppertfuehrer - Lieutenant General
SS-Oberstgruppenfuehrer - Colonel General
In 1940, all SS generals also received the corresponding army ranks, for example
SS-Obergruppcnfuehrer und General der Waffen-SS. In 1943, the ranks of generals were supplemented by the rank of police, since by this time the police had already been practically absorbed by the SS. The same general in 1943 was called SS-Obergruppenfuehrer und General der Waffen-SS und Polizei. In 1944, some of Himmler's deputies in charge of Allgemeine-SS issues. The Waffen-SS and police received the title Hoehere SS- und Polizei fuehrer (HSSPI).
Himmler retained his title of Reichsführer-SS. Hitler, who by his position headed the SA. NSKK, Hitler Youth and other NSDAP formations. was Commander-in-Chief of the SS and held the title of Der Oberste Fuehrer der Schutzstaffel.
Allgemeine-SS ranks usually took precedence over the corresponding Waffen-SS and police ranks, so members of the Allgemeine-SS transferred to the Waffen-SS and police without losing their ranks and if promoted, this was automatically taken into account in their Allgemeine-SS rank.

Waffen ss officer's cap

Waffen-SS (Fuehrerbewerber) officer candidates served in non-commissioned officer positions before attaining officer rank. For 18 months SS- Führeranwarter(cadet) received the ranks of SS-Junker, SS-Standartenjunker and SS-Standartenoberjunker, which corresponded to the ranks of SS-Unterscharführer, SS-Scharführer and SS-Haupgscharführer. SS officers and candidates for SS officers enlisted in the reserve received the appendage der Reserve to their rank . A similar scheme was applied to non-commissioned officer candidates. Civilian specialists (translators, doctors, etc.) who served in the ranks of the SS received the addition of Sonderfuehrer or Fach fuehrer to their rank.

SS cap patch (trapezoid)

Skull cockade ss

The system of military ranks in the German army was based on the hierarchical system of military ranks established on December 6, 1920. Officers were divided into four groups: generals, staff officers, captains and junior officers. According to tradition, the rank from lieutenant to general implied an indication of the original branch of the army, but in combat units there was no variety in officer insignia.

France, June 1940. Hauptfeldwebel in everyday uniform. The double braid on the cuff of his sleeve and the journal of orders due to his position are clearly visible. The shoulder straps are turned inside out to hide the insignia of his unit. Noteworthy is the ribbon for long service in the Wehrmacht. The peaceful, relaxed look and lack of equipment suggest that the photo was taken when the Battle of France was already over. (Friedrich Hermann)

From March 31, 1936, military musicians in officer ranks - conductors, senior and junior bandmasters - were allocated to a special group of military ranks. Although they had no powers of authority (since they did not command anyone), they not only wore the officer's uniform and insignia, but also enjoyed all the advantages of an officer position equivalent to that of officers in the armies of Great Britain and the United States. Conductors under the Supreme Command of the Ground Forces were considered staff officers, while bandmasters supervised the activities of regimental bands of infantry, light infantry, cavalry, artillery and battalion bands in the engineering troops.

The junior command staff was divided into three groups. The technical junior command staff, approved on September 23, 1937, included senior instructors of the engineering serf troops, and later non-commissioned officers of the veterinary service. The highest junior command staff (that is, senior non-commissioned officer ranks) were called "non-commissioned officers with a lanyard", and the junior or lower ranks of the junior command staff were called "non-commissioned officers without a lanyard". Rank of staff sergeant (Stabsfeldwebel), approved on September 14, 1938, was assigned by recertification to non-commissioned officers with 12 years of service. At first, this military rank was awarded only to veterans of the First World War. Haupt-sergeant major (Hauptfeldwebel) is not a rank, but a military position established on September 28, 1938. He was the senior commander of the junior command staff of the company, was listed at company headquarters, and he was usually called (at least behind his back) “pike” (der Spieb). In other words, this was a company sergeant major, usually with the rank of chief sergeant major (Oberfeldwebel). In terms of seniority, this rank was considered higher than the rank of staff sergeant. (Stabsfeldwebel), who could also be promoted to the position of company sergeant major. Other military personnel from the junior command staff, who could also be appointed to this position, were called “acting company sergeant majors.” (Hauptfeldwebeldiensttuer). However, usually such junior commanders were quickly promoted to the rank of chief sergeant major.

France, May 1940. Motorcyclists of the military police (Feldgendarmerie) from the traffic control battalion conduct a convoy of trucks. Both motorcyclists are dressed in rubberized field overcoats of the 1934 model, but they have very little equipment. The driver has a 98k carbine on his back and a 1938 model gas mask canister on his chest. His passenger in the stroller holds a traffic controller's baton. The division emblem is applied to the side of the sidecar, and under the headlight on the front wheel fender there is a motorcycle number, starting with the letters WH (short for Wehrmacht-Heer - Wehrmacht ground forces). (Brian Davis)

Military rank class "private" (Mannschaften) united all the privates themselves, as well as corporals. Corporals, the most experienced privates, made up a much more significant proportion of the rank and file than in the armies of other countries.

Most military ranks existed in several equivalent versions: in different branches of the military, similar ranks could be called differently. Thus, in medical units, ranks were assigned in order to mark the level of a specialist officer, although the rank itself did not provide any authority or the right to command on the battlefield. Other military ranks, for example captain (Rittmeister) or chief huntsman (Oberjäger) preserved according to tradition.

Officers of almost all military ranks could occupy positions corresponding not to their rank, but to the next in seniority, thereby becoming candidates for promotion or acting duties. Therefore, German officers and junior commanders often occupied higher command posts compared to their British colleagues of equivalent military ranks. The lieutenant who commanded the company - this did not surprise anyone in the German army. And if the first platoon of a rifle company was commanded by a lieutenant (as it should be), then the second and third platoons were often headed by a chief sergeant major, or even a sergeant major. Promotion to the infantry military ranks of non-commissioned officer, sergeant major and chief sergeant major depended on staffing table parts and happened among capable non-commissioned officers, naturally - people moved up the career ladder in order of consistent career growth. All other ranks of the junior command staff and lower ranks could count on promotion as a reward for service. Even if a soldier could not be promoted to at least a corporal (due to the lack of necessary abilities or qualities), there was still an opportunity to encourage his diligence or reward him for long service - for this the Germans invented the rank of senior soldier (Obersoldat). An old soldier who was not fit to be a non-commissioned officer became, in the same way and for similar reasons, a staff corporal.

Military rank insignia

Rank insignia indicating the rank of a serviceman were issued, as a rule, in two versions: weekend - for a dress uniform, a dress overcoat and a field uniform with piping, and field - for a field uniform and field overcoat.

Generals With a uniform of any kind, woven shoulder straps of the output type were worn. Two 4mm thick gold cast cords (or, from 15 July 1938, two golden yellow "celluloid" strands) were interwoven with a central cord of shiny flat aluminum braid, the same 4mm wide, on a bright red background of finishing fabric. On the field marshal's shoulder straps there were depicted two stylized crossed marshal's batons of silver color; generals of other ranks wore shoulder straps with “stars”. There could be up to three such “stars” of a square shape with a square width from 2.8 to 3.8 cm, and they were made from “German silver” (that is, an alloy of zinc, copper and nickel - the one from which dental fillings are made ) or white aluminum. The insignia of the military branches were made of silver-plated aluminum. From April 3, 1941, all three cords on the field marshal’s shoulder straps began to be made from artificial “celluloid” fiber of bright gold or golden yellow color, placing miniature silver marshal’s batons on top of the weaving.

Produced for staff officers woven shoulder straps of the output sample consisted of two shiny flat braids 5 mm wide on a lining made of finishing fabric in the color of the military branch, on top of which “stars” made of copper-plated galvanic method aluminum From November 7, 1935, gold-plated aluminum was used. There could be up to two square “stars”, and the width of the square was 1.5 cm, 2 cm or 2.4 cm. In wartime, the material for the stars was the same aluminum, but gilded using the galvanic method, or gray lacquered aluminum. The shoulder straps of the field sample differed in that the braid was not shiny, but matte (later “feldgrau” color). The insignia of the military branch, approved on September 10, 1935, from November 7, 1935, was made of copper-plated or gold-plated aluminum, and in wartime, aluminum or a gold-colored zinc alloy obtained by electroplating began to be used for the same purpose. or gray - in the latter case, the aluminum was varnished.

Captain's and lieutenant's The shoulder straps of the output sample consisted of two galloons 7–8 mm wide made of shiny flat aluminum, which were laid side by side on finishing fabric in the color of the branch of service, and on top were attached up to two “stars” made of gold-plated aluminum, and the insignia of the branch of service, relying on the headquarters -officers. The shoulder straps of the field sample were covered with matte aluminum braid, and later with feldgrau braid.

France, June 1940. A squad of the Grossdeutschland regiment in a guard uniform of the 1935 model. Those who served in this elite unit wore an armband with the name of the regiment on the cuff of the sleeve and a monogram on the shoulder straps with any type of uniform, even field. The “cords of a marksman” and the warlike ceremonial appearance of the soldiers’ formation are noteworthy. (ECPA)

Bandmasters wore officer's shoulder straps with two braids, each 4 mm wide, made of a flat strip of shiny aluminum. A bright red middle cord 3 mm thick was laid between the braids. This entire structure was placed on a bright red lining made of finishing fabric (since February 18, 1943, bright red was approved as the color of the musicians’ branch of the armed forces) and was decorated with a gilded aluminum lyre and an aluminum “star”. The senior and junior bandmasters had striped shoulder straps: five 7 mm wide stripes of flat shiny aluminum braid interspersed with four 5 mm wide stripes of bright red silk, all of this was located on a lining in the color of the branch of service (trimming fabric of white, light green, bright red, golden yellow or black) and was decorated with a gilded aluminum lyre and the same design with “stars”. The braid on the shoulder straps of the field sample was made of dull aluminum, and later from feldgrau-colored fabric.

Technical specialists in the ranks of junior command staff they wore wicker shoulder straps with symbols and “stars” made of white aluminum that stood out in their appearance; in wartime, the sprockets were made of gray aluminum or zinc alloy. Since January 9, 1937, horse shoeing instructors (as military veterinarians of the lowest ranks were called) wore shoulder straps with three intertwined golden-yellow woolen cords, framed around the perimeter by the same, but double cord, with a crimson, the color of the military branch, lining, horseshoe and with or without an asterisk. Since January 9, 1939, inspectors of the engineer-serf troops wore similar shoulder straps, but with cords made of artificial black silk inside the shoulder strap and a white cord made of artificial silk around the perimeter, and all this on a black lining - the color of the branch of service; on the shoulder strap there was an image of a lantern wheel (“gear”) and from June 9, 1939, the letter “Fp” (letters of the Gothic alphabet), there could also be one “star”. On May 7, 1942, the shoulder straps of both veterinary blacksmiths and instructors of the engineering serf troops changed their colors to red: intertwined shiny aluminum and red braided cords were placed in the field of the shoulder strap, and a double red cord ran along the perimeter. The horse shoeing instructors' lining was purple, and the new shoulder strap still had a small horseshoe; the instructors of the engineering-serf troops had a black lining and “stars”, one or two, and the letters “Fp” were placed on the shoulder strap, as on the previous shoulder strap.

Output quality insignia for senior ranks of junior command staff were “stars”, from three to one (a square with a side of 1.8 cm, 2 cm and 2.4 cm, respectively), made of bright aluminum, placed on dark green fabric with blue shoulder straps of the 1934 model, trimmed according to perimeter with a 9 mm wide braid made of shiny aluminum yarn in the “ordinary diamond” pattern, which was approved on September 1, 1935. Field quality marks were the same, but were located on unedged field shoulder straps of the 1933, 1934 or 1935 model. or on field shoulder straps with piping, model 1938 or 1940. In wartime, braid 9 mm wide was also made from silver-gray rayon, and stars were made from gray aluminum and zinc alloy, and from April 25, 1940, shoulder straps began to be trimmed with braid from matte rayon in feldgrau color or from wool with cellulose. wire. The insignia used the same metal as the stars. The company sergeant major and the acting company sergeant major (Hauptfeldwebel or Hauptfeldwebeldinstuer) wore another 1.5 cm wide braid made of shiny aluminum yarn of the “double diamond” pattern on the cuff of the sleeves of the ceremonial uniform, and on the cuffs of the sleeves of uniforms of other shapes - two braids, each 9 mm wide .

U lower ranks of junior command staff shoulder straps And the galloons were the same as those of senior non-commissioned officers; the non-commissioned sergeant's shoulder strap was trimmed with galloon perimeter, and the non-commissioned officer did not have galloon at the base of the shoulder strap. Output quality insignia on shoulder straps were embroidered with thread in the color of the branch of service, while field quality insignia, no different from output colors, were made from wool or cotton thread, and from March 19, 1937, a “chain stitch” pattern was also used, embroidered with artificial thread. silks. The black insignia of engineering troops and the dark blue insignia of medical service units were edged with white chain stitching, which made them more visible against the dark green and blue background of the shoulder straps. In wartime, these embroideries were often completely replaced by a flat, thin thread.

Norway, June 1940. Mountain riflemen wearing 1935 field uniforms and goggles. general purpose with round glasses, they cross the Norwegian fjord in boats designed for eight people. The participants in the crossing do not appear to be in any tension, and they do not have any equipment, so the photo was probably taken after the end of hostilities. (Brian Davis)

Other ranks wore the same shoulder straps as junior non-commissioned officers, with insignia in the colors of the branch of service, but without braid. Military rank insignia of the 1936 model included triangular chevrons, pointing downwards, made of non-commissioned officer braid 9 mm wide, combined with “stars” embroidered with silver-gray or aluminum thread (if the uniform was sewn to order, the “star” could represent a bright aluminum button, like an ingot, made using hand sewing technique). Rank insignia was sewn onto a triangle (for a senior soldier - a circle) from finishing dark green and blue fabric. In May 1940, the fabric of the triangle (circle) was changed to feldgrau-colored fabric, and for tankers - to black fabric. These rank insignia, adopted on September 25, 1936 (the order came into effect on October 1, 1936), continued the tradition of the system of Reichswehr insignia that was adopted on December 22, 1920.

Since November 26, 1938 on white and straw green pique work uniform it was necessary to wear rank insignia made of feldgrau-colored braid, 1 cm wide, with a “single diamond” pattern and two thin black edgings inside a stripe of braid. The staff sergeant-major wore a braided ring under two braided chevrons, pointing upward, on both sleeves, below the elbow. The Hauptfeldwebel (company sergeant major) wore two rings, the chief sergeant major wore a ring and a chevron, the sergeant major had only a ring. Unterfeld-febel and non-commissioned officer were limited to only galloon along the edge of the collar. All junior command insignia were replaced on August 22, 1942 by a new system of sleeve insignia. The rank and file wore chevrons of the same braid and the same feldgrau fabric, with galloon “stars” sewn onto a white or straw-green background.

Insignia of military branches and military units

The branch of service to which the military unit of the serviceman belonged was designated by the color of the branch of service (instrument color), in which the edging on the collar, shoulder straps, headdress, uniform and trousers was painted. The system of colors for the military branches (which continued and developed the traditions of the regimental color system of the imperial army) was approved on December 22, 1920 and remained, changing relatively little, until May 9, 1945.

In addition, the branch of the army was designated by a symbol or letter - a letter of the Gothic alphabet. This symbol denoted some special units within a certain branch of the military. The symbol of the branch of service was placed above the insignia of the military unit - usually the unit number, which was written in Arabic or Roman numerals, but military schools were designated in Gothic letters. This designation system was distinguished by its diversity, and this work presents only a limited selection of insignia of the most important combat units.

Insignia, accurately informing about the unit, were supposed to strengthen the fortitude of soldiers and officers and contribute to the unity of the military unit, but in combat conditions they violated secrecy, and therefore, from September 1, 1939, units of the field troops were ordered to remove or hide too detailed and therefore too eloquent insignia. In many troops, the unit numbers indicated on the shoulder straps were hidden by putting removable feldgrau-colored muffs (black in tank troops) on the shoulder straps, or, for the same purpose, the shoulder straps were turned over. The insignia of the military branch did not have such a revealing value as the insignia of the units, and therefore they were usually not hidden. In the Reserve Army and in field units left in Germany or temporarily in their homeland, unit insignia continued to be worn as it was in peacetime. In fact, even in a combat situation, they often continued to wear these insignia, disregarding the orders of their superiors. On January 24, 1940, for junior command personnel and lower ranks, removable muffs for shoulder straps, 3 cm wide, made of feldgrau-colored fabric were introduced, on which insignia were embroidered with a thread in the color of the branch of the military in chain stitch, indicating the branch of the military and the unit, but senior non-commissioned officers officers often continued to wear their previous white aluminum insignia.

France, May 1940. An infantry colonel in a field uniform of the 1935 model. The “saddle shape” of his officer’s cap is noticeable. The distinctive officers' buttonholes, unlike those of lower ranks, retained the branch-colored piping throughout World War II. This officer was awarded the Knight's Cross, and the number of his regiment on the shoulder strap is deliberately hidden by a removable muff in feldgrau color. (Brian Davis)

The pre-war system, which required numbers to be placed on the shoulder strap buttons of lower ranks in regiments (blank buttons for regimental headquarters, I -111 for battalion headquarters, 1-14 for companies included in the regiment), was abolished in wartime, and all buttons became empty.

Individual specialized or elite formations or individual units included in larger military formations, distinguished by the fact that they claimed continuity with units of the imperial army and sought to preserve the traditions of the old regiments, had special insignia. Usually these were badges on headdresses, attached between an eagle with a swastika and a cockade. Another manifestation of the same special fidelity to tradition, which has become increasingly stronger over time, is the armbands with honorary names borrowed from CA stormtroopers.

Table 4 provides a list of the most important military units, which existed from September 1, 1939 to June 25, 1940, and data on the colors of the military branches, insignia of the military branches, units and special insignia. The existence of the units listed is not necessarily limited to the specified time frame, and not all of these units participated in the battles.

From May 2, 1939, all ranks of mountain rifle divisions were required to wear insignia with the image of the Alpine edelweiss flower - this emblem was borrowed from the mountain units of the German and Austro-Hungarian armies during the First World War. White aluminum edelweiss with gilded stamens was worn on the cap above the cockade. A white aluminum edelweiss with a gilded stem, two leaves and gilded stamens (in wartime, gray aluminum was used, and the stamens were made yellow) was worn on the mountain cap on the left. Austrians who served in the Wehrmacht often added a dark green and blue lining from the finishing fabric. A loom-woven white edelweiss with yellow stamens and light green leaves on a light green stem inside a loop of mouse gray rope on an oval of dark green finishing fabric (after May 1940 in feldgrau color) was worn on the right sleeve uniforms and greatcoats above the elbow.

The six infantry battalions retained the light green color of the Jaeger branch, as a sign of fidelity to the traditions of light infantry, although the battalions themselves remained ordinary infantry battalions - at least until June 28, 1942, when special Jaeger units were created.

Some regiments also wore special badges. There are two known icons of this kind. In such a regiment they were worn by military personnel of all ranks on a combat headdress between an eagle and a cockade and, unofficially, on a field headdress. From 25 February 1938, the 17th Infantry Regiment, in memory of the Imperial 92nd Infantry Regiment, wore an emblem with the Brunswick skull and crossbones. From June 21, 1937, the 3rd Motorcycle Reconnaissance Battalion received the right to wear the emblem with the Dragoon Eagle (Schwedter Adler), in memory of the Imperial 2nd Dragoon Regiment, and from August 26, 1939, the 179- th cavalry, and the 33rd, 34th and 36th divisional reconnaissance battalions.

The captain in full dress uniform with his bride on his wedding day in July 1940. He was awarded the Iron Cross 1st and 2nd class, long service medal, Flower Wars medal and Attack Badge. (Brian Davis)

Infantry Regiment "Grossdeutschland" (Grobdeutschland) was created on June 12, 1939 by transforming the Berlin Security Regiment (Wachregiment Berlin). In complete disregard of safety considerations in field conditions the insignia of this selected regiment was on full display throughout the war. The shoulder straps were decorated with the monogram “GD” (approved on June 20, 1939), and the inscription embroidered with aluminum thread was worn on the dark green and blue bandage on the cuff "Grobdeutschland" between two lines along the edges of the bandage, embroidered with the same thread. Instead of this inscription, another one was introduced for a short time - Inf. Rgt Grobdeutschland, with Gothic letters embroidered with silver-gray thread - it was worn on the cuff of the right sleeve of a uniform or overcoat of any kind. One battalion of the Grossdeutschland regiment was assigned to Hitler's field headquarters - this "Fuhrer escort battalion" (Fuhrerbegleitbataillon) stood out with a black wool armband with the inscription "Fuhrer-Hauptquartier"(Fuhrer's headquarters). The inscription in Gothic letters was embroidered with golden-yellow (sometimes silver-gray) thread, either manually or by machine; two lines were also embroidered along the edges of the headband with the same thread.

From June 21, 1939, the Tank Training Battalion and the Signal Training Battalion received the right to wear a maroon-red bandage with a machine-embroidered gold inscription on the cuff of the left sleeve "1936Spanien1939" in memory of the service of these units in Spain - during the Spanish Civil War, both battalions were part of the Imker group (Gruppe Imker). From August 16, 1938, military personnel of the newly formed propaganda companies were given the right to wear a black bandage with an inscription in Gothic letters on the cuff of the right sleeve with an inscription in Gothic letters embroidered by hand or machine with aluminum thread "Propagandakompanie".

Germany, July 1940. Non-commissioned officer of the 17th Infantry Regiment in his dress uniform with a commemorative Brunswick skull and crossbones badge on his cap, a privilege of his regiment. The "sharpshooter's cord", the Iron Cross 2nd class ribbon in the lapel buttonhole and the typical pre-war style of the epaulet numerals are visible. (Brian Davis)

Upon mobilization on August 26, 1939, the eight thousand-strong German gendarmerie was transformed into the Field Gendarmerie. Motorized battalions, each with three companies, were assigned to the field armies so that the infantry division had a command (Trupp) of 33 people, for a tank or motorized division - of 47 people, and for part of a military district - a team of 32 people. At first, field gendarmerie soldiers wore the civilian gendarmerie uniform of the 1936 model, adding only army shoulder straps and a dull green armband with a machine-embroidered orange-yellow inscription "Feldgendarmerie". At the beginning of 1940, the gendarmes received army uniforms with the addition of an imperial badge for the police - worn on the left sleeve above the elbow, a woven or machine-embroidered orange eagle with a black swastika in an orange wreath (the officer's badge was embroidered with aluminum thread) against a "feldgrau" background. A brown bandage with the inscription machine-embroidered with aluminum thread was put on the cuff of the left sleeve "Feldgendarmerie"; the edges of the bandage were trimmed with aluminum thread, later - machine embroidery on a silver-gray background. When performing their duties, military police wore a matte aluminum badge with an eagle and the inscription "Feldgendarmerie" aluminum letters on a stylized dark gray ribbon. Those military gendarmes who controlled traffic, wore a Felgendarmerie uniform without the three above-mentioned insignia, making do with a salmon-colored armband on the left sleeve above the elbow and with an inscription woven in black cotton thread "Verkehrs-Aufsicht"(traffic supervision). The Army Patrol Service, equivalent to the British Regimental Police, wore the obsolete dull aluminum 1920 pattern "sharpshooter's cords" (small aiguillettes) on their field uniforms and field greatcoats.

Conductors wore buttonholes and patches with a staff bright gold or matte gold pattern "Kolben" and from April 12, 1938, all musicians in officer ranks were required to wear special aiguillettes made of shiny aluminum and bright red silk with their official uniforms. The musicians of the regimental bands wore on their weekend and field uniforms shoulder pads of the “swallow’s nest” type made of bright aluminum non-commissioned officer braid and bright red finishing fabric. This decoration was introduced on September 10, 1935, with drum majors adding aluminum fringe to the bottom of the shoulder pad. Badges of other specialists are expected to be considered in Volume 2 of this work.

Luxembourg, September 18, 1940. A cavalry sergeant in dress uniform without the usual belt, but with a steel helmet in his hand, which he took off in favor of a 1938 model cap, is trying to make friends with a local girl. Usually such scenes look fake, but this one does not come across as insincerely theatrical. The sergeant was awarded the Iron Cross, 1st class, and, it seems, just recently received the Iron Cross, 2nd class. It is noticeable that his high cavalry boots are carefully polished. (Joseph Charita)

One of the most cruel and merciless organizations of the 20th century is the SS. Ranks, distinctive insignia, functions - all this was different from those in other types and branches of troops in Nazi Germany. Reich Minister Himmler completely brought together all the scattered security detachments (SS) into a single army - the Waffen SS. In the article we will take a closer look at the military ranks and insignia of the SS troops. And first, a little about the history of the creation of this organization.

Prerequisites for the formation of the SS

In March 1923, Hitler was concerned that the leaders of the assault troops (SA) were beginning to feel their power and importance in the NSDAP party. This was due to the fact that both the party and the SA had the same sponsors, for whom the goal of the National Socialists was important - to carry out a coup, and they did not have much sympathy for the leaders themselves. Sometimes it even came to an open confrontation between the leader of the SA, Ernst Röhm, and Adolf Hitler. It was at this time, apparently, that the future Fuhrer decided to strengthen his personal power by creating a detachment of bodyguards - the headquarters guard. He was the first prototype of the future SS. They had no ranks, but insignia had already appeared. The abbreviation for the staff guard was also SS, but it came from German word Stawsbache. In every hundred of the SA, Hitler allocated 10-20 people, supposedly to protect high-ranking party leaders. They personally had to take an oath to Hitler, and their selection was carried out carefully.

A few months later, Hitler renamed the organization Stosstruppe - this was the name of the shock units of the Kaiser's army during the First World War. The abbreviation SS nevertheless remained the same, despite the fundamentally new name. It is worth noting that the entire Nazi ideology was associated with an aura of mystery, historical continuity, allegorical symbols, pictograms, runes, etc. Even the symbol of the NSDAP - the swastika - Hitler took from ancient Indian mythology.

Stosstrup Adolf Hitler - strike force"Adolf Hitler" - acquired the final features of the future SS. They did not yet have their own ranks, but insignia appeared that Himmler would later retain - a skull on their headdress, a black distinctive color of the uniform, etc. The “Death's Head” on the uniform symbolized the readiness of the detachment to defend Hitler himself at the cost of their lives. The basis for future usurpation of power was prepared.

Appearance of Strumstaffel - SS

After the Beer Hall Putsch, Hitler went to prison, where he remained until December 1924. The circumstances that allowed the future Fuhrer to be released after an attempted armed seizure of power are still unclear.

Upon his release, Hitler first of all banned the SA from carrying weapons and positioning itself as an alternative to the German army. The fact is that the Weimar Republic could only have a limited contingent of troops under the terms of the Versailles Peace Treaty after the First World War. It seemed to many that armed SA units were a legitimate way to avoid restrictions.

At the beginning of 1925, the NSDAP was restored again, and in November the “shock detachment” was restored. At first it was called Strumstaffen, and on November 9, 1925 it received its final name - Schutzstaffel - “cover squadron”. The organization had nothing to do with aviation. This name was invented by Hermann Goering, a famous fighter pilot of the First World War. He loved to apply aviation terms to everyday life. Over time, the “aviation term” was forgotten, and the abbreviation was always translated as “security detachments.” It was headed by Hitler's favorites - Schreck and Schaub.

Selection for the SS

The SS gradually became elite unit with good salaries foreign currency, which was considered a luxury for the Weimar Republic with its hyperinflation and unemployment. All Germans of working age were eager to join the SS detachments. Hitler himself carefully selected his personal guard. The following requirements were imposed on candidates:

1. Age from 25 to 35 years.
2. Having two recommendations from current members of the CC.
3. Permanent residence in one place for five years.
4. The presence of such positive qualities as sobriety, strength, health, discipline.

New development under Heinrich Himmler

The SS, despite the fact that it was personally subordinate to Hitler and the Reichsführer SS - from November 1926, this position was held by Josef Berthold, was still part of the SA structures. The attitude towards the “elite” in the assault detachments was contradictory: the commanders did not want to have SS members in their units, so they shouldered various responsibilities, for example, distributing leaflets, subscribing to Nazi propaganda, etc.

In 1929, Heinrich Himmler became the leader of the SS. Under him, the size of the organization began to grow rapidly. The SS turns into an elite closed organization with its own charter, a mystical ritual of entry, imitating the traditions of medieval knightly Orders. A real SS man had to marry a “model woman.” Heinrich Himmler introduced a new mandatory requirement for joining the renewed organization: the candidate had to prove evidence of purity of descent in three generations. However, that was not all: the new Reichsführer of the SS ordered all members of the organization to look for brides only with a “pure” genealogy. Himmler managed to nullify the subordination of his organization to the SA, and then completely leave it after he helped Hitler get rid of the leader of the SA, Ernst Röhm, who sought to turn his organization into a mass people's army.

The bodyguard detachment was transformed first into the Fuhrer's personal guard regiment, and then into the personal SS army. Ranks, insignia, uniforms - everything indicated that the unit was independent. Next, we’ll talk in more detail about insignia. Let's start with the rank of the SS in the Third Reich.

Reichsführer SS

At its head was the Reichsführer SS - Heinrich Himmler. Many historians claim that he intended to usurp power in the future. In the hands of this man was control not only over the SS, but also over the Gestapo - the secret police, the political police and the security service (SD). Despite the fact that many of the above organizations were subordinate to one person, they were completely different structures, which sometimes even were at odds with each other. Himmler well understood the importance of a branched structure of different services concentrated in the same hands, so he was not afraid of Germany’s defeat in the war, believing that such a person would be useful to the Western allies. However, his plans were not destined to come true, and he died in May 1945, biting into an ampoule of poison in his mouth.

Let's look at the highest ranks of the SS among the Germans and their correspondence with the German army.

Hierarchy of the SS High Command

The insignia of the SS high command consisted of Nordic ritual symbols and oak leaves on both sides of the lapels. The exceptions - SS Standartenführer and SS Oberführer - wore oak leaf, but belonged to senior officers. The more of them there were on the buttonholes, the higher the rank of their owner.

The highest ranks of the SS among the Germans and their correspondence with the ground army:

SS officers

Let's consider the features of the officer corps. The SS Hauptsturmführer and lower ranks no longer had oak leaves on their buttonholes. Also on their right buttonhole was the SS coat of arms - a Nordic symbol of two lightning bolts.

Hierarchy of SS officers:

SS rank	Lapels	Compliance in the military
SS Oberführer	Double oak leaf	No match
Standartenführer SS	Single sheet	Colonel
SS Obersturmbannführer	4 stars and two rows of aluminum thread	Lieutenant colonel
SS Sturmbannführer	4 stars
SS Hauptsturmführer	3 stars and 4 rows of thread	Hauptmann
SS Obersturmführer	3 stars and 2 rows	Chief Lieutenant
SS Untersturmführer	3 stars	Lieutenant

I would like to immediately note that the German stars did not resemble the five-pointed Soviet ones - they were four-pointed, rather reminiscent of squares or rhombuses. Next in the hierarchy are the SS non-commissioned officer ranks in the Third Reich. More details about them in the next paragraph.

Non-commissioned officers

Hierarchy of non-commissioned officers:

SS rank	Lapels	Compliance in the military
SS Sturmscharführer	2 stars, 4 rows of thread	Staff sergeant major
Standartenoberunker SS	2 stars, 2 rows of thread, silver edging	Chief Sergeant Major
SS Hauptscharführer	2 stars, 2 rows of thread	Oberfenrich
SS Oberscharführer	2 stars	Sergeant Major
Standartenjunker SS	1 star and 2 rows of thread (differing in shoulder straps)	Fanenjunker-sergeant-major
Scharführer SS		Non-commissioned sergeant major
SS Unterscharführer	2 threads at the bottom	Non-commissioned officer

Buttonholes are the main, but not the only insignia of ranks. Also, the hierarchy could be determined by shoulder straps and stripes. SS military ranks were sometimes subject to change. However, above we presented the hierarchy and the main differences at the end of World War II.

The SS is one of the most sinister and frightening organizations of the 20th century. To this day, it is a symbol of all the atrocities of the Nazi regime in Germany. At the same time, the phenomenon of the SS and the myths that circulate about its members is most interesting subject for studying. Many historians still find documents of these very “elite” Nazis in the archives of Germany.

Now we will try to understand their nature. and SS ranks will be our main topic today.

History of creation

The abbreviation SS was first used to designate Hitler's personal paramilitary security unit in 1925.

The leader of the Nazi Party surrounded himself with security even before the Beer Hall Putsch. However, it acquired its sinister and special meaning only after it was re-written for Hitler, who was released from prison. At that time, SS ranks were still extremely stingy - there were groups of ten people, headed by the SS Fuhrer.

The main purpose of this organization was to protect members of the National Socialist Party. The SS appeared much later, when the Waffen-SS was formed. These were precisely those parts of the organization that we remembered most vividly, since they fought at the front, among ordinary Wehrmacht soldiers, although they stood out among them in many ways. Before this, the SS was, although paramilitary, a “civilian” organization.

Formation and activity

As mentioned above, initially the SS was just the personal guard of the Fuhrer and some other high-ranking party members. However, gradually this organization began to expand, and the first signal foreshadowing its future power was the introduction of a special SS rank. We are talking about the position of Reichsfuhrer, then simply the chief of all SS Fuhrers.

Second important point The rise of the organization was permission to patrol the streets on a par with the police. This made the SS members no longer just guards. The organization has turned into a full-fledged law enforcement service.

However, at that time, the military ranks of the SS and the Wehrmacht were still considered equivalent. The main event in the formation of the organization can be called, of course, the accession to the post of Reichsführer Heinrich Himmler. It was he who, while simultaneously serving as head of the SA, issued a decree that did not allow any of the military to give orders to members of the SS.

At that time, this decision, understandably, was met with hostility. Moreover, along with this, a decree was immediately issued that demanded that all the best soldiers be placed at the disposal of the SS. In fact, Hitler and his closest associates pulled off a brilliant scam.

Indeed, among the military class, the number of adherents of the National Socialist labor movement was minimal, and therefore the heads of the party seizing power understood the threat posed by the army. They needed firm confidence that there were people who would take up arms on the orders of the Fuhrer and would be ready to die while carrying out the tasks assigned to him. Therefore, Himmler actually created a personal army for the Nazis.

The main purpose of the new army

These people performed the dirtiest and lowest, from a moral point of view, work. Concentration camps were under their responsibility, and during the war, members of this organization became the main participants in punitive purges. SS ranks appear in every crime committed by the Nazis.

The final victory of the authority of the SS over the Wehrmacht was the appearance of SS troops - later the military elite of the Third Reich. No general had the right to subjugate a member of even the lowest rung in the organizational ladder of the “security detachment,” although the ranks in the Wehrmacht and SS were similar.

Selection

To get into the SS party organization, one had to meet many requirements and parameters. First of all, SS ranks were given to men with absolute age at the time of joining the organization should have been 20-25 years. They were required to have the “correct” structure of the skull and absolutely healthy white teeth. Most often, joining the SS ended the “service” in the Hitler Youth.

Appearance was one of the most important selection parameters, since people who were members of the Nazi organization were destined to become the elite of the future German society, “equals among unequals.” It's clear that the most important criterion there was endless devotion to the Fuhrer and the ideals of National Socialism.

However, such an ideology did not last long, or rather, it almost completely collapsed with the advent of the Waffen-SS. During the Second World War, Hitler and Himmler began to recruit everyone who showed desire and proved loyalty into the personal army. Of course, they tried to preserve the prestige of the organization by assigning only SS ranks to newly recruited foreigners and not accepting them into the main cell. After serving in the army, such individuals were supposed to receive German citizenship.

In general, the “elite Aryans” very quickly “ended up” during the war, being killed on the battlefield and taken prisoner. Only the first four divisions were completely “staffed” by pure race, among which, by the way, was the legendary “Death’s Head”. However, already the 5th (“Viking”) made it possible for foreigners to receive SS titles.

Divisions

The most famous and ominous is, of course, the 3rd Tank Division “Totenkopf”. Many times she completely disappeared, being destroyed. However, it was revived again and again. However, the division gained fame not because of this, and not because of any successful military operations. “Dead Head” is, first of all, an incredible amount of blood on the hands of military personnel. It is on this division that lies greatest number crimes against both civilians and prisoners of war. Rank and title in the SS did not play any role during the tribunal, since almost every member of this unit managed to “distinguish themselves.”

The second most legendary was the Viking division, recruited, according to the Nazi formulation, “from peoples close in blood and spirit.” Volunteers from Scandinavian countries entered there, although their number was not overwhelming. Basically, only Germans still held SS ranks. However, a precedent was created, because Viking became the first division to recruit foreigners. For a long time they fought in the south of the USSR, the main place of their “exploits” was Ukraine.

"Galicia" and "Rhone"

The Galicia division also occupies a special place in the history of the SS. This unit was created from volunteers with Western Ukraine. The motives of people from Galicia who received German SS ranks were simple - the Bolsheviks came to their land just a few years ago and managed to repress a considerable number of people. They joined this division not out of ideological similarity with the Nazis, but for the sake of the war against the communists, whom many Western Ukrainians perceived in the same way as citizens of the USSR perceived the German invaders, i.e. as punitive and murderers. Many went there out of a thirst for revenge. In short, the Germans were looked upon as liberators from the Bolshevik yoke.

This view was typical not only of residents of Western Ukraine. The 29th Division "RONA" gave SS ranks and shoulder straps to Russians who had previously tried to gain independence from the communists. They got there for the same reasons as the Ukrainians - a thirst for revenge and independence. For many people, joining the ranks of the SS seemed like a real salvation after the broken 30s Stalin years life.

At the end of the war, Hitler and his allies went to extremes just to keep people associated with the SS on the battlefield. They began to recruit literally boys into the army. A striking example of this is the Hitler Youth division.

In addition, on paper there are many units that were never created, for example, the one that was supposed to become Muslim (!). Even blacks sometimes ended up in the ranks of the SS. Old photographs testify to this.

Of course, when it came to this, all elitism disappeared, and the SS became simply an organization under the leadership of the Nazi elite. The recruitment of “imperfect” soldiers only shows how desperate Hitler and Himmler were at the end of the war.

Reichsfuehrer

The most famous head of the SS was, of course, Heinrich Himmler. It was he who made the Fuhrer's guard " private army"and lasted the longest as its leader. This figure is now largely mythical: it is impossible to clearly say where fiction ends and where the facts from the biography of a Nazi criminal begin.

Thanks to Himmler, the authority of the SS was finally strengthened. The organization became a permanent part of the Third Reich. The SS rank he held effectively made him commander-in-chief of Hitler's entire personal army. It must be said that Heinrich approached his position very responsibly - he personally inspected concentration camps, conducted inspections in divisions, and participated in the development of military plans.

Himmler was a truly ideological Nazi and considered serving in the SS his true calling. The main goal of his life was the extermination of the Jewish people. Perhaps the descendants of Holocaust victims should curse him more than Hitler.

Due to the impending fiasco and Hitler's increasing paranoia, Himmler was accused of treason. The Fuhrer was sure that his ally had entered into an agreement with the enemy in order to save his life. Himmler lost all high posts and titles, and his place was to be taken by the famous party leader Karl Hanke. However, he did not have time to do anything for the SS, since he simply could not take office as Reichsfuehrer.

Structure

The SS Army, like any other paramilitary force, was strictly disciplined and well organized.

The smallest unit in this structure was the Shar-SS department, consisting of eight people. Three similar army units formed the troupe-SS - according to our concepts, this is a platoon.

The Nazis also had their own equivalent of a Sturm-SS company, consisting of about one and a half hundred people. They were commanded by an Untersturmführer, whose rank was the first and most junior among the officers. From three such units, the Sturmbann-SS was formed, headed by a Sturmbannführer (the rank of major in the SS).

And finally, the Standar-SS is the highest administrative-territorial organizational unit, analogous to a regiment.

Apparently, the Germans did not reinvent the wheel and spend too much time looking for original structural solutions for their new army. They just selected analogues of conventional military units, giving them a special, excuse me, “Nazi flavor”. The same situation happened with ranks.

Ranks

The military ranks of the SS Troops were almost completely similar to the ranks of the Wehrmacht.

The youngest of all was a private, who was called a Schütze. Above him stood the equivalent of a corporal - a Sturmmann. So the ranks rose to officer untersturmführer (lieutenant), continuing to remain modified simple army ranks. They walked in this order: Rottenführer, Scharführer, Oberscharführer, Hauptscharführer and Sturmscharführer.

After this, the officers began their work. The highest ranks were general (Obergruppenführer) of the military branch and colonel general, called Oberstgruppenführer.

All of them were subordinate to the commander-in-chief and head of the SS - the Reichsführer. There is nothing complicated in the structure of SS ranks, except perhaps the pronunciation. However, this system is built logically and in an army-like manner, especially if you add up the ranks and structure of the SS in your head - then everything generally becomes quite simple to understand and remember.

Marks of Excellence

It is interesting to study ranks and titles in the SS using the example of shoulder straps and insignia. They were characterized by a very stylish German aesthetic and truly reflected everything that the Germans thought about their achievements and purpose. The main theme was death and ancient Aryan symbols. And if the ranks in the Wehrmacht and the SS were practically the same, the same cannot be said about shoulder straps and stripes. So what's the difference?

The shoulder straps of the rank and file were nothing special - an ordinary black stripe. The only difference is the stripes. did not go far, but their black shoulder strap was edged with a stripe, the color of which depended on the rank. Starting with the Oberscharführer, stars appeared on the shoulder straps - they were huge in diameter and quadrangular in shape.

But you can really get it if you look at the insignia of a Sturmbannführer - they resembled in shape and were woven into a fancy ligature, on top of which stars were placed. In addition, on the stripes, in addition to stripes, green oak leaves appear.

They were made in the same aesthetics, only they had a gold color.

However, of particular interest to collectors and those wishing to understand the culture of the Germans of that time are a variety of stripes, including signs of the division in which the SS member served. It was a “death’s head” with crossed bones, and Norwegian hand. These patches were not mandatory, but were included in the SS army uniform. Many members of the organization wore them with pride, confident that they were doing the right thing and that fate was on their side.

Form

Initially, when the SS first appeared, the “security squad” could be distinguished from an ordinary party member by their ties: they were black, not brown. However, due to the “elitism”, the requirements for appearance and standing out from the crowd increased more and more.

With the arrival of Himmler, black became the main color of the organization - the Nazis wore caps, shirts, and uniforms of this color. To these were added stripes with runic symbols and a “death’s head”.

However, since Germany entered the war, black was found to be extremely conspicuous on the battlefield, so military gray uniforms were introduced. It did not differ in anything except color, and was of the same strict style. Gradually, gray tones completely replaced black. The black uniform was considered purely ceremonial.

Conclusion

SS military ranks do not carry any sacred meaning. They are just a copy of the military ranks of the Wehrmacht, one might even say a mockery of them. Like, “look, we are the same, but you cannot command us.”

However, the difference between the SS and the regular army was not at all in the buttonholes, shoulder straps and names of ranks. The main thing that the members of the organization had was endless devotion to the Fuhrer, which charged them with hatred and bloodthirstiness. Judging by the diaries of German soldiers, they themselves did not like “Hitler’s dogs” for their arrogance and contempt for all the people around them.

The same attitude was towards officers - the only thing for which SS members were tolerated in the army was the incredible fear of them. As a result, the rank of major (in the SS this is Sturmbannführer) began to mean much more to Germany than the highest rank in a simple army. The leadership of the Nazi Party almost always took the side of “their own” during some internal army conflicts, because they knew that they could only rely on them.

Ultimately, not all SS criminals were brought to justice - many of them fled to South American countries, changing their names and hiding from those to whom they were guilty - that is, from the entire civilized world.

Material from Wikipedia - the free encyclopedia

The table contains the ranks and insignia of the SS troops, as well as their comparison with other armed SS units and with the military ranks of the Wehrmacht during the Second World War. When comparing, it is necessary to take into account affiliation:

and historical origin and inheritance of ranks in Germany from the beginning of November 1939 until the end of the Third Reich in 1945.

In March 1938, members of the Leibstandarte, Deutschland and Deutschland regiments were allowed to replace their SS shoulder straps with combined arms ones; as a result, the left buttonhole became redundant, since the rank began to be indicated by shoulder straps. On May 10, 1940, it was finally established for the SS troops that soldiers of the Leibstandarte and “reserve divisions” wear a badge of SS runes on the right buttonhole, and exclusively rank insignia on the left; the exception was the Death's Head Division, which was allowed to continue to wear the skull emblem on both sides. The pre-war buttonholes, which depicted SS runic insignia and skulls with numbers, letters and symbols, were banned "for reasons of secrecy" by an SS order of May 10, 1940 and replaced with the standard badges known today.

The title of Reichsführer SS in the Third Reich was held by two people - Heinrich Himmler and Karl Hanke (until 1934, “Reichsführer SS” meant a position, not a rank).

Special rules and exceptions existed for officer candidates, non-commissioned officers and SS cadets.

So, for example, in the SS rank Hauptscharführer awarded usually to the acting sergeant major in an SS company, the commander of the third (sometimes second) platoon in a company, or was a rank used for non-commissioned officer rank personnel serving on SS headquarters or security services (such as the Gestapo and SD). The rank of Hauptscharführer was also often used for concentration camp personnel and Einsatzgruppen personnel. SS Hauptscharführer was older than SS Oberscharführer and younger than SS Sturmscharführer, with the exception of the General SS, where Hauptscharführer was a junior rank, coming immediately after SS Untersturmführer.

Rank Sturmscharführer was established in June 1934, after the Night of the Long Knives. During the reorganization of the SS, the rank of Sturmscharführer was created as the highest rank of non-commissioned officers in the "Troops at the disposal of the SS" instead of the rank of Haupttruppführer, used in the SA. In 1941, on the basis of “Troops at the disposal of the SS”, an organization of SS troops arose, which inherited the title of Sturmscharführer from its predecessor.

Rank Untersturmführer in the SS, corresponding to the rank of lieutenant in the Wehrmacht, arose in 1934 from the position of head of an SS unit - troupe (German. SS-Truppe). The troupe covered an urban area, a rural district, was about the size of an army platoon - from 18 to 45 people, consisted of three sections - balls (German. SS-Schar), headed by Troupführer (German. SS-Truppführer) or Untersturmführer (German) SS-Untersturmführer), depending on the number. In the SS troops, the Untersturmführer, as a rule, held the position of platoon commander.

Insignia			Rank of the SS troops	Corresponding ranks in the Wehrmacht ground forces (German. Heer)
Buttonhole	Shoulder strap	Musk. costume
Generals and marshals
			Reichsführer-SS and Field Marshal of the SS (German) SS-Reichsführer und Generalfeldmarschall der Waffen-SS )	Field Marshal General
			SS Oberstgruppenführer and Colonel General of the SS troops (German. SS-Oberst-Gruppenführer und Generaloberst der Waffen-SS )	Oberst General
			SS-Obergruppenführer and general of the SS branch of the armed forces (German). SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS )	General of the military branch
			SS Gruppenführer and Lieutenant General of the SS troops (German. SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS )	Lieutenant General
			SS Brigadeführer and Major General of the SS troops (German. SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Waffen-SS )	Major General
Officers
			Oberfuhrer (by rank of SS troops) (German. SS-Oberführer)	No match
			Standartenführer (military and police officers) (German) Standartenführer)	Colonel (German) Oberst)
			Obersturmbannführer (German) SS-Obersturmbannfuhrer)	Lieutenant Colonel (Oberst-Lieutenant) (German) Oberstleutnant)
			Sturmbannführer (German) SS-Sturmbannfuehrer)	Major
			Hauptsturmführer (German) SS-Hauptsturmfuhrer)	Hauptmann/captain
			Obersturmführer (German) SS-Obersturmfuhrer)	Chief Lieutenant
			Untersturmführer (German) SS-Untersturmfuehrer)	Lieutenant
Non-commissioned officers
			Sturmscharführer (German) SS-Sturmscharführer). In the Waffen-SS, unlike the SA, an even higher rank was introduced - SS Sturmscharführer.	Staff sergeant major
			Hauptscharführer (German) SS-Hauptscharführer). Rank Hauptscharführer became a rank in the SS following the reorganization of the SS following the Night of the Long Knives. This rank was first awarded in June 1934, when it replaced the old rank of Obertrupführer, which was used in the SA. In the General SS, Hauptscharführer was a junior rank, immediately after SS-Untersturmführer. In the SS troops, Hauptscharführer was the second most senior rank of non-commissioned officer after Sturmscharführer. There was also a position Staffscharführer, corresponding in its range of responsibilities to the position of company or battalion sergeant major in the Soviet army. In the SS, the rank of Hauptscharführer was usually awarded to the acting sergeant major in an SS company, the commander of the third (sometimes second) platoon in the company, or was a rank used for non-commissioned officer rank personnel serving on SS headquarters or security services (such as the Gestapo and SD ). The title Hauptscharführer was also often used for concentration camp personnel and Einsatzgruppen personnel.	Chief Sergeant Major
			Standartenoberunker SS (German) SS-Standartenoberjunker)	Oberfenrich
			Oberscharführer (German) SS-Oberscharführer). After the Night of Long Knives, the rank of SS Oberscharführer “rose” and became equal to the rank of SA Troupführer. The SS rank buttonhole was changed to have two silver squares, as opposed to the SA's single square with a silver stripe. The rank of SS Troupführer was replaced by SS Oberscharführer. In the SS troops, Oberscharführers served as commanders of third (and sometimes second) platoons of infantry, sapper and other companies, and company foremen. In tank units, Oberscharführers were often tank commanders.	Sergeant Major
			Standartenjunker SS (German) SS-Standartenjunker)	Fanenyunker-Sergeant-Major
			Scharführer (German) SS-Scharführer). In 1934, during the reorganization of the SS rank structure following the Night of the Long Knives, the old rank of SS Scharführer became known as SS Unterscharführer, and SS Scharführer began to correspond to the rank of SA Oberscharführer. In the SS troops, the Scharführer, as a rule, held the position of squad commander (crew, tank) or deputy platoon commander (headquarters squad commander).	Non-commissioned sergeant major
			Oberünker SS (German) SS-Oberjunker)	Fenrich
			Unterscharführer CC (German) SS-Unterscharführer) In the SS troops, the rank of Unterscharführer was one of the ranks of junior command personnel at the company and platoon level. The rank was also equal to the first candidate rank of SS officer - SS Junker. The requirements for combat non-commissioned officers were higher than for general SS non-commissioned officers	Non-commissioned officer
			Junker SS (German) SS-Junker) Initially, the cadets were equated in legal status to SA Scharführers, then to SS Unterscharführers.	Fanenjunker - non-commissioned officer
Privates
No match				Staff corporal
			Rottenfuhrer (German) SS-Rottenführer). The Hitler Youth also had the title of Rottenführer. In the Luftwaffe, there was the position of Rottenführer - the commander of a pair (leader) in fighter and attack aircraft.	Chief Corporal
			Sturmmann (German) SS-Sturmmann). Rank Sturmmann assigned after service in the ranks of the SA from 6 months to 1 year if available basic knowledge and abilities. Sturmmann is senior over rank Mann, with the exception of the SS, where in 1941 the rank was separately introduced Obermann, and in the SS troops - rank Oberschütz.	Corporal
			Oberschutze SS (German) SS-Oberschuetze).	Chief Soldier
			Mann SS (German) SS-Mann). In 1938, due to the increase in SS troops, the rank Mann was replaced by military rank Schutze(shooter) SS (German) SS-Schuetze), but in the general SS the rank was retained Mann.	Soldier, Schutze, Grenadier.
General SS Anverter Buttonhole			Candidate (German) SS-Anwärter) A candidate for entry into the SS troops before the start of the training and preparation process. With the start of training anverter the title was automatically awarded Schutze.	No match
SS-Beverber challenger (German) SS-Bewerber)					Wehrmacht volunteer

Color coding of military branches

White Flag of the 40th Panzergrenadier Regiment
Oberführer (Standartenführer) shoulder straps of the Waffen-SS Scarlet Artillery pennant of the Leibstandarte SS "Adolf Hitler"
Waffen-SS Obersturmbannführer's shoulder straps Veterinary service Carmine Tribunal and prosecutor's office Burgundy Military Geological Service [check the translation ! ] Light pink Automobile transport Pink (salmon color) Armored forces, including tank destroyers Pink
Shoulder strap of a Scharführer-SS tankman Communications units, war correspondents, propaganda companies Lemon yellow
Waffen-SS Oberscharführer shoulder straps Cavalry; motorized (1942-1945) and tank reconnaissance units; units with a cavalry background Gold
Waffen-SS Obersturmführer's shoulder straps Field gendarmerie and special services Orange
Waffen-SS Unterscharführer shoulder straps Intelligence units (1938-1942) Light brown
Shoulder strap of Hauptsturmführer Waffen-SS * Death's Head units
* Concentration camp personnel Pale brown
Hauptscharführer concentration camp shoulder straps Security Service Poison green
SD Sturmscharführer shoulder straps Mountain troops Green
Waffen-SS Untersturmführer's shoulder straps Sonderführers and personnel of reserve units Dark green
Waffen-SS Obersturmführer's shoulder straps Supply and transportation units, field mail Blue Waffen-SS Hauptsturmführer's shoulder straps Control Blue
Waffen-SS Hauptsturmführer's shoulder straps Sanitary service Cornflower
Waffen-SS Standartenführer shoulder straps Corps of Engineers Black
Shoulder strap of Standartenführer Waffen-SS

Sources

• Adolf Schlicht, John R. Angolia. Die deutsche Wehrmacht, Uniformierung und Ausrüstung 1933-1945
  • Vol. 1: Das Heer (ISBN 3613013908), Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 1992
  • Vol. 3: Die Luftwaffe (ISBN 3-613-02001-7), Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 1999
• . Retrieved June 7, 2016. .
• . Retrieved June 7, 2016. .
• Cook, Stan and Bender, R. James. Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler - Volume One: Uniforms, Organization, & History. San Jose, CA: R. James Bender Publishing, 1994. ISBN 978-0-912138-55-8
• Hayes, A. SS Uniforms, Insignia and Accessories. Schiffer Publishing, Ltd. 2000. ISBN 978-0-7643-0046-2
• Lumsden, Robin. A Collector's Guide To: The Allgemeine - SS, Ian Allan Publishing, Inc. 2002. ISBN 0-7110-2905-9
• Mollo, Andrew. Uniforms of the SS, Collected Edition Vol. 1-6. MotorbooksIntl. 1997. ISBN 978-1-85915-048-1

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“You know, I think,” Natasha said in a whisper, moving closer to Nikolai and Sonya, when Dimmler had already finished and was still sitting, weakly plucking the strings, apparently indecisive to leave or start something new, “that when you remember like that, you remember, you remember everything.” , you remember so much that you remember what happened before I was in the world...
“This is Metampsic,” said Sonya, who always studied well and remembered everything. – The Egyptians believed that our souls were in animals and would go back to animals.
“No, you know, I don’t believe it, that we were animals,” Natasha said in the same whisper, although the music had ended, “but I know for sure that we were angels here and there somewhere, and that’s why we remember everything.” ...
-Can I join you? - said Dimmler, who approached quietly and sat down next to them.
- If we were angels, then why did we fall lower? - said Nikolai. - No, this cannot be!
“Not lower, who told you that lower?... Why do I know what I was before,” Natasha objected with conviction. - After all, the soul is immortal... therefore, if I live forever, that’s how I lived before, lived for all eternity.
“Yes, but it’s hard for us to imagine eternity,” said Dimmler, who approached the young people with a meek, contemptuous smile, but now spoke as quietly and seriously as they did.
– Why is it difficult to imagine eternity? – Natasha said. - Today it will be, tomorrow it will be, it will always be and yesterday it was and yesterday it was...
- Natasha! now it's your turn. “Sing me something,” the countess’s voice was heard. - That you sat down like conspirators.
- Mother! “I don’t want to do that,” Natasha said, but at the same time she stood up.
All of them, even the middle-aged Dimmler, did not want to interrupt the conversation and leave the corner of the sofa, but Natasha stood up, and Nikolai sat down at the clavichord. As always, standing in the middle of the hall and choosing the most advantageous place for resonance, Natasha began to sing her mother’s favorite piece.
She said that she did not want to sing, but she had not sung for a long time before, and for a long time since, the way she sang that evening. Count Ilya Andreich, from the office where he was talking with Mitinka, heard her singing, and like a student, in a hurry to go play, finishing the lesson, he got confused in his words, giving orders to the manager and finally fell silent, and Mitinka, also listening, silently with a smile, stood in front of count. Nikolai did not take his eyes off his sister, and took a breath with her. Sonya, listening, thought about what a huge difference there was between her and her friend and how impossible it was for her to be even remotely as charming as her cousin. The old countess sat with a happily sad smile and tears in her eyes, occasionally shaking her head. She thought about Natasha, and about her youth, and about how there was something unnatural and terrible in this upcoming marriage of Natasha with Prince Andrei.
Dimmler sat down next to the countess and closed his eyes, listening.
“No, Countess,” he finally said, “this is a European talent, she has nothing to learn, this softness, tenderness, strength...”
- Ah! “how I’m afraid for her, how afraid I am,” said the countess, not remembering who she was talking to. Her maternal instinct told her that there was too much of something in Natasha, and that this would not make her happy. Natasha had not yet finished singing when an enthusiastic fourteen-year-old Petya ran into the room with the news that the mummers had arrived.
Natasha suddenly stopped.
- Fool! - she screamed at her brother, ran up to the chair, fell on it and sobbed so much that she could not stop for a long time.
“Nothing, Mama, really nothing, just like this: Petya scared me,” she said, trying to smile, but the tears kept flowing and sobs were choking her throat.
Dressed up servants, bears, Turks, innkeepers, ladies, scary and funny, bringing with them coldness and fun, at first timidly huddled in the hallway; then, hiding one behind the other, they were forced into the hall; and at first shyly, and then more and more cheerfully and amicably, songs, dances, choral and Christmas games began. The Countess, recognizing the faces and laughing at those dressed up, went into the living room. Count Ilya Andreich sat in the hall with a radiant smile, approving of the players. The youth disappeared somewhere.
Half an hour later, another old lady in hoops appeared in the hall between the other mummers - it was Nikolai. Petya was Turkish. Payas was Dimmler, hussar was Natasha and Circassian was Sonya, with a painted cork mustache and eyebrows.
After condescending surprise, lack of recognition and praise from those not dressed up, the young people found that the costumes were so good that they had to show them to someone else.
Nikolai, who wanted to take everyone along an excellent road in his troika, proposed, taking ten dressed up servants with him, to go to his uncle.
- No, why are you upsetting him, the old man! - said the countess, - and he has nowhere to turn. Let's go to the Melyukovs.
Melyukova was a widow with children of various ages, also with governesses and tutors, who lived four miles from Rostov.
“That’s clever, ma chère,” the old count picked up, getting excited. - Let me get dressed now and go with you. I'll stir up Pashetta.
But the countess did not agree to let the count go: his leg hurt all these days. They decided that Ilya Andreevich could not go, but that if Luisa Ivanovna (m me Schoss) went, then the young ladies could go to Melyukova. Sonya, always timid and shy, began to beg Luisa Ivanovna more urgently than anyone not to refuse them.
Sonya's outfit was the best. Her mustache and eyebrows suited her unusually. Everyone told her that she was very good, and she was in an unusually energetic mood. Some inner voice told her that now or never her fate would be decided, and she, in her man’s dress, seemed like a completely different person. Luiza Ivanovna agreed, and half an hour later four troikas with bells and bells, squealing and whistling through the frosty snow, drove up to the porch.
Natasha was the first to give the tone of Christmas joy, and this joy, reflected from one to another, intensified more and more and reached highest degree at a time when everyone went out into the cold, and, talking, calling to each other, laughing and shouting, sat down in the sleigh.
Two of the troikas were accelerating, the third was the old count’s troika with an Oryol trotter at the root; the fourth is Nikolai's own with his short, black, shaggy root. Nikolai, in his old woman's outfit, on which he put on a hussar's belted cloak, stood in the middle of his sleigh, picking up the reins.
It was so light that he saw the plaques and eyes of the horses glinting in the monthly light, looking back in fear at the riders rustling under the dark canopy of the entrance.
Natasha, Sonya, m me Schoss and two girls got into Nikolai’s sleigh. Dimmler and his wife and Petya sat in the old count’s sleigh; Dressed up servants sat in the rest.
- Go ahead, Zakhar! - Nikolai shouted to his father’s coachman in order to have a chance to overtake him on the road.
The old count's troika, in which Dimmler and the other mummers sat, squealed with their runners, as if frozen to the snow, and rattled a thick bell, moved forward. The attached ones pressed against the shafts and got stuck, turning out the strong and shiny snow like sugar.
Nikolai set off after the first three; The others made noise and screamed from behind. At first we rode at a small trot along a narrow road. While driving past the garden, shadows from bare trees often lay across the road and hid bright light moon, but as soon as we left the fence, a diamond-shiny, bluish-gray snowy plain, all bathed in a monthly glow and motionless, opened up on all sides. Once, once, a bump hit the front sleigh; in the same way, the next sleigh and the next were pushed and, boldly breaking the chained silence, one after another the sleighs began to stretch out.
- A hare's trail, a lot of tracks! – Natasha’s voice sounded in the frozen, frozen air.
– Apparently, Nicholas! - said Sonya's voice. – Nikolai looked back at Sonya and bent down to take a closer look at her face. Some completely new, sweet face, with black eyebrows and mustaches, looked out from the sables in the moonlight, close and far.
“It was Sonya before,” thought Nikolai. He looked at her closer and smiled.
- What are you, Nicholas?
“Nothing,” he said and turned back to the horses.
Having arrived on a rough, large road, oiled with runners and all covered with traces of thorns, visible in the light of the moon, the horses themselves began to tighten the reins and speed up. The left one, bending its head, twitched its lines in jumps. The root swayed, moving its ears, as if asking: “should we start or is it too early?” – Ahead, already far away and ringing like a thick bell receding, Zakhar’s black troika was clearly visible on the white snow. Shouting and laughter and the voices of those dressed up were heard from his sleigh.
“Well, you dear ones,” Nikolai shouted, tugging on the reins on one side and withdrawing his hand with the whip. And only by the wind that had become stronger, as if to meet it, and by the twitching of the fasteners, which were tightening and increasing their speed, was it noticeable how fast the troika flew. Nikolai looked back. Screaming and screaming, waving whips and forcing the indigenous people to jump, the other troikas kept pace. The root steadfastly swayed under the arc, not thinking of knocking down and promising to push again and again when necessary.
Nikolai caught up with the top three. They drove down some mountain and onto a widely traveled road through a meadow near a river.
“Where are we going?” thought Nikolai. - “It should be along a slanting meadow. But no, this is something new that I have never seen. This is not a slanting meadow or Demkina Mountain, but God knows what it is! This is something new and magical. Well, whatever it is!” And he, shouting at the horses, began to go around the first three.
Zakhar reined in the horses and turned around his face, which was already frozen to the eyebrows.
Nikolai started his horses; Zakhar, stretching his arms forward, smacked his lips and let his people go.
“Well, hold on, master,” he said. “The troikas flew even faster nearby, and the legs of the galloping horses quickly changed. Nikolai began to move forward. Zakhar, without changing the position of his outstretched arms, raised one hand with the reins.
“You’re lying, master,” he shouted to Nikolai. Nikolai galloped all the horses and overtook Zakhar. The horses covered the faces of their riders with fine, dry snow, and near them there was the sound of frequent rumblings and the tangling of fast-moving legs and the shadows of the overtaking troika. The whistling of runners through the snow and women's squeals were heard from different directions.
Stopping the horses again, Nikolai looked around him. All around was the same magical plain soaked through with moonlight with stars scattered across it.
“Zakhar shouts for me to take a left; why go left? thought Nikolai. Are we going to the Melyukovs, is this Melyukovka? God knows where we are going, and God knows what is happening to us - and it is very strange and good what is happening to us.” He looked back at the sleigh.
“Look, he has a mustache and eyelashes, everything is white,” said one of the strange, pretty and alien people with a thin mustache and eyebrows.
“This one, it seems, was Natasha,” thought Nikolai, and this one is m me Schoss; or maybe not, but I don’t know who this Circassian with the mustache is, but I love her.”
-Aren't you cold? - he asked. They did not answer and laughed. Dimmler shouted something from the back sleigh, probably funny, but it was impossible to hear what he was shouting.
“Yes, yes,” the voices answered laughing.
- However, here is some kind of magical forest with shimmering black shadows and sparkles of diamonds and some kind of enfilade marble steps, and some silver roofs of magical buildings, and the piercing screech of some animals. “And if this really is Melyukovka, then it’s even stranger that we were traveling God knows where, and came to Melyukovka,” thought Nikolai.
Indeed, it was Melyukovka, and girls and lackeys with candles and joyful faces ran out to the entrance.
- Who it? - they asked from the entrance.
“The counts are dressed up, I can see it by the horses,” answered the voices.

Pelageya Danilovna Melyukova, a broad, energetic woman, wearing glasses and a swinging hood, was sitting in the living room, surrounded by her daughters, whom she tried not to let get bored. They were quietly pouring wax and looking at the shadows of the emerging figures when the footsteps and voices of visitors began to rustle in the hallway.
Hussars, ladies, witches, payassas, bears, clearing their throats and wiping their faces frosty from the frost in the hall, entered the hall, where candles were hastily lit. The clown - Dimmler and the lady - Nikolai opened the dance. Surrounded by screaming children, the mummers, covering their faces and changing their voices, bowed to the hostess and positioned themselves around the room.
- Oh, it’s impossible to find out! And Natasha! Look who she looks like! Really, it reminds me of someone. Eduard Karlych is so good! I didn't recognize it. Yes, how she dances! Oh, fathers, and some kind of Circassian; right, how it suits Sonyushka. Who else is this? Well, they consoled me! Take the tables, Nikita, Vanya. And we sat so quietly!
- Ha ha ha!... Hussar this, hussar that! Just like a boy, and his legs!... I can’t see... - voices were heard.
Natasha, the favorite of the young Melyukovs, disappeared with them into the back rooms, where they needed cork and various dressing gowns and men's dresses, which through the open door received the bare girlish hands from the footman. Ten minutes later, all the youth of the Melyukov family joined the mummers.
Pelageya Danilovna, having ordered the clearing of the place for the guests and refreshments for the gentlemen and servants, without taking off her glasses, with a restrained smile, walked among the mummers, looking closely into their faces and not recognizing anyone. Not only did she not recognize the Rostovs and Dimmler, but she also could not recognize either her daughters or her husband’s robes and uniforms that they were wearing.
-Whose is this? - she said, turning to her governess and looking into the face of her daughter, who represented the Kazan Tatar. - It seems like someone from Rostov. Well, Mr. Hussar, what regiment do you serve in? – she asked Natasha. “Give the Turk, give the Turk some marshmallows,” she said to the bartender who was serving them: “this is not prohibited by their law.”
Sometimes, looking at the strange but funny steps performed by the dancers, who had decided once and for all that they were dressed up, that no one would recognize them and therefore were not embarrassed, Pelageya Danilovna covered herself with a scarf, and her entire corpulent body shook from the uncontrollable, kind, old lady’s laughter . - Sashinet is mine, Sashinet is that! - she said.
After Russian dances and round dances, Pelageya Danilovna united all the servants and gentlemen together, in one large circle; They brought a ring, a string and a ruble, and general games were arranged.
An hour later, all the suits were wrinkled and upset. Cork mustaches and eyebrows were smeared across sweaty, flushed and cheerful faces. Pelageya Danilovna began to recognize the mummers, admired how well the costumes were made, how they suited especially the young ladies, and thanked everyone for making her so happy. The guests were invited to dine in the living room, and the courtyard was served in the hall.
- No, guessing in the bathhouse, that’s scary! - said the old girl who lived with the Melyukovs at dinner.
- From what? – asked the eldest daughter of the Melyukovs.
- Don’t go, you need courage...
“I’ll go,” said Sonya.
- Tell me, how was it with the young lady? - said the second Melyukova.
“Yes, just like that, one young lady went,” said the old girl, “she took a rooster, two utensils, and sat down properly.” She sat there, just heard, suddenly she was driving... with bells, with bells, a sleigh drove up; hears, comes. He comes in completely in human form, like an officer, he came and sat down with her at the device.
- A! Ah!...” Natasha screamed, rolling her eyes in horror.
- How can he say that?
- Yes, as a person, everything is as it should be, and he began and began to persuade, and she should have occupied him with conversation until the roosters; and she became shy; – she just became shy and covered herself with her hands. He picked it up. It's good that the girls came running...
- Well, why scare them! - said Pelageya Danilovna.
“Mother, you yourself were guessing...” said the daughter.
- How do they tell fortunes in the barn? – asked Sonya.
- Well, at least now, they’ll go to the barn and listen. What will you hear: hammering, knocking - bad, but pouring bread - this is good; and then it happens...
- Mom, tell me what happened to you in the barn?
Pelageya Danilovna smiled.
“Oh, well, I forgot…” she said. - You won’t go, will you?
- No, I'll go; Pepageya Danilovna, let me in, I’ll go,” said Sonya.
- Well, if you're not afraid.
- Luiza Ivanovna, may I? – asked Sonya.
Whether they were playing ring, string or ruble, or talking, as now, Nikolai did not leave Sonya and looked at her with completely new eyes. It seemed to him that today, only for the first time, thanks to that corky mustache, he fully recognized her. Sonya really was cheerful, lively and beautiful that evening, like Nikolai had never seen her before.
“So that’s what she is, and I’m a fool!” he thought, looking at her sparkling eyes and a happy, enthusiastic smile, making dimples on his cheeks from under his mustache, a smile that he had never seen before.
“I’m not afraid of anything,” said Sonya. - Can I do it now? - She stood up. They told Sonya where the barn was, how she could stand silently and listen, and they gave her a fur coat. She threw it over her head and looked at Nikolai.
“What a beauty this girl is!” he thought. “And what have I been thinking about so far!”
Sonya went out into the corridor to go to the barn. Nikolai hurriedly went to the front porch, saying that he was hot. Indeed, the house was stuffy from the crowded people.
It was the same still cold outside, the same month, only it was even lighter. The light was so strong and there were so many stars on the snow that I didn’t want to look at the sky, and the real stars were invisible. In the sky it was black and boring, on earth it was fun.
“I’m a fool, a fool! What have you been waiting for so far? thought Nikolai and, running onto the porch, he walked around the corner of the house along the path that led to the back porch. He knew that Sonya would come here. Halfway along the road there were stacked fathoms of firewood, there was snow on them, and a shadow fell from them; through them and from their sides, intertwining, the shadows of old bare linden trees fell onto the snow and the path. The path led to the barn. A chopped barn wall and a roof covered with snow, as if carved from some kind of gemstone, sparkled in the monthly light. A tree cracked in the garden, and again everything was completely silent. The chest seemed to breathe not air, but some kind of eternally youthful strength and joy.
Feet clattered on the steps from the maiden porch, there was a loud creaking sound on the last one, which was covered with snow, and the voice of an old girl said:
- Straight, straight, along the path, young lady. Just don't look back.
“I’m not afraid,” answered Sonya’s voice, and Sonya’s legs squealed and whistled in her thin shoes along the path towards Nikolai.