The Waffen-SS Ranking System
Field Grade Officers
The first two of the four field-grade officer ranks in the Waffen-SS, SS-Sturmbannführer and SS-Obersturmbannführer, wore collar patches in the same style as company-grade officers, but with four 12mm aluminium pips instead of the three. The left collar patch for the rank of SS--Sturmbannführer consisted of four pips, while that for SS-Obersturmbannführer a single length of aluminium tresse was added. For ranks of Standartenführer and above, collar patches were in matching pairs, and contained an oakleaf device. The collar patches for SS-Standartenführer consisted of a single oakleaf, while those for SS-Oberführer contained two.
For all field-grade officers, the shoulder bar was constructed from finely-intertwined silver cord and on a black cloth backing, with the Waffenfarbe of the wearer indicated not by piping but by the colour of the underlay, which was often made of a fine wool or felt. The shoulder bars for the rank of SS-Sturmbannführer was unadorned, while for SS-Obersturmbannführer a single 20mm pip was added. Two pips were added to the shoulder bars of SS-Standartenführer and SS-Oberführer.
The camouflage sleeve patches for field-grade officers all contained two oakleaves in green, to which one to four green bars were added.
1929
1933
1929
1929
* In addition to having the additional oakleaf on the collar patch to differientiate them from SS-Standartenführer, SS-Oberführer were entitled to wear aluminium piping on the cap and silver lapels on the greatcoat, as worn by General grade officers. The rank of SS-Oberführer, equivalent to a senior colonel, had no equivalent in the regular Heer.
