Corps colours (Waffen-SS)
Nazi military insignia (1938-1945)
Corps colours, or Troop-function colours (German: Waffenfarben) were worn in the Waffen-SS from 1938 until 1945 in order to distinguish between various branches of service, units, and functions. The corps colours were part of the pipings, gorget patches (collar patches), and shoulder boards. The colour scheme was similar to the corps colours of the German Army from 1935 to 1945. The colours appeared mainly on the piping around the shoulder boards showing a soldier's rank.
01Colours and examples
The table below contains the Waffen-SS corps colours, and examples for their use from 1938 to 1945.
| Branch/unit/function | Colour | Example | Rank/Explanation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Silver-grey | SS-Oberst-Gruppenführer and General of the Waffen-SS | ||
Infantry
|
White | Flag of SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 40 | ||
| ||||
Artillery
|
Scarlet | Artillery flag | ||
| SS-Obersturmbannführer | ||||
| Veterinary service | Carmine red | SS-Sturmbannführer | ||
| Legal service | Bordeaux red | |||
| Geologists | Light pink | |||
| Transport | Salmon-pink | |||
|
Rose-pink | SS-Scharführer | ||
|
Lemon yellow | SS-Untersturmführer | ||
|
Golden yellow | SS-Obersturmführer | ||
|
Orange |
| ||
| Reconnaissance (1938-42) | Copper-brown |
| ||
| Concentration camps | Light brown | SS-Hauptscharführer | ||
| Sicherheitsdienst (intelligence service) | Poison green | SS-Sturmscharführer | ||
| Gebirgstruppe (mountain troops) | Meadow green | SS-Untersturmführer | ||
|
Dark green | SS-Obersturmführer | ||
| Supply | Light blue | SS-Hauptsturmführer | ||
| Administration | Bright blue | SS-Hauptsturmführer | ||
| Medical service | Cornflower blue |
| ||
Engineers corps
|
Black | SS-Oberscharführer | ||
| Main colour for collar patches | SS-Unterscharführer | |||
| Main colour for uniforms | Field-grey | Identical with Heer (regular army) uniform colour | ||
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Corps colours (Waffen-SS)”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- SS Oberstgruppenführer.jpg by Marcus Wendel;, CC BY-SA 3.0
- WMacht H OT5b Uffz Pz03 h.svg by Skjoldbro, CC BY-SA 4.0
- SS Untersturmführer Fm.png by Harolddd, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Shoulder-wss-ill-obersturmf.jpg by Marcus Wendel - http://www.axishistory.com, CC BY-SA 3.0
- SS-Unterscharführer (Feldgendarmerie) h.svg by Skjoldbro, modified by Gunnar.offel, CC BY-SA 4.0
- SS Standartenjunker.jpg by Uploaded by User:solicitr in en.wikipedia.org (file log), Public domain
- SS Standartenführer (Oberführer).png by SGT141, CC BY-SA 3.0
- SS-Hauptscharführer (Totenkopfverbände) h.svg by Skjoldbro, modified by Gunnar.offel, CC BY-SA 4.0
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