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Corps colours, or troop-function colours (ge: "Waffenfarbe(n)") were traditional worn in the German Wehrmacht from 1935 until 1945 as discrimination criteria between several branches, special services, corps, rank groups and appointments of the ministerial area, general staff, Oberkommando der Wehrmacht, up to the military branches Heer, Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine. With the formation of the Waffen-SS (Armed Schutzstaffel) and so-called Gesamt-SA (Common Sturmabteilung) by simultaneous new-structuring in line with military principles, corps coloures were introduced to these organizations as well.
Corps colours of the SA[]
After incorporation of the SA-Obergruppe Ostmark to the main SA-organisation in March 1938, the formation of Gesamt-SA began in January 1939. The new sub-division structure was as follows:
- Allgemeine SA (General SA) with Active SA-I (between 18 and 35 years) and Active SA-II (between 35 and 45 years)
- SA-Reserve (above 45 years), and
- SA-Wehrmannschaften (en: SA-Defence crews).
However, two former SA branches converted to other paramilitary organizations. So the previous Motor-SA was transferred to the National Socialist Motor Corps – NSMC (Nationalsozialistisches Kraftfahrerkorps – NSKK), and the Flieger-SA together with the Flieger-SS formed the new Nation Socialist Flyers Corps – NSFC (Nationalsozialistisches Fliegererkorps – NSFK).
In line with new subdivision to branches and service areas corps colours were introduced. The former so-called SA-group colours were abolished. The systematic of corps colours was introduced to NSMC and NSFC as well. The new introduced SA-corps colours were almost identically to these of the Wehrmacht.
SA-Corps colours[]
The synoptic table below contains some corps colours and examples used by the SA from 1939-45.[1]
| Troops, unit, appointment | Corps colour | Example | Remark | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Supreme SA-Command & Control (Oberste SA-Fuehrung) | carmine-red (karmesin-rot) |
File:SAOGruf.jpg | align="center" | SA-Obergruppenfuerer (OF-8)[2]
| |
|
scallet (hell-rot) |
 |
SA rank insignias (SA Chief of Staff (OF-9)) worn by Ernst Rohm in 1933 | ||
| SA-Signals (de: Nachrichten-SA) | lemon yellow (zitronen-gelb) |
File:SA OF1b Sturmfuehrer col-l.pdf | SA-Sturmfuehrer (OF-1b) identical corps colour to Heer and Waffen-SS | ||
| Mounted-SA (Reiter-SA) | golden-yellow (gold-gelb) |
identical corps colour to the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS | |||
| SA-Hunters/SA-Infantry units (SA-Jäger/SA-Schuetzen) |
hunter-green (jaeger-gruen) |
File:SA OR1 SA-Mann col-r.pdfFile:SA OR1 SA-Mann col-l.pdf | SA-Mann (OR-1)[3] * Storm (company) 12 | ||
| Medical-SA (Sanitaets-SA) | royal-blue (königs-blau) |
File:SA OF4 OSturmbannfuehrer col-l.pdf | SA-Obersturmbannführer (OF-4) | ||
| Navy-SA (Marine-SA) | navy-blue (marin-blau) |
File:SAOf.jpg | align="center" rowspan="3" | SA-Oberfuerer (OF-5a) | |
| SA-Food standartes (SA-Fußstandarten) | grey (grau) |
File:SAGruf.jpg | SA-Gruppenfuerer (OF-7) | ||
| Engineer-SA (SA-Pioniere) | black (schwarz) |
File:SABrigf.jpg | SA-Brigadefuerer (OF-6) identical corps colour to Heer and Waffen-SS | ||
- Remarks
R i g h t collar patch contains the number and type of unit (ascending up to “Obersturmbannführer” (OF4) in SA and SS, and “Oberstaffelfuehrer” (OF4) in NSMC): … L e f t collar patch contain the rank insignias (from ascending “Standartenfuehrer” (OF5) both sides).
See also[]
- World War II German Army ranks and insignia
- Comparative military ranks of World War II
- Glossary of Nazi Germany
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References[]
- ↑ "Schlag nach!, Bibliographisches Institut AG., Leipzig, 1938, Anhang; Quotation: “ The c o l o r to the Kragenspiegel of the Sturmabteilung (SA)
- ↑ The abbreviation "OF" stands for de: "Offizier / en: officer / fr: officier / ru: офицер"
- ↑ The abbreviation "OR" stands for "Other Ranks / fr: sous-officiers et militaires du rang / ru:другие ранги, кроме офицероф"
The original article can be found at Corps colours of the Sturmabteilung and the edit history here.