insignia appear on the form of military and indicates that the private status, some belonging to one of the branches of the armed forces (in this case, Wehrmacht), combat arm, department or service.
interpretation of the concept of "Wehrmacht»
This "defense forces" in 1935 - 1945.In other words, the Wehrmacht (picture shown below) - not that other, as the armed forces of Nazi Germany.At the head - High Command of the armed forces of the country, which are subordinate to the ground forces, navy and air force, the Waffen-SS.They were led by the major command (OKL, OKH, OKM) and commanders of various types of aircraft (since 1940 also the Waffen-SS).Supreme Commander of the Wehrmacht - Chancellor Adolf Hitler.Photos Wehrmacht soldiers demonstrated below.
According to historical data, the word in question in German-speaking countries designated Amphibious any country.The familiar sense it acquired when the Nazi Party came to power.
On the eve of World War II, the Wehrmacht consisted of about three million people, and its maximum number was 11 million. People (in December 1943).
Species military signs
These include:
- buttonholes;
- shoulder straps;
- epaulettes;
- armbands and badges (chevrons, stripes);
- badges on the lapels, epaulettes, epaulets, hats (emblems, Badges, stars);
- stripes and edges.
uniforms and insignia of the Wehrmacht
The German army had a few varieties of uniforms and clothing.Each soldier had to independently monitor their weapons and form.Their replacement was carried out in accordance with established procedures, or in the case of serious damage in the process of teaching.Military uniforms very quickly lose color due to washing and brushing daily.
subjected to a thorough inspection of footwear of soldiers (all times are bad boots is a major problem).
Ever since the formation of the Reichswehr (the German Armed Forces in the period 1919 - 1935.) Uniforms became unified for all existing German states.Its color - "feldgrau" (translated as "field gray") - wormwood shade with dominant green pigment.
new form of (uniform of the Wehrmacht - the armed forces of Nazi Germany in the period 1935 - 1945.) Was introduced together with the new model steel helmet.Ammunition, uniforms and helmets apparently did not differ from their predecessors (still existing in the Kaiser era).
At the whim of putting troops Fuhrer emphasized the many diverse elements of heraldry (logos, signs, stripes, piping, badges, etc.).By applying the black-white-red imperial cockades and tri-color panel on the right side of the helmet with the expressed commitment to National Socialism.The emergence of the imperial trehtsvetiya dates back to March 1933 In October 1935, it added to the uniform imperial eagle holding a swastika in its claws.At this time, the Reichswehr was renamed the Wehrmacht (the photo was shown earlier).
This topic will be considered in relation to the Land Forces and the SS.
Insignia of the Wehrmacht and the Waffen SS specifically
To begin to clarify some points.Firstly, the Waffen-SS and SS organization itself - not identical concepts.Last - the combat component of the Nazi Party, formed by members of the public organization, the leading parallel SS profiling their activities (work, the shopkeeper, a civil servant, and others.).They were allowed to wear a uniform black color, which in 1938 replaced the form of a light gray color, having two overhead vermahtovskogo type.The latter reflects obscheesesovskie title.
As for SS, then, we can say, is a kind of security detachments ("reserve army" - "connections" Dead Head "- Hitler's own troops), which takes only members of the SS.They equated to the soldiers of the Wehrmacht.
difference in the ranks of members of the SS buttonholes existed until 1938.On the black uniforms placed a single shoulder strap (on the right shoulder), according to which it was possible to find only a specific category of a member of the SS (private or non-commissioned officer, or a junior or senior officer, or general).And once introduced a light gray uniform (1938), adding another distinctive feature - straps vermahtovskogo type.
insignia of the SS and the military, and members of the organization - the same.However, the first field still wear uniforms, which serves analogue vermahtovskoy.On her two overhead, apparently similar to vermahtovskimi, military insignia and ranks them identical.
system ranks, and hence the insignia were changed many times, the last of which occurred in May 1942 (they are not transformed until May 1945).
Military ranks of the Wehrmacht designated tabs, epaulettes, gold braid and chevrons on the collar, and the last two characters differences even on the sleeves as well as a special shoulder patches mainly on camouflage military clothes, various stripes (openings in contrasting color) on the trousers, decorated headdresses.
This Field SS uniform was finally set to about 1938 if considered as a criterion for comparing the cut, then we can talk about what the uniform of the Wehrmacht (the Army) and SS uniforms were no different.The color was a little grayer second and lighter shade of green is almost not visible.
Also, if we describe the insignia of the SS (specific patch), we can highlight the following points: the imperial eagle was slightly above the midpoint of the shoulder to the elbow of the left sleeve of his picture was different form the wings (there are often cases when a field SS uniform sewn itvermahtovsky eagle).
also a distinctive feature, for example, in the uniform of the SS Panzer serving what buttonholes as well as that of the Wehrmacht tankers were in the pink edging.Insignia of the Wehrmacht, in this case represented by the presence of both lapels "dead head".In tankers SS in the left lapel might be insignia of rank, and the right - or "dead head" or the SS runes (in some cases it might not be familiar or, for example, in a number of divisions there was placed the emblem of tankers -skull and crossed bones).Located on the collar even buttonholes whose size is 45x45 mm.
decals Wehrmacht also include how squeezed buttoned uniform number of battalions or mouth, which was not done in the case of the SS uniforms.
emblems epaulettes though vermahtovskoy was identical, but are rare (except for the first Panzer Division, which regularly worn monogram on the shoulder straps).
Another difference in the system, accumulating insignia of the SS, speaks that the soldiers who were candidates for the title of the navigator of the SS, were at the bottom of the shoulder strap lace of the same color as his edge.This title - similar gefraytera in the Wehrmacht.And candidates Unterscharführer SS in the bottom of the ring worn braids (braids, embroidered with silver) nine millimeters wide.This title - similar non-commissioned officer in the Wehrmacht.
As for enlisted ranks, there was a difference in their buttonholes, and shoulder patches that were above the elbow, but below the imperial eagle in the center of the left sleeve.
Considering camouflage clothing (where there are no buttonholes and shoulder straps), we can say that the SS men on it have never had signs of differences in the ranks, but they preferred over this camouflage clothing to produce collars with their insignia.
Overall, the discipline of wearing uniforms in the Wehrmacht was significantly higher than in the Waffen SS, the soldiers that allow a large number of liberties with respect to this issue, and their generals and officers did not seek to prevent this kind of violations, on the contrary, often made similar.And this is only a small part of the distinctive features of the uniforms of the Wehrmacht and the Waffen SS.
To sum up the above, we can conclude that the insignia of the Wehrmacht is much wiser not only SS but also the Soviet.
Ranks Land Forces
They were as follows:
- series;
- NCOs without sword belt (or braid belt sash worn Tashko, cold, and later a firearm);
- non-commissioned officers with the belt;
- lieutenants;
- captains;
- staff officer;
- generals.
Combatant ranks extended to the military officials of various departments and offices.The military administration has been divided into categories from the most junior non-commissioned officers to the noble generals.
Troop color the Army Wehrmacht
Germany branch is traditionally marked with an appropriate color fringing and buttonholes, hats and uniforms and so on.They are quite often changed.During the Second World War acted following distinction by color:
- White - the infantry and the Border Guard, financiers and treasurers.
- Scarlet - field, equestrian and self-propelled artillery and generals edgings, buttonholes and stripes.
- crimson or carmine red - non-commissioned officers of the veterinary services, as well as tabs, stripes and epaulets main headquarters of the General Staff and the OKW and ground forces.
- Pink - anti-self-propelled artillery;border parts Tank uniforms;gaps and selection of buttonholes service officers tunic, gray-green jackets non-commissioned officers and soldiers.
- Golden yellow - cavalry, armored reconnaissance units and bicycle parts.
- Lemon yellow - Signal Corps.
- Burgundy - chemists and military courts;dymzaveschiki and multiple rocket "chemical" mortars.
- Black - Army Corps of Engineers (demining, train, training units), technical service.Do deminers tank units - black and white border.
- cornflower blue - health personnel (except generals).
- Light blue - edges of motor parts.
- Light green - military pharmacists, hunters and mountain parts.
- grassy green - motorized regiment of infantry, motorcycle parts.
- Grey - Army propagandists and officers of the army reserve and the reserve (in the border military uniform colors).
- Blue-gray - registration service, officials of the US administration, the officers professionals.
- Orange - military police and officers of the Academy of Engineering, the service conscription (color edging).
- Purple - chaplains
- Dark green - military officials.
- Light red - quartermasters.
- Blue - military lawyers.
- Yellow - Service konezapasa.
- Lemon - feldpochta.
- Light brown - service training of recruits.
chase in German military uniform
They had a dual purpose: as a means of determining the rank and function as carriers of unitary (fasteners on shoulder all sorts of equipment).
shoulder straps Wehrmacht (privates) were made of simple cloth, but with the presence of piping, which had a specific color corresponding to the combat arm.If we take into consideration the shoulder straps noncommissioned officer, it is possible to note the presence of an additional edge, which consists of the braid (width - nine millimeters).
Before 1938, there was a special army epaulettes exclusively for field uniforms, worn by all ranks below officer.It was completely dark blue-green color with a slightly tapered end to the button.It is not fixed by an edge that matches the color of the armed forces.The soldiers of the Wehrmacht, to highlight the color of arms, embroidered insignia on them (numbers, letters, logos).
have officers (lieutenants, captains) were more narrow straps, which had the appearance of two intertwined strands made of flat silver "Russian lace" (strand is woven in such a way that you can see a thin thread).All the strands of the valve sewn on the color of the armed forces, located at the heart of the chase.Special bending (U-shaped) tape in place for button holes helped create the illusion of its eight locks, when in fact there were only two.
shoulder straps Wehrmacht (staff officers) were performed by "Russian lace", but in a way to demonstrate a number consisting of five separate loops that are on both sides of the ring, in addition to the loop around the button located in the upper part.
have attended the general's epaulettes distinctive feature - "Russian braid."It was made up of two separate gold strands twisted on both sides of a silver thread "ribbed".A method of weaving meant visibility three nodes in the middle and four loops on each side in addition to one loop disposed around the button at the top of the shoulder strap.
Wehrmacht officials have, as a rule, such as straps, like the army.However, they still differed easy introduction thread tape dark green color and various emblems.
also want to reiterate that the shoulder straps - are signs of the Wehrmacht.
Buttonholes and epaulets of generals
As mentioned earlier, the Wehrmacht generals wore shoulder straps, which were used for weaving two thickened golden and silver metal harness soutache between them.
They also have detachable shoulder straps, with (as in the case of the Land Forces) knocked out of scarlet cloth with special cutouts extending bundles of circumscription (its bottom edge).A bend sewn epaulets different straight lining.
Wehrmacht generals in their uniforms wore silvery stars, while there are some differences: the major-general had no stars, lieutenant-general - a General certain kind of troops (infantry, armored troops, cavalry, etc.) - Two-GeneralOberst - three (two stars near the bottom of the ring and a little above them).Previously, there was such a rank as a colonel general in the position of Field Marshal, which is the beginning of the war was not used.Pogon had given the title of the two stars, who were placed at the top and bottom.Distinguish Field Marshal can be crossed by silvery Rods along overhead.
attend and exceptional moments.So, for example, Gerd von Rundstedt (Field Marshal, who was removed from his command because of the defeat at Rostov, chief of the 18th Infantry Regiment) carried on the shoulder straps top field marshal's baton shelf number, as well as on the collar and white-silver ceremonial buttonholes officer infantrytroops instead relying generals richly ornamented gold embroidered on a cloth of scarlet valve (size 40h90 mm) buttonholes.They met pattern in the days of the Kaiser's Army and the Reichswehr, with the formation of the GDR and the FRG, he arose and generals.
Since the beginning of April 1941 for the field marshals were introduced lengthened buttonhole, had three (instead of two) and ornamental element golden epaulets of thickened bundles.
another sign of the general's advantages - stripes.
Marshal could also carry natural in your hand the rod which was made of valuable wood species, individually decorated, lavishly encrusted with silver and gold and decorated with reliefs.
Personal identification mark
He had the appearance of an oval aluminum medal with three longitudinal slots serving to a certain point (the moment of death) it can be to break into two halves (the first where the two holes left on the body of the deceased, andmate with one hole gave the headquarters).
Wehrmacht soldiers wore the insignia as a rule, on a chain or a neck cord.Each token is punched out the following: blood type, number sign, number of the battalion, regiment, where the mark was issued for the first time.This information should have been accompanied by a soldier during the entire service life, when necessary to supplement those of other parts of troops.
Image German troops can be seen in the photo, "Wehrmacht" demonstrated above.
Nakhodka in Besh-kung
According to official data, in April 2014 a city dweller D. Lukicheva in the village of Besh-kung (Kyrgyzstan) was found treasure of the Second World War.
