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The uniforms and insignia of the Schutzstaffel (SS) served to distinguish its Nazi paramilitary ranks between 1925 and 1945 from the ranks of the Wehrmacht (the German armed forces from 1935), the German state, and the Nazi Party.
The uniforms and insignia of the Sturmabteilung (SA) were Nazi Party paramilitary ranks and uniforms used by SA stormtroopers from 1921 until the fall of Nazi Germany in 1945. The titles and phrases used by the SA were the basis for paramilitary titles used by several other Nazi paramilitary groups, among them the Schutzstaffel (SS).
For use in hot weather climates like Southern Europe and North Africa, a tropical uniform of tan cotton was developed. Insignia was similar to that of standard SS uniforms but in tan thread on black backing. Waffen-SS troops were pioneering among German forces in the use of camouflage clothing and wore it extensively during the war. Usually ...
As the Nazis began preparations for war, the SS economy expanded and prisoner labour became even more important. Building materials became scarce, and to supply the demand, in 1938 camps using mass forced labour at Flossenbürg and Mauthausen were opened.
The SA were colloquially called Brownshirts (Braunhemden) because of the colour of their uniform's shirts, similar to Benito Mussolini's blackshirts. The official uniform of the SA was a brown shirt with a brown tie.
In a back room of the German Historical Museum archive in Berlin, locked in a small fire-safe vault, is a collection of original Nazi uniforms. The archive, in fact, houses a remarkable collection of artifacts that are not frequently on display. Closed to the public, its contents are tightly guarded by curators.
An SA Stormtrooper wearing the standard brown shirt uniform and kepi cap. The uniforms and insignia of the Sturmabteilung (SA) were Nazi party paramilitary ranks and uniforms used by SA stormtroopers from 1921 until the fall of Nazi Germany in 1945.
