SA Obertruppführer - SA-Mann Type II Shoulder Boards

SKU: 51.GOR.03.02.01.02.005

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  • SA Obertruppführer - SA-Mann Type II Shoulder Boards (Hessen version) Obverse
  • SA Obertruppführer - SA-Mann Type II Shoulder Boards (Hessen version) Reverse
  • SA Obertruppführer - SA-Mann Type II Shoulder Boards (Hessen version)

Attributes

  • country
    Germany
  • date of institution
    1934

History


The SA (Sturmabteilung, storm detachment) was established in 1921 as a paramilitary protection squad of the NSDAP. The members of the SA were tasked with protecting party leaders at political rallies and meetings from the paramilitary forces of the opposing political factions. The SA was first utilised on November 4, 1921 at a meeting held in Munich’s "Hofbräuhaus" beer hall. The organisation was banned after the failed putsch in 1923 and was reactivated in February 1925.

Shoulder straps and boards for the SA were introduced in early 1933, to identify region and rank of the wearer. Initially, only a single one was worn, on the right shoulder.
The underlay of the shoulder boards was the same as that of the collar tabs, which was determined by region, unless otherwise stated. An exception was made for Marine-SA members who used navy blue underlay. For a short period of time in between mid 1933 and early 1934, Medical SA members used a violet underlay.

Shoulder straps for enlisted ranks were made of two-colour region-specific cords. Shoulder boards for leader ranks were made of gold or silver-coloured twist cord, depending on the colour of the wearer’s buttons. The button colour was once more determined by the wearer’s region.

The following list of region colours was established on July 7, 1933, with some additions and changes in 1934, 1938, and 1940 through 1942: the underlay region colour is followed by the regions that used it, with the two-colour region pattern for the enlisted ranks’ cords and button colour in parentheses.

Pink-red: Ostmark (black/white, gold), Kurpfalz (black/white, silver; until May 1934) and Südmark (red/white, silver; established September 1938)
Dark wine-red: Ostland (black/white, gold) and Westfalen (black/white, silver)
Red-brown: Österreich (red/white, silver; beginning in May 1934) and Donau (red/white, gold; established September 1938)
Dark brown: Westmark (black/white, silver) and Niedersachsen (black/white, gold)
Orange-yellow: Mitte (black/white, gold) and Südwest (black/orange-yellow, silver)
Yellow: Schlesien (black/white, silver) and Franken (white/blue, gold)
Apple-green: Pommern (black/white, gold) and Thüringen (white/red, silver)
Emerald-green: Sachsen (white/emerald-green, silver) and Nordmark (black/white, gold)
Steel-green: Österreich (red/white, silver; until May 1934), Nordsee (black/white, gold) and Kurpfalz (black/white, silver; beginning in May 1934)
Light blue: Hochland (white/light blue, silver) and Bayerische Ostmark (white/light blue, gold)
Blue-grey: Sudetenland (yellow/red, gold; established November 1938) and Weichsel (silver/brown, silver; established March 1940)
Cornflower blue: Warthe (silver/brown, silver, established March 1940) and Oberrhein (silver/brown, silver, established March 1941)
Navy blue: Hansa (light blue/yellow, gold) and Hessen (light blue/red, silver)
Black: Niederrhein (black/white, gold) and Berlin-Brandenburg (black/white, silver)
Grey: Generalgouvernment (silver/brown, silver; established September 1942)

The 1933 shoulder boards and straps pattern was as follows:
A Stabschef (chief of staff) wore one interwoven gold and silver cord each with a six-sided star cypher attached to the shoulder board.
Ranks Obergruppenführer to Brigadeführer wore one interwoven gold and silver cord each.
Ranks Oberführer to Standartenführer wore interwoven cords in either gold or silver, depending on button colour.
Ranks Obersturmbannführer to Sturmführer wore four rows of straight cords in either gold or silver, depending on button colour.
Ranks Obertruppführer to SA-Mann wore four rows of straight cords in a two-colour regional pattern.

In early 1934, several changes to the rank structure were made, yet the shoulder boards remained largely the same:
A Stabschef (chief of staff) wore interwoven gold cords with a six-sided star cypher. The cypher was changed to one depicting three oak leaves in late 1934. The underlay was in red. Chiefs of Staff wore two shoulder boards rather than just one!
Ranks Obergruppenführer to Oberführer wore one interwoven gold and silver cord each.
Ranks Standartenführer to Sturmbannführer wore interwoven cords in either gold or silver, depending on button colour.
Ranks Sturmhauptführer to Sturmführer wore four rows of straight cords in either gold or silver, depending on button colour.
Ranks Obertruppführer to SA-Mann wore four rows of straight cords in a two-colour regional pattern.

In late 1938 or early 1939, a completely new system was devised:
A Stabschef (chief of staff) wore four interwoven gold cords with the same three oak leaves cypher as before. The underlay was still in red, and Chiefs of Staff still wore two shoulder boards rather than just one.
Ranks Obergruppenführer to Oberführer wore three interwoven cords, one gold and two silver. On July 1, 1943 the underlay would always be in red, or in crimson for staff members.
Ranks Standartenführer to Sturmbannführer wore three interwoven cords in either gold or silver, depending on button colour.
Ranks Hauptsturmführer to Sturmführer wore eight rows of straight cords in either gold or silver, depending on button colour.
Ranks Haupttruppführer to SA-Anwärter wore four rows of straight cords in brown with silver chevrons.

In late 1940 or early 1941, a change was made to the shoulder boards’ underlay colours. They were changed to a branch colour system instead of regional colours, as follows:
Red for highest ranks
Crimson for highest staff ranks
Grey for regular SA
Lemon-yellow for Signal SA
Orange-yellow for SA Cavalry
Green for Mountain SA
Blue for Medical SA
Navy blue for Marine-SA
Black for SA Engineers

Also, beginning in 1941, shoulder boards were worn on both shoulders by all ranks on the tunic and greatcoat, but still only on the right shoulder on the traditional service shirt.
Additionally, all shoulder boards that had formerly been in gold cords now used silver only, with the exception of ranks Stabschef down to and including Oberführer, as well as Marine-SA members.

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Versions

  • Price

    $150 USD

  • Composition

  • Inscription

  • Size

  • Maker

  • Version Remarks

    Light blue/red on navy blue. Worn by members of region Hessen.

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  • Price

    N/A

  • Composition

  • Inscription

  • Size

  • Maker

  • Version Remarks

    Red/white on pink-red. Worn by members of region Südmark.

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