Ersatz-SS, adjourned

The Ersatz SS (Replacement SS) are a major branch of the Schutzstaffel (SS) paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany, and it's managed by the SS Main Office (SS-Hauptamt). First born as the Leibstandarte Heinrich Himmler (LSSHH) in 1945, the Ersatz SS was officially established in the autumn of 1950 to distinguish its members from the Allgemeine SS, the Waffen-SS, and the SS-Totenkopfverbände (SS Death's Head Units or SS-TV), which were in charge of the Nazi concentration camps and extermination camps.

It's based within Germany proper and included command and administrative units as well as training and guard troops. Its primary roles are to provide replacements for the combat divisions of the regular SS and integration of reserve and special task SS personnel.

It was mainly established to better compartmentalize SS personnel in their tasks and coordinate activities more efficiently.

Chief executive of the Ersatz SS was SS-Obergruppenführer Heinz Himmel (1922-1962), who held the title of Staffelführer and the unofficial nickname of Ersatz Reichsführer-SS.

The Ersatz SS uses the old pre-1942 SS ranks and insignias. Up until 1950, the rank cap followed was the highest rank held by the Staffelführer – so Oberführer up until 1948, Gruppenführer until 1950 and finally Obergruppenführer.

In 1954, white collar tabs rank insignia was authorized for the General staff membership.  

Relationship with the Main SS 

Through in theory the SS and the newly established Ersatz SS would have coexisted and collaborated in "comradeship and harmony", in practice tensions and misgivings arose almost immediately. Himmel considered his organization an elite, the "creme de la creme" of the SS, while the main organization considered it as an offshot of reservists and backline paper pushers.

The Ersatz SS started to enforce stricter genetic and race standards for membership, but in practice they were loosely enforced. In 1954, with Muller's blessing, the organization established it's own armed arm - the Sturmstaffel - and a security service, the Schutzkommando (SK).

Muller allowed some degree of autonomy to Himmel and his programs, with the entende his loyalty had to be absolute. Although some feared and prepared in sight of a Replacement SS try to gain independence, just like the SS did with the SA twenty years prior, such prospect never concretized. After 1954, the tensions and disagreements between the two organizations gradually vaned, especially after Muller's exortation that "we are all comrades and brothers in arms and blood".

Staffelführer-SS

The office of Staffelführer-SS was held by three different people between 1945 and 1962.

Staffelführer-SS	Took office	Left office	Time in office
Standartenführer-SS Hans Leitz	15 May 1945	20 December 1945	220 days
Oberführer-SS Georg Leopold von Krosig	20 December 1945	2 January 1947	1 year and 14 days
Obergruppenführer-SS Heinz Himmel	2 Januray 1947	29 April 1962	15 years, 3 months and 28 days

Ersatz-SS rank structure