SS-Stabswache
SS-Stabswache (English: Staff or Headquarter Guard) was the name of a special unit of the Schutzstaffel equipped with small arms, which initially had the size of a barracked hundred (kasernierte Hundertschaft).
Contents
History
_and_the_young_Leibstandarte.jpg)
This personal protection force was based on a unit of the same name (Stabswache in March 1923 with Emil Maurice and others, renamed Stoßtrupp „Hitler“ in May 1923) that had already taken over the protection of the Führer in the 1920s and from which the 
emerged.
In late 1924, Hitler's need for a special guard unit, especially after being released from prison on 20 December 1924, seemed to have grown in his viewpoint, and the SS's position within the Party's structure had been achieved. On 6 January 1929, Hitler appointed Heinrich Himmler to the position of Reichsführer SS and charged him "to [...] form this organization as an elite troop of the Party, [...] dependable in every circumstance." Total strength of the Schutzstaffel at this time was but 280 men. On 29 February 1932, Sepp Dietrich raised the SS Escort Command (German: SS-Begleitkommando), later renamed SS-Begleitkommando des Führers, then Führer-Begleit-Kommando (FBK), initially 12 men with the responsibility of protecting Hitler.
Until 1933, there were no officially recognized branches of the SS, and its membership formed the Allgemeine SS (General SS). After receipt of the official acknowledgement of the specialized branches, i.e. SD, those persons not so attached were considered Allgemeine SS members. A handful of armed troops had been held by Himmler for ceremonial and security purposes. Designated SS-Verfügungstruppen, these armed SS troops grew in numbers slowly during the prewar years.
The first distinctive SS formation of 1933 was the Sonderkommando Berlin (Special Detail Berlin) raised by Sepp Dietrich in Berlin on 17 March of 1933, with 117 selected SS men as a headquarters guard for Adolf Hitler's Reich Chancellery (not to be confused with the SA-Stabswache). These men included Günther Anhalt, Hans Collani, Martin Kohlroser, Wilhelm Mohnke, Albin Freiherr von Reitzenstein, Bernhard Siebken, Theodor Wisch, Günther Wisliceny, Fritz Witt and many more.[1]
Under the name "SS-Sonderkommando Zossen" (10 May 1933) it underwent initial military training at the military training area of the same name near Berlin. The Stabswache or staff guard was initially stationed in the Alexander barracks and from August/September in the former cadet institute in Berlin-Lichterfelde. In October/November 1933, there was reinforcement from the “SS-Sonderkommando Jüterbog” (founded in June or 8 July 1933). The new unit took over the protection of Hitler's headquarters, government buildings and other leading NSDAP officials in Berlin. Hitler's personal bodyguard was still the SS-Begleitkommando des Führers.
In September 1933, during the NSDAP rally (Reichsparteitag), Hitler awarded the Stabswache, now already 800 men strong, its official title of "'Adolf Hitler'-Standarte", renamed "Leibstandarte 'Adolf Hitler'" (Personal Guard Regiment 'Adolf Hitler'; LAH) two months later. On 9 November 1933, the tenth anniversary of the Munich Putsch, the Leibstandarte swore an oath which unconditionally bound them to the Führer, effectively removing them from direct control of the Reichsführer SS and the NSDAP, becoming Hitler's new praetorian guard. They were successfully deployed during the Röhm Putsch. At midnight, the Leibstandarte marched with torches to the Feldherrnhalle, where Dietrich reported to the Führer:
- “My Führer, your Leibstandarte with 835 SS men lined up for the swearing in!”
Uniform
Members of the SS-Stabswache wore the regular black SS uniform. However, it was planned that special sleeve stripes should be introduced for them. The designs were based on the sleeve stripes of the SA, but due to the imminent regrouping of the SS-Stabswache into the Leibstandarte, only empty sleeve stripes were used there before the regrouping.
