History

In lieu of collar tabs and shoulder boards, Waffen-SS members wore sleeve rank insignia on certain camouflage clothing items. Sleeve rank insignia were first used in 1936 by the Waffen-SS' predecessor, the SS-Verfügungstruppe.

Ultimately, the system used by the Waffen-SS that was established in February of 1943 closely followed the design established by the German Army in August of 1942. The difference between the two sets of insignia is the fact that the cloth underlay is in field-grey for Army uniforms and in black for those of the Waffen-SS.

The insignia feature a number of bars and sometimes bars and oak leaves to distinguish between ranks. They are yellow for General ranks and green for all other ranks. They were worn on the left sleeve.

The following ranks used yellow on black:
Oberst-Gruppenführer wore a pair of oakleaves with a single larger-than-usual bar underneath. On top of the bar a three silver-coloured pips.

Obergruppenführer wore a pair of oakleaves with three bars, Gruppenführer had two bars, and Brigadeführer one bar.

The following ranks used green on black:
Oberführer wore two pairs of oakleaves with four bars, Standartenführer had three bars, Obersturmbannführer two bars, and Sturmbannführer one bar.

Hauptsturmführer wore a pair of oakleaves with three bars, Obersturmführer wore two bars, and Untersturmführer one bar.

Sturmscharführer wore five bars, Hauptscharführer four bars, Oberscharführer three bars, Scharführer two bars, and Unterscharführer one bar.

Enlisted Ranks used the chevron system implemented by the German Army. Prior to 1942, SS-Rottenführer wore a double silver-coloured chevron on black, an SS-Sturmmann wore a single silver-coloured chevron on black, and an SS-Mann wore a silver-coloured pip on a black circle.
Beginning in 1942, the SS-Mann insignia was used by SS-Oberschützen, while the rank of SS-Mann had no sleeve rank insignia anymore.
For more information on rank chevrons see the German Army Chevron folder.