ORGANIZATION BOOK OF THE NSDAP [Organisationsbuch der NSDAP] 5th, 6th and 7th Edition, Central NSDAP Press, 1938, Munich
[Fifth Edition, Pages 367-371a]
Training of the S.A.
In order to obtain uniform training, a systematical arrangement of three major groups is provided: a ideological education and training b general training .
c active service
These groups comprise essentially the following individual fields:
Group a:
1. Education and training according to the doctrines and aims of the Fuehrer as they are set forth in the "Kampf" and in the party program for all phases of our lives and our National Socialist ideology.
2. The teachings of the history of the German people for the
tasks of our time. ,
3. Exercise of the National Socialist doctrine of duty.
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Group b:
1. Security police service,
2. Physical exercises,
3. Marching exercises,
4. Terrain service,
5. Small-caliber shooting practice,
6. Gas and air-raid protection,
7. Service of special units, (Maritime, Communications, Engineers, and Cavalry units).
Group c:
1. Assemblies and demonstrations
2. Contests and performance examinations for S.A. sport insignia
3. Security service
4. Home service (catastrophe service, etc.)
The training of leaders is the prerequisite for the total training. The suitability of the SA leaders for their positions was first established through examinations.
Leaders designated as suitable will be educated and trained step by step according to the previously mentioned points of view and according to the special educational guidance of the Office of the Chief of Storm Troops [Oberste SA-Fuehrung].
The SA Sport Insignia [Page 369]
The new state demands a resistant, hardened generation. In addition to the ideological education of the mind, a fighting training of the body must be required by means of simple, useful, and. natural body exercises.
In order to create increased incentive and aims for the endeavors of youth, I re-establish the
SA Sport Insignia
for the entire SA and for all its former branches, which is earned by means of a performance test after a conscientiously executed period of training.
In order to give conscious expression to the fostering of a valiant spirit in all parts of the German people, I further decide that this SA Sport Insignia can also be earned and worn by persons who are not members of the movement, inasfar as they comply racially and ideologically with the National Socialist requirements.
Enforcement regulations are decreed by the Chief of Staff.
Berlin, 15 February 1935.
Chief of Storm Troops [Der Oberste SA-Fuehrer]
Signed: Adolf Hitler
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The performance test includes three groups of exercises Body exercises,
Military sports,
Topographical (naval) services.
Group I Body exercises:
Group II 100-meter race, Broad jump, Shot-put, Throwing of hand grenades, 3000-meter race. ' Military sports: 25-Kilometer march with pack, Firing of small-caliber arms, Aimed throwing of hand grenades, 200-meter cross-country race with gas masks over 4 obstacles, Swimming or bicycle riding, Basic knowledge of first aid in case of accidents.
Group III Terrain service: Orientation, Terrain observation, Estimate of terrain, Estimate of distance, Camouflage, Observing and reporting, Utilization of terrain and general behavior in terrain
service.
Special regulations for SA naval units Group I Body exercises:
Group II unchanged Military sports: 15-kilometer march with pack instead of 25-kilometer
Group III Naval service: 25 minutes of long-distance rowing in cutter seamanship in and on the boat, throwing of lines, knotting and splicing, signaling and. transmitting of Morse code messages, compass, designation of navigable water, navigation lights, rules on turning aside, general seamanlike behavior while in naval service.
* * *
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[Sixth Edition, Pages 359, 364a, 364b, 365]
Structure of the S. A.
1. S.A. Units
The S.A. extends over the whole Reich territory.
It is organized according to political and local [Landsmannschaftlich] viewpoints into S.A. groups as follows:
S.A. Group—Alpenland
S.A. Group—Bavarian Ostmark (Govt. Dist. lower Bavaria, upper Palatinate and upper Franconia)
S.A. Group-—Berlin-Brandenburg (Province Mark Brandenburg and Greater Berlin) ,
S.A. Group—Danube
S.A. Group—Franconia (Govt. Dist. central and lower Franconia)
S.A. Group—Hansa (Free City of Hamburg and Mecklenburg)
S.A. Group—Hesse (Parts of the Free State of Hesse, upper Hesse, the Province of Hesse, and HesseNassau)
S.A. Group—Highland (Hochland) (Govt. Dist. upper Bavaria and Swabia)
S.A. Group—Palatinate (Govt. Dist. Rhenish Palatinate, Saar, and Rhenish Hesse) '
S.A. Group—Middle (Province of Saxony and Free State of Anhalt)
S.A. Group—Lower Rhine (Parts of Rhine Province and the Ruhr District)
S.A. Group—Lower Saxony (Parts of Province of Hannover and Free State of Brunswick)
S.A. Group—Nordmark (Province of Schleswig-Holstein, Free City of Luebeck)
S.A. Group—North Sea (parts of Province of Hannover and Westphalia, Free State of Oldenburg, Free City of Bremen)
S.A. Group—Ostland (Province of East Prussia and Free State of Danzig)
S.A. Group—Ostmark (Province of Grenzmark)
S.A. Group—Pomerania (Province of Pomerania and parts of Grenzmark)
S.A. Group—Saxony (Free State of Saxony)
S.A. Group—Silesia (Province of upper and lower Silesia)
S.A. Group—Sudeten
S.A. Group—Suedmark
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S.A. Group—Southwest (Free State of Baden and Württemberg)
S.A. Group—Thuringia (Free State of Thuringia)
S.A. Group—Warthe S.A. Group—Vistula
S.A. Group—Westphalia (Province of Westphalia)
S.A. Group—Westmark (Rhine Province and part of the Province of Hesse-Nassau)
2. Special Units [Identical with corresponding passage in 5th and 7th editions]
In order to comply with the manifold demands on the services of the S.A. during demonstrations, assemblies, catastrophes, and accidents, as well as to preserve the efficiency of S.A. men, S.A. members have been organized into special and technical units. There are: Marine, Mounted, Communications, Engineer and Medical units.
Their organization into companies, battalions, and so forth, and their subordination are variously regulated according to location and the given circumstances.
a. Marine S.A.: The Marine S.A. includes all S.A. men who by occupation are or have been sailors of the merchant marine, ' the navy, or interior shipping, as well as men who are connected with shipping in any way or particularly interested in it.
The seagoing S.A. men, who come into contact with the population of other countries, should represent National Socialist will and thought [Wollen and Denken].
For this reason their ideological education and professional training is a main mission of the marine S.A.
This schooling and training is given aboard ship in the board troops [Bordtrupps] and on land in the marine S.A. units.
Further tasks are service in catastrophes and accidents, especially those caused by water. For this purpose thorough training in seamanship is given each marine S.A. man.
b. Mounted S.A.: As the mainstay of the national socialist riding corps [NSRK], the S.A. cavalry is responsible for the training of German youth in riding and driving, before military service, as well as additional training in riding for men already in the service (compare discussion on Page 373 "National Socialist Riding Corps"). The S.A. cavalry further cultivates riding and driving activities within the S.A.
c. Communications S.A.: The task of the Communications S.A. is to enable the responsible leader during assemblies and other demonstrations and in the catastrophe service to exercise control over subordinated or employed units. The training there-
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fore extends primarily to telephone service. Beyond that, however, the communications S.A. men are also trained in sending and receiving Morse Code signals. The "Communications Certificate of the S.A." is a certificate of merit for those S.A. men who wish to enlist in the signal corps of the armed forces.
d. Engineers S.A.: The tasks of the S.A. engineers include catastrophe protective service during incidents capable of damaging the German national property.
Every S.A. engineer has to prove in thorough technical examinations his degree of training and his initiative [Einsatsbereit-schaft].
The examinations are entered in a performance book, which also contains the "S.A. Engineers Certificate" as certificate of merit. .
e. Medical S.A. : The S.A. doctors and S.A. medical personnel organized into medical units will supervise and care for the bodily health and efficiency of the individual S.A. man as well as units under their jurisdiction.
Schools of the S.A. for special units
a. Marine S.A. Schools : The following schools are available for training the marine S.A.: Marine S.A. school "DUSTERN-BROCK" and the training sailing ship "DUHNEN." The school "DUSTERNBROCK" has to accomplish above all practical and theoretical training in boat service, in row, sail and power boat, according to the regulations of the navy.
The continuation of seamanship training takes place on the seagoing training ship "DUHNEN." Here one gets used to the ship and learns to know and serve it in all its parts and equipment, and here also knowledge of weather and steering is taught and applied.
b. Reich Riding Leadership School. (See under REICHSREI-TERFUEHRERSCHULE on page 373). .
c. Reich Communications School of the S.A. : Here the S.A. leaders of communications units are trained in all particulars of communications. Here they also become eligible through examinations for the "S.A. Communications Certificate."
THE S.A. REGIMENT "FELDHERRNHALLE"
The S.A. Regiment "Felderrnhalle" has its seat in Berlin, VossStrasse 1. It consists of six garrisoned battalions stationed in: Berlin, Munich, Hattingen, Krefeld, Stettin, and Stuttgart.
S.A. General [Obergruppenfuehrer] Hermann Goering was appointed by the Fuehrer on 12 January, 1937, as Chief of the
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S.A. Regiment "Feldhermhalle". The S. A. regiment is directly subordinated to the chief of staff. Its mission, beyond regular S.A. service, is to supervise bureaus of the S.A., the party, and the state. It is to be ready at all times for any and all purposes.
[Seventh Edition, page 359, 367]
BRANCHES OF THE S.A.
1. S.A. Units
The S.A. embraces the entire territory of the Reich. It is divided according to political and local (LANDSMANNSCHAFTLICH) points of view into the following groups:
S.A. Group—Alpenland (District /Gau/ Upper Danube, Salzburg, Tyrol-Vorarlberg)
S.A. Group—Bayernwald (Govt. Dist. Lower Bavaria, Upper Palatinate and Upper Franconia)
S.A. Group—Berlin-Brandenburg (Province Mark Brandenburg and Greater Berlin)
S.A. Group—Danube (Gau Lower Danube, Vienna)
S.A. Group—Elbe (Province of Saxony and Free State of Anhalt)
S.A. Group—Franconia (Govt. Dist. Central and Lower Franconia)
S.A. Group—Hansa (Free City of Hamburg and Mecklenburg)
S.A. Group—Hesse (Parts of the Free State of Hesse /Upper Hesse/, the Province of Hesse, and Hesse-Nassau)
S.A. Group—Highland (Hochland) (Govt. Dist. Upper Bavaria and Swabia)
S.A. Group—Palatinate (Govt. Dist. Rhenish Palatinate, Saar District, Rhenish Hesse, Lorraine)
S.A. Group—Central Rhine (Rhine Province, Part of the Province of Hesse-Nassau, Luxemburg)
S.A. Group—Neckar (Part of the Free State of Baden and Wuerttenberg)
S.A. Group—Lower Rhine (Parts of the Rhine Province and of the Ruhr District)
S.A. Group—Lower Saxony (Part of the Province of Hannover and Free State of Brunswick)
S.A. Group—Nordmark (Province of Schleswig-Holstein, Free City of Luebeck)
S.A. Group—North Sea (Parts of the Province of Hannover and Westphalia, Free State of Oldenburg, Free City of Bremen)
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S.A.
S.A.
S.A.
S.A.
S.A.
S.A.
S.A.
S.A.
S.A.
S.A.
S.A.
S.A.
Group—Upper Rhine (Parts of the Free State of Baden and Alsace)
Group—Oder (Province of Grenzmark)
Group—Pomerania (Province of Pomerania and parts of Granzmark)
Group—Saxony (Free State of Saxony)
Group—Silesia (Province of Upper and Lower Silesia) Group—Sudeten (Reich Gau Sudetenland)
Group—Suedmark (Gau Styria and Carinthia)
Group—Tannenberg—(Province of East Prussia) Group—Thuringia (Free State of Thuringia)
Group—Warthe (Reich Gau Wartheland)
Group—Vistula (Reich Gau Danzig—West Prussia) Group—Westphalia (Province of Westphalia) * * *
WITHDRAWAL FROM THE S.A.
Service with the S.A. is and remains voluntary. As in recruitment for the S.A. no advantages may be promised and no pressure whatsoever may be exerted, the S.A. man should have the possibility to withdraw from the S.A. if he believes that he can no longer agree with S.A. views or if he is not in a position to fulfill completely the duties imposed on him as a member of the S.A. On presentation of honorable reasons in a corresponding written petition, the S.A. member can be "released from the S.A. by own request." However, if he shows no interest or if he has joined the ranks of the S.A. merely because of a whim or for the sake of a good opportunity, there ensues a "discharge from the S.A. according to number 121b of the SADV/1" (official measures for insuitability for service in the S.A.). If he is guilty of any disciplinary or political or possibly criminal offenses, the competent disciplinary officer can declare him as "punished with permanent discharge from the S.A." In serious cases "exclusion from the S.A." can be declared.
Extracts from Nazi organization manuals, on the SA Feldherrnhalle regiment, Goering's appointment as its chief, political training, sports programs including "Military sports," SA units and responsibilities, and the provision for voluntary release from the SA
Date: 1938
Literal Title: Oganisationsbuch der NSDAP, 5th edition, Central NSDAP Press, 1938, Munich, p. 364b.
Defendant: Hermann Wilhelm Goering
Total Pages: 8
Language of Text: English
Source of Text: Nazi conspiracy and aggression (Office of United States Chief of Counsel for Prosecution of Axis Criminality. Washington, D.C. : U.S. Government Printing Office, 1946.)
Evidence Code: PS-2354
Citations: IMT (page 1735), IMT (page 1746), IMT (page 1774), IMT (page 1775)
HLSL Item No.: 451351
Notes:Extracts from the 5th (1938), 6th (1940), and 7th (no date given) editions.
Document Summary
PS-2354: Official statement, 1940, on the meaning and purpose of The'sa; membership and resignation; explanation of the Sa sports medal
PS-2354: Chart showing the Foreign Organization of the NSDAP, hereinafter referred to as the AO, which is a translation from "Organization Book of the NSDAP". Fifth Edition, Munich, 1938.