Nazi SS (Schutzstaffel) and Nazi SD (Sicherheitsdienst)

In Girl in the Glass, the Clypeate once again face off against Nazi Germany, this time against the dreaded SS.

They first encounter authentic SS officers in Berlin, but in Leipzig they encounter Otto Ohlendorf, the head of an SS intelligence branch known as the SD Inland. Historically, he is known for his cruelty and brutality, and in Girl in the Glass, he measures up to his reputation. As an intelligence officer, he’s also got a surprise for the Clypeate. He knows they’re the same people his men encountered in Antarctica. Gruppenführer Ohlendorf tells them:

“I learned the vehicles captured on the beach were identified as missing German transports. My interest piqued when they were reported lost during a mission several months ago, in Antarctica.” His grin widened in a twisted way that made Declan shudder. “So, on behalf of Mein Führer, thank you for returning our equipment. He also thanks you for the information you’re going to share with us.”

The Schutzstaffel (SS), a major paramilitary organization within the Nazi Party, evolved from Hitler's personal bodyguard unit into a powerful force responsible for a wide array of functions. Under the command of Heinrich Himmler, its activities included political, police, and military operations, as well as enforcing Nazi ideology and implementing the Holocaust. Recruits to the SS underwent strict screening for supposed racial purity and needed to be unquestioningly loyal to Hitler. By the time of World War II, the SS had grown to more than 250,000 members. 

The Sicherheitsdienst (SD), or Security Service, was part of the SS and functioned as its intelligence agency, gathering information on perceived threats to the Nazi regime, both internal and external. Established in 1931, the SD monitored public opinion and identified “enemies of the state”, including political opponents, Jews, and other groups deemed undesirable. The SD was involved in planning and coordinating the persecution of Jews, working closely with the Gestapo (Secret State Police) and Einsatzgruppen mobile killing squads. The SD and Gestapo's functions overlapped, with both playing roles in carrying out the regime's genocidal policies. Both the SS and the SD were declared criminal organizations at the Nuremberg Trials after World War II for their direct involvement in war crimes and crimes against humanity.

SS Insignia

SS troops

SD insignia

SD officers conducting random arrests