need help with Waffen SS officers collar tab question

[Fox 2/23]

hello,
On various websites I have seen depictions of an obersturmfuhrer's collar tabs as having two bars and three pips and a hauptsturmfuhrer's collar as having four thin bars and three pips. Is this correct? In Andrew Mollo's book "Pictorial History of the SS" there is a clear photo of Max Wunsche during the Balkan campaign in 1941. His collar tab indicates quite clearly two bars and three pips. From what I have been able to gather, Wunsche was promoted to hauptsturmfuhrer in May, 1940 and to sturmbannfuhrer in September, 1942 so he would have beeen a hauptsturmfuhrer in the photo. The photo is the best evidence that I have seen to conclude that a hauptsturmfuhrer had two bars and that the illustrations on other sites are incorrect? I would appreciate the comments of forum members on this topic. thanks

[Chris]

Hi Fox

I conclude that the dates refered to around the picture, must be wrong.(alternative the date of Wünsche's promotion, but that I dont know anything about.) I have not seen any books or sources indicating that the Hauptsturmführer rank tab should be three pips and 2 thin bars. The corect rank tab for a Hauptsturmführer is: three pips and four thin bars. My conclusion is based on all the material I have availible, forex. Mollo, Uniforms of the SS, (col. ed.) pages 27,29, (Vol. 1.) and his vol. 6 on the Waffen-SS, page 87. See also; Windrow, The Waffen SS, page 23, and Hugh Page Taylor, The Uniforms, Organization (...) of the Waffen-SS, page 117 just to name a few.

All the best
Chris

[Fox 2/23]

yes, you are right, and thanks for helping to resolve this. I can now stop staring at that photo!