Nazi government; ALSO: Jewish inmates of extermination camps, assigned to clear gas chambers of corpses, etc. During WWI, the term was used to refer to special fleet groups, i.e. the coastal defense force tasked with maintaining control over Dardanelles. Sonderkraftfahrzeug (Sd. Kfz.) – "special-purpose motor vehicle", usually abbreviated and referring to an Ordnance Inventory Number. Sonderreferat – special administrative section. Späher – scout. Spähtrupp – combat patrol Spähwagen – armoured car, scout/reconnaissance vehicle. Sperrfeuer – protective fire, curtain fire. Artillery barrage to stop advancing troops Störfeuer – harassing fire Sperrlinie – blocking line. Sperrschule – Mine Warfare School at Kiel-Wik. Spieß – "pike"; colloquial name for the mustering and administrative non-commissioned officer of a company, the Hauptfeldwebel. Typically held the rank of Oberfeldwebel or Stabsfeldwebel. He exercised more authority than his American counterpart (First Sergeant), but his duties did not ordinarily include combat leadership. Spion – spy. Sprengstoff – explosive material. Sprung – an advance movement for infantry: jump up from cover, run a few steps, take cover again. Repeat. "Sprung auf, marsch, marsch!" – command to initiate a Sprung SS – see Schutzstaffel. SS-TV – SS-Totenkopfverbände (SS Death's Head Units). SS-Verfügungstruppen – "units available" or military formations of the SS; became the core of the Waffen-SS formed in August 1940. Stab (pl. Stäbe) – "staff", sometimes HQ. Stabschef – chief of staff. Stabsfeldwebel – lit. "Staff Sergeant", but roughly equivalent to Sergeant Major: the highest NCO rank in the Wehrmacht, the second highest NCO rank in the Bundeswehr. Stacheldraht – barbed wire. Stadtkommandant – military commander of a city. Staffel – squadron; the smallest operational air unit, and the primary operational unit of the World War I era Luftstreitkräfte. Staffelführer Staffelkapitän Stahlhelm – (1) literally "steel helmet"; (2) inter-war nationalist organization. Stalag – acronym for Stammlager, German prisoner-of-war camp for ranks other than officers. Stalinorgel – "Stalin's Organ"; nickname for the Katyusha rocket launcher. Stammkennzeichen – four-letter radio identification code applied to factory-fresh Luftwaffe aircraft, also used for prototype identification, not used on non-day-fighter aircraft assigned to a particular Luftwaffe wing, where a Geschwaderkennung code would be used instead. Standarte – SS unit equivalent to a regiment Standort – garrison Standortältester – garrison commander Stellung – position Stellungskrieg – static warfare, contrary to Blitzkrieg, if neither of the conflict parties is able to overcome the defense with offensive operations, the result is an Abnützungskrieg. Stellungsunteroffizier – gun position NCO