Ranks and insignia of the Waffen-SS
This table contains the final ranks and insignia of the Waffen-SS, which were in use from April 1942 to May 1945, in comparison to the Wehrmacht.[1] The highest ranks of the combined SS (German: Gesamt-SS) was that of Reichsführer-SS and Oberster Führer der SS; however, there was no Waffen-SS equivalent to these positions.[2]
Table
| Insignia | Title (English) |
Army equivalent[3] | Approximate equivalents during World War II | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Collar[4][5] | Shoulder[4][5] | Sleeve (parka)[5] |
U.S.[4][6] | UK[7] | |||
| General ranks | |||||||
| SS-Oberst-Gruppenführer und Generaloberst der Waffen-SS (SS-Supreme group leader and colonel general of the Waffen-SS) |
Generaloberst | General | General | ||||
| SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS (SS-Senior group leader and general of the Waffen-SS) |
General der Waffengattung | Lieutenant general | Lieutenant-general | ||||
| SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS (SS-Group leader and lieutenant general of the Waffen-SS) |
Generalleutnant | Major general | Major general | ||||
| SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Waffen-SS (SS-Brigadier leader and major general of the Waffen-SS) |
Generalmajor | Brigadier general | Brigadier | ||||
| Officer ranks | |||||||
| SS-Oberführer (SS-Senior leader) |
No army equivalent; equivalent to Kommodore in the Kriegsmarine | Senior colonel | Colonel | ||||
| SS-Standartenführer (SS-Standard leader) |
Oberst | Colonel | Colonel | ||||
| SS-Obersturmbannführer (SS-Senior assault unit leader) |
Oberstleutnant | Lieutenant colonel | Lieutenant colonel | ||||
| SS-Sturmbannführer (SS-Assault unit leader) |
Major | Major | Major | ||||
| SS-Hauptsturmführer (SS-Head assault leader) |
Hauptmann/Rittmeister | Captain | Captain | ||||
| SS-Obersturmführer (SS-Senior assault leader) |
Oberleutnant | First lieutenant | Lieutenant | ||||
| SS-Untersturmführer (SS-Second/Junior assault leader) |
Leutnant | Second lieutenant | |||||
| Non-commissioned officer ranks | |||||||
| SS-Sturmscharführer (SS-Assault section leader) |
Stabsfeldwebel | Sergeant major | Regimental sergeant major | ||||
| Various Depending on rank |
SS-Stabsscharführer (SS-Staff section leader)[lower-alpha 1] |
Hauptfeldwebel senior NCO e.g., Oberfeldwebel or Feldwebel, seldom Unterfeldwebel. |
— | (Company) Sergeant major | |||
| SS-Hauptscharführer (SS-Head section leader) |
Oberfeldwebel | Master sergeant | Sergeant major | ||||
| SS-Standartenoberjunker OA (Officer aspirant) |
Fahnenjunker-Oberfeldwebel OA (Officer aspirant) |
||||||
| SS-Oberscharführer (SS-Senior section leader) |
Feldwebel | Technical sergeant | Staff sergeant | ||||
| SS-Standartenjunker OA (Officer aspirant) |
Fahnenjunker-Feldwebel OA (Officer aspirant) |
||||||
| SS-Scharführer (SS-Section leader) |
Unterfeldwebel | Staff sergeant | Sergeant | ||||
| SS-Oberjunker OA (Officer aspirant) |
Fahnenjunker-Unterfeldwebel OA (Officer aspirant) |
||||||
| SS-Unterscharführer (SS-Junior section leader) |
Unteroffizier | Sergeant | Corporal | ||||
| SS-Junker OA (Officer aspirant) |
Fahnenjunker-Unteroffizier OA (Officer aspirant) |
||||||
| Enlisted ranks | |||||||
| No equivalent[lower-alpha 2] | Stabsgefreiter | Administrative corporal | Lance corporal | ||||
| SS-Rottenführer (SS-Squad leader) |
Obergefreiter | Corporal | Lance corporal | ||||
| SS-Sturmmann (SS-Assault man/Storm trooper) |
Gefreiter | Acting corporal | Senior Private | ||||
| SS-Oberschütze (SS-Senior rifleman) |
Oberschütze | Private 1st class | Senior private | ||||
| No insignia | SS-Schütze (SS-Rifleman) |
Soldat, Schütze, Grenadier | Private | Private | |||
Remarks
- SS-Bewerber (SS-applicant) and SS-Anwärter (SS-aspirant) were both removed as Waffen-SS ranks before 1941.[10]
See also
Notes
Citations
- Mollo 1992, pp. 88–89.
- Mollo 1977, p. 190.
- Bender & Taylor 1986, p. 112.
- War Department 1945.
- Bender & Taylor 1986, pp. 121–127.
- Zabecki 2014, pp. 1639–1940.
- CIA 1999, p. 30.
- Bender & Taylor 1986, p. 110.
- Mollo 1992, p. 78.
- Mollo 1992, p. 77.
Bibliography
- Bender, Roger James; Taylor, Hugh Page (1986). Uniforms Organization and History of the Waffen-SS Vol 1 (6th ed.). San Jose, CA: R. James Bender Publishing. ISBN 0-912138-02-5.
- CIA (24 August 1999). "Records Integration Title Book" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on January 23, 2017. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
- Mollo, Andrew (1977). A pictorial history of the S.S., 1923-1945. New York: Stein and Day. ISBN 978-0356082271. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
- Mollo, Andrew (1992). Uniforms of the SS, Collected Edition Vol. 6. Windrow & Greene. ISBN 1-872004-67-9.
- War Department (15 March 1945). "Chapter IX: Uniforms, Insignia, and Individual Equipment". War Department Technical Manual TM-E 30-451. Plate XX–XXI.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - Zabecki, David T., ed. (2014). Germany at War: 400 Years of Military History. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-1598849806.
External links
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.