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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

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Insignia Title
(English) 		German Army equivalent[3] Approximate equivalents/translations 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)[a] 		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[b] 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 first class Senior private
No insignia SS-Schütze
(SS-Rifleman) 		Soldat, Schütze, Grenadier Private Private

Remarks

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ senior NCO, e.g. Hauptscharführer or Oberscharführer, seldom Scharführer.[8]
  2. ^ However, administratively Rottenführer (2. Gehaltsstufe) existed.[9]

Citations

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  1. ^ Mollo 1992, pp. 88–89.
  2. ^ Mollo 1977, p. 190.
  3. ^ Bender & Taylor 1986, p. 112.
  4. ^ a b c War Department 1945.
  5. ^ a b c Bender & Taylor 1986, pp. 121–127.
  6. ^ Zabecki 2014, pp. 1639–1940.
  7. ^ CIA 1999, p. 30.
  8. ^ Bender & Taylor 1986, p. 110.
  9. ^ Mollo 1992, p. 78.
  10. ^ Mollo 1992, p. 77.

Bibliography

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  • 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.
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