German rank and unit designations
This simplified table was inserted by the editor for the benefit of readers without military knowledge. Especially the comparison of NCO ranks is difficult, because they differ in designations (even between UK and US and between then and now), structure and level of responsibility.
| Ranks | Units commanded[1]
(as a rough indication) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| German | Translation | NATO | WWII British | WWII US | German | Translation | English | |
| Mannschaften | Enlisted ranks | OR-1 - 3 | ||||||
| Schütze, Kanonier, Funker usw. | Private (infantry, artillery, signals, etc.) | OR-1 | Private | Private | ||||
| Oberschütze (Oberkanonier, Oberfunker usw.) | Attention: Oberjäger = Unteroffizier in Jäger (light infantry) units | OR-2 | Senior Private | Private First Class | ||||
| Gefreiter | Lance Corporal | OR-3 | Lance Corporal | Acting Corporal | Trupp, Gruppe | Troop, Group | Squad, Section | |
| Obergefreiter | "Upper Lance Corporal" | Lance Corporal | Corporal | |||||
| Stabsgefreiter | "Staff Lance Corporal" | Lance Corporal | Administrative Corporal | |||||
| Unteroffizier-Anwärter | NCO Candidate | |||||||
| Unteroffiziere | NCO | OR-4 - 9 | Unteroffizier can also mean NCO in general | |||||
| Unteroffizier (Oberjäger) | Corporal (different designation in Jäger (rifles) units) | OR-4 | Corporal | Sergeant | Halbzug | Half Platoon | ||
| Unterfeldwebel | Sergeant | OR-5 | Sergeant | Staff Sergeant | ||||
| Fähnrich, 1940-1942: Feldwebel (Offizier-Anwärter) | officer candidate ranking above Unterfeldwebel | Officer Designate, literally: Ensign | OR-6 | |||||
| Feldwebel (Wachtmeister) | Sergeant (different designation in cavalry and artillery) | OR-6 | Staff Sergeant | Technical Sergeant | Zug | Platoon | ||
| Oberfeldwebel | Master Sergeant | OR-7 | Sergeant Major | Master Sergeant | ||||
| Hauptfeldwebel (not a rank but a position mostly held by an Oberfeldwebel) | Sergeant Major (Master Sergeant) | First Sergeant | CSM | Kompanie-Trupp | Company troop | Company headquarters | ||
| Oberfähnrich | professional officer candidate ranking above Oberfeldwebel | OR-8 | Officer Designate | Officer Cadet | Officer Candidate | |||
| Stabsfeldwebel | Staff Sergeant | OR-8 | Regimental Sergeant Major | Sergeant Major | ||||
| Offiziere | Officers | OF-1 - 10 | ||||||
| Leutnant | Lieutenant | OF-1 | Second Lieutenant | Second Lieutenant | Zug | Platoon | ||
| Oberleutnant | First Lieutenant | OF-1 | Lieutenant | First Lieutenant | Kompanie | Company
The position of company Chef (chief) was conferred and could not be easily reversed like the - mostly temporary - assignment as company Führer (leader); the same applies to battalion etc. Kommandeure (commanders)/ | ||
| Hauptmann (Rittmeister) | Captain (different designation in cavalry) | OF-2 | Captain | Captain | ||||
| Major | Major | OF-3 | Major | Major | Bataillon (Abteilung) | Battalion (different designation in cavalry, panzer, artillery and signals) | ||
| Oberstleutnant | Lieutenant Colonel | OF-4 | Lieutenant Colonel | Lieutenant Colonel | ||||
| Oberst | Colonel | OF-5 | Colonel | Colonel | Regiment | Regiment | ||
| Generalmajor | Major General | OF-6 | Brigadier | Brigadier General | ||||
| Generalleutnant | Lieutenant General | OF-7 | Major-General | Major General | Division | Division | ||
| General d. Inf. (der Infanterie) usw. | General of the Infantry etc. | OF-8 | Lieutenant-General | Lieutenant General | Armee-Korps | Corps
The position of commander of an Armee-Korps was titled "Kommandierender Genaral" (general commanding), his staff/headquarters was called "Generalkommando" (general command); the lower commanders were "Kommandeur" (commander), the higher ones "Oberbefehlshaber" (literally: commander-in-chief); the title "Oberster Befehlshaber" was reserved for the head of state. | ||
| Korps-Gruppe, Armee-Abteilung | Corps Group, Army Division | a temporary combination of several Corps under one of the commanding generals | ||||||
| Generaloberst | Colonel General | OF-9 | General | General | Armee | Army | Field Army
The staff/headquarters of an army was called "Armeeoberkommando (AOK)" (army high command). | |
| Armee-Gruppe | Army Group (do not confuse!) | a temporary combination of several filed armies under one of the commanders | ||||||
| Generalfeldmarschall | General Field Marshal | OF-10 | Field Marshal | General of the Army | Heeresgruppe | |||
| OB West/OB Süd | C-in-C West/C-in-C South | comprised 2-3 army groups | ||||||
Sources
- Ranks and insignia of the German Army (1935–1945)#Rank tables
- Comparative officer ranks of World War II
- Comparison of United Kingdom and United States military ranks
See also
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Editorial 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 Epilog Anhang |
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Januar Februar März April Mai Juni Juli August September Oktober November Dezember Eine Art Bilanz Gedankensplitter und Betrachtungen Personen Orte Abkürzungen Stichwort-Index Organigramme Literatur Galerie:Fotos,Karten,Dokumente |
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1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. Erfahrungen i.d.Gefangenschaft Bemerkungen z.russ.Mentalität Träume i.d.Gefangenschaft Personen-Index Namen,Anschriften Personal I.R.477 1940–44 Übersichtskarte (Orte,Wege) Orts-Index Vormarsch-Weg Codenamen der Operationen im Sommer 1942 Mil.Rangordnung 257.Inf.Div. MG-Komp.eines Inf.Batl. Kgf.-Lagerorganisation Kriegstagebücher Allgemeines Zu einzelnen Zeitabschnitten Linkliste Rotkreuzkarte Originalmanuskript Briefe von Kompanie-Angehörigen |
- ↑ As the war progressed, the posts of leaders/
commanders were more and more being occupied by lower grades.