German rank and unit designations
This table is an attempt to compare ranks using different sources. Especially the comparison of NCO ranks is difficult, because they differ not only in ranks (even this is time-dependent) but also in the level of responsibility.
| Ranks | Units commanded (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 (light infantry) 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 | 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 | Coy Cmd Troop | |||
| 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 | Second Lieutenant | OF-1 | Second Lieutenant | Second Lieutenant | Zug | Platoon | Platoon | |
| Oberleutnant | First Lieutenant | OF-1 | Lieutenant | First Lieutenant | Kompanie | Company | Company | |
| 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) | Battalion | |
| Oberstleutnant | Lieutenant Colonel | OF-4 | Lieutenant Colonel | Lieutenant Colonel | ||||
| Oberst | Colonel | OF-5 | Colonel | Colonel | Regiment | Regiment | Regiment | |
| Generalmajor | Major General | OF-6 | Brigadier | Brigadier General | ||||
| Generalleutnant | Lieutenant General | OF-7 | Major-General | Major General | Division | Division | Division | |
| General d. Inf. (der Infanterie) usw. | General of the Infantry etc. | OF-8 | Lieutenant-General | Lieutenant General | Armee-Korps | Corps | Corps | |
| Generaloberst | Colonel General | OF-9 | General | General | Armee | Army | Field Army | |
| Generalfeldmarschall | General Field Marshal | OF-10 | Field Marshal | General of the Army | Heeresgruppe | Army Group (not to be confused with an Armee-Gruppe as a group of armies within a Heeresgruppe) | Army Group | |
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
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