Mannschaften (Enlisted personnel or Non-commissioned member)
Rank | Approx. US/UK equivalent | Insignia | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Soldat | Recruit Private (or equivalent British Army ranks) | Soldat was the generic term; for actual ranks see below. Could be advanced directly to Gefreiter. | ||
Fahnenjunker | Officer candidate 2nd class | See below | ||
Obersoldat[8] (from 1936) | Private | Obersoldat was the generic term; for actual ranks see below. Automatic after 12 (later 6) months if not yet advanced to Gefreiter. | ||
Gefreiter | Private First Class | |||
Fahnenjunker-Gefreiter | Officer Candidate 1st class | See below | ||
Obergefreiter | Lance Corporal | 2d sleeve insignia indicates 6 years' service.[9] | ||
Stabsgefreiter[8] (from 1942) | Senior Lance Corporal | Promotions to this rank were suspended in 1934, although existing Stabsgefreiter retained it; promotions resumed in 1942. Automatic after 5 years' service and 2 years as anObergefreiter if not yet an NCO.[9] | ||
Unteroffizier-Anwärter (to 11/43) Unteroffizier-Bewerber (from 11/43) | NCO candidate | Soldier selected for or attending Unteroffizierschule (NCO school); could be of any rank from Soldat through Stabsgefreiter |
Non-commissioned officers (Unteroffiziere)
Rank | Approx. US equivalent | Insignia | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Junior NCO's, Unteroffiziere ohne Portepee [10] | ||||
Unteroffizier Oberjäger (Light and mountain infantry) | Corporal Lance Sergeant [11] | Originally only upon completion of NCO school; later also an automatic promotion for acting squad leaders with 4 months' combat experience. Could be advanced directly to Feldwebel/Wachtmeister. | ||
Fahnenjunker-Unteroffizier | Officer candidate Sergeant | See below | ||
Unterfeldwebel[8] Unterwachtmeister[8] (Cavalry, artillery and transport) | Sergeant | Called Sergeant to 1921. Automatic after 6 years' service and 3 years as an Unteroffizier if not yet advanced to Feldwebel/Wachtmeister. | ||
Senior NCO's, Unteroffiziere mit Portepee [10] | ||||
Feldwebel Wachtmeister (Cavalry, artillery and transport) | Staff Sergeant | From mid-war an automatic promotion for acting platoon leaders with 4 months' combat experience. | ||
Fähnrich | Officer candidate | See below | ||
Oberfeldwebel Oberwachtmeister (Cavalry, artillery and transport) | Master Sergeant/Quartermaster Sergeant | |||
Stabsfeldwebel Stabswachtmeister (Cavalry, artillery and transport) | Sergeant Major | Restricted to career volunteers; automatic after 12 years' service. | ||
Oberfähnrich | Student Officer/Third Lieutenant | (worn with officers' uniform) | See below |
Senior non-commissioned specialist officers
In two specialist career paths it was possible to attain rank above Stabsfeldwebel: fortifications engineers (Festungspioniere) and farriers (Hufbeschlagschmieder).[13] They were actual NCO's with command authority, not Heeresbeamten (uniformed Army civil servants). There is no real Anglosphere equivalent; perhaps the closest would be the US non-commissioned Warrant Officer (WO1).
Rank | Insignia | |
---|---|---|
Festungswerkmeister Hufbeschlaglehrmeister | ||
Festungsoberwerkmeister Oberhufbeschlaglehrmeister |
Officer candidates (Fähnriche)
To 1940 | 1940–1941 | 1942–1945 | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Fahnenjunker | Schütze (Offizier-Bewerber) | Schütze (Offizier-Bewerber) | Officer candidate in basic training | |
Fahnenjunker-Gefreiter | Gefreiter (Offizier-Bewerber) | Gefreiter (Offizier-Bewerber) | Officer candidate in advanced training with the Field Army | |
Fahnenjunker-Unteroffizier Fahnenjunker-Oberjäger | Unteroffizier (Offizier-Anwärter) Oberjäger (Offizier-Anwärter) | Fahnenjunker-Unteroffizier Fahnenjunker-Oberjäger | Cadet beginning Officer Candidate School or specialist academy | |
Fähnrich | Feldwebel (Offizier-Anwärter) Wachtmeister (Offizier-Anwärter) | Fahnenjunker-Feldwebel Fahnenjunker-Wachtmeister | Cadet completing Officer Candidate School or specialist academy | |
Oberfähnrich Unterarzt (Medical) Unterveterinär (Veterinary) Oberfähnrich im Ing. Korps (Engineering) Feuerwerker m. b. Offiziersprüfung (Ordnance) | Oberfähnrich Unterarzt Unterveterinär Feldingenieur Oberfähnrich (Waffen) | Oberfähnrich Unterarzt Unterveterinär Feldingenieur Oberfähnrich (Waffen) | Graduate serving as acting lieutenant, ensign or 3rd Lieutenant prior to commissioning as an officer. |
Officers (Offiziere)
Rank | US/UK equivalent | Shoulder Insignia | |
---|---|---|---|
Leutnante | |||
Leutnant Assistenzarzt (Medical) Veterinär (Veterinary) | 2nd Lieutenant/Sublieutenant | White: Infantry | |
Oberleutnant Oberarzt (Medical) Oberveterinär (Veterinary) | 1st Lieutenant/Lieutenant | Gold-yellow: Cavalry | |
Hauptleute | |||
Hauptmann Rittmeister (Cavalry and horse transport) Stabsarzt (Medical) Stabsveterinär (Veterinary) Stabsrichter (Judicial) Heereshilfspfarrer (Chaplain)[17] | Captain | Orange: Ordnance | |
Stabsoffiziere (Field officer) | |||
Major Hauptfach(Panzer units) Oberstabsarzt (Medical) Oberstabsveterinär (Veterinary) Oberstabsrichter (Judicial) Heerespfarrer (Chaplain) [17] | Major | Rose-pink: Armor | |
Oberstleutnant Oberfeldarzt (Medical) Oberfeldveterinär (Veterinary) Oberrichter (Judicial) Heeresoberpfarrer (Chaplain)[17] | Lieutenant Colonel | Red: Artillery | |
Oberst Oberstarzt (Medical) Oberstveterinär (Veterinary) Oberstrichter (Judicial) Wehrmachtsdekan (Chaplain)[17] | Colonel | Meadow-green:Panzergrenadiere |
General Officers and Marshals (Generäle)
Rank | US/UK equivalent rank | Shoulder Insignia | |
---|---|---|---|
Generalmajor Generalarzt (Medical) Generalrichter (Judicial) Feldbischof (Chaplain) [17][18] | Brigadier General/Brigadier | ||
Generalveterinär | Brigadier General/Brigadier | ||
Generalleutnant Generalstabsarzt (Medical) Generalstabsveterinär (Veterinary) Generalstabsrichter (Judicial) | Major General | ||
General der Infanterie — der Artillerie — der Kavallerie — der Panzertruppen (from 1935) — der Pioniere (from 1938) — der Gebirgstruppen (from 1940) — der Nachrichtentruppen (from 1940) Generaloberstabsveterinär (Veterinary) Generaloberstabsrichter (Judicial) | Lieutenant General | ||
Generaloberstabsarzt | Lieutenant General | ||
Generaloberst | General | ||
Generalfeldmarschall | General of the Army/Field Marshal |
No comments:
Post a Comment