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 1942–45, in comparison to the German Wehrmacht Heer. The highest rank of the combined SS (Gesamt-SS) was that of Reichsführer-SS; however, there was no Waffen-SS equivalent to this position.

Table

NATO pay-grade equivalent	Rank insignia			Designation German / (English)	Equivalent to the Wehrmacht (Heer)
	Collar badge	Shoulder strap and sleeve	Sleeve (parka)
General ranks
OF-9				SS-Oberst-Gruppenführer und Generaloberst der Waffen-SS (SS-Supreme group leader and colonel general of the Waffen-SS)	Generaloberst
OF-8				SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS (SS-Senior group leader and general of the Waffen-SS)	General ...
OF-7				SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS (SS-Group leader and lieutenant general of the Waffen-SS)	Generalleutnant
OF-6				SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Waffen-SS (SS-Brigadier leader and major general of the Waffen-SS)	Generalmajor
Officer ranks
OF-5				SS-Oberführer (SS-Senior leader of the Waffen-SS)	No equivalent.
				SS-Standartenführer (SS-Standard leader (regiment sized unit))	Oberst
OF-4				SS-Obersturmbannführer (SS-Senior assault unit leader (battalion sized unit))	Oberstleutnant
OF-3				SS-Sturmbannführer (SS-Assault unit leader)	Major
OF-2				SS-Hauptsturmführer (SS-Head assault leader (company sized sub unit))	Hauptmann/Rittmeister
OF-1a				SS-Obersturmführer (SS-Senior assault leader)	Oberleutnant
OF-1b				SS-Untersturmführer (SS-Second/Junior assault leader)	Leutnant
Non-Commissioned Officer ranks
OR-8				SS-Sturmscharführer (SS-Assault platoon leader)	Stabsfeldwebel
SS-Stabsscharführer was a specific appointment, comparable to "Company Sergeant Major". This position, usually nicknamed "Spiess" in the German armed forces, was held by experienced senior NCOs who had already reached the rank of SS-Hauptscharführer (OR-7) or SS-Oberscharführer (OR-6), rarely SS-Scharführer (OR-5). Appointment insignia: so-called "double piston rings" on both cuffs (of sleeves) on the uniform jacket and the overcoat.				SS-Stabsscharführer (senior NCO, e.g. Hauptscharführer or Oberscharführer, seldom Scharführer)	Hauptfeldwebel (senior NCO e.g., Oberfeldwebel or Feldwebel, seldom Unterfeldwebel)
OR-7				SS-Hauptscharführer (SS-Chief platoon leader) (SS-Standartenoberjunker OA / Officer Aspiant)	Oberfeldwebel (Oberfähnrich OA/ Offiziersanwärter)
OR-6				SS-Oberscharführer (SS-Senior platoon leader) (SS-Standartenjunker OA/ Officer Aspirant)	Feldwebel (Fähnrich OA/ Offiziersanwärter)
OR-5				SS-Scharführer (SS-Section leader) (SS-Oberjunker / Offiziersanwärter)	Unterfeldwebel
				SS-Unterscharführer (SS-Junior section leader) (SS-Junker OA/ Officer Aspirant)	Unteroffizier (Fahnenjunker / Offiziersanwärter)
Enlisted men
No equivalent					Stabsgefreiter (OR-4)
OR-3				SS-Rottenführer (SS-Squad leader)	Obergefreiter
OR-2				SS-Sturmmann (SS-Assault man/Storm trooper)	Gefreiter
OR-1				SS-Oberschütze (SS-Senior rifleman)	Oberschütze
				SS-Schütze (SS-Rifleman)	Soldat, Schütze, Grenadier
Volunteer to the service of the Waffen-SS					Conscript or military volunteer who enlists and may become an NCO or Officer of the Wehrmacht

Remarks

• The color of the Kragenspiegel (collar badge) is  schwarz (black) in SS and NSKK,  cinnabar-red in the staff headquarters of the so-called “Motorobergruppen” (en: Senior motor groups) and independent groups,  carmine-red in higher staff headquarters of the NSKK.^[1]
• Details, conditions, and prerequisites for SS-Candidates, aspirant or volunteers for full membership to the Allgemeine SS (general SS) are described in the main articles SS-Bewerber (SS-applicant) and SS-Anwärter (SS-aspirant).

See also

• Corps colours (Waffen-SS)
• Ranks and Insignia of the German Army in World War II
• Comparative military ranks of World War II
• List of SS personnel
• Glossary of Nazi Germany
• Degen, the SS Sword

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Table of ranks and insignia of the Waffen-SS.

• German WWII Army & SS Rank & Insignia

Sources

• Bedurftig, Friedemann, and Zenter, Christian. The Encyclopedia of the Third Reich. 1985.
• Cook, Stan and Bender, R. James. Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler – Volume One: Uniforms, Organization, & History. San Jose, CA: R. James Bender Publishing, 1994. ISBN 978-0-912138-55-8
• Hayes, A. SS Uniforms, Insignia and Accoutrements. Schiffer Publishing, Ltd. 2000. ISBN 978-0-7643-0046-2
• Mollo, Andrew. Uniforms of the SS, Collected Edition Vol. 1–6. Motorbooks Intl. 1997. ISBN 978-1-85915-048-1
• Personnel Service Records of the S.S., National Archives and Records Administration, College Park, Maryland

Schutzstaffel (SS)
Branches	Allgemeine SS Totenkopfverbände (SS-TV) Waffen-SS
Leadership	Reichsführer-SS SS and Police Leader SS personnel SS commands
Leaders	Julius Schreck Joseph Berchtold Erhard Heiden Heinrich Himmler Karl Hanke
Main departments	Personal Staff Reichsführer-SS SS Main Office Head Operational Office Reich Main Security Office (RSHA) Economics and Administration Office Office of Race and Settlement (RuSHA) Main Office for Ethnic Germans (VOMI) Office of the Reich Commissioner for Germanic Resettlement (RKFDV) Courts Office Personnel Office Education Office
Ideological institutions	Ahnenerbe Das Schwarze Korps SS-Junkerschule Bad Tölz Lebensborn
Police and security services	Regular uniform police (Orpo) Criminal police (Kripo) Secret State police (Gestapo) State Security police (SiPo) SS Security Service (SD)
Führer protection	SS-Begleitkommando des Führers Reichssicherheitsdienst
Paramilitary units	Einsatzgruppen Ypatingasis būrys Lithuanian Security Police Rollkommando Hamann Arajs Kommando Ukrainian Auxiliary Police Ukrainian collaboration Volksdeutscher Selbstschutz Trawnikis
Waffen-SS divisions	Verfügungstruppe (SS-VT) Leibstandarte (LSSAH) SS Division Das Reich SS Division Totenkopf SS Polizei Division SS Division Wiking
Foreign SS units	Germanic-SS Germaansche SS in Nederland Germaansche SS in Vlaanderen Germanske SS Norge Schalburg Corps Britisches Freikorps S.S. Sturmbrigade R.O.N.A. Finnish Volunteer Battalion of the Waffen-SS
SS-controlled enterprises	Ostindustrie Deutsche Wirtschaftsbetriebe Deutsche Ausrüstungswerke DEST Allach porcelain Apollinaris Mattoni Sudetenquell Anton Loibl
SS awards	SS Sword of Honour SS Honour Ring
Ranks, uniforms and insignia	Uniforms and insignia of the SS Ranks and insignia of the Waffen-SS Ranks and insignia of the Orpo Corps colours of the Waffen-SS

Nazi Germany paramilitary ranks
Combat ranks	Anwärter Junker Schütze Oberschütze Sturmmann Volkssturmmann Stabsscharführer Rottenführer Unterscharführer Scharführer Oberscharführer Hauptscharführer Sturmscharführer Zugführer (Volkssturm) Untersturmführer Obersturmführer Kompanieführer (Volkssturm) Hauptsturmführer Bataillonsführer (Volkssturm) Sturmbannführer Obersturmbannführer Standartenführer Oberführer Brigadeführer Gruppenführer Obergruppenführer Oberst-Gruppenführer
Non-combat ranks	Bewerber Aufseherin Mann Oberrottenführer HJ Staffelführer Truppführer Obertruppführer Haupttruppführer Sturmführer Rapportführer Sonderführer Sturmhauptführer Schutzhaftlagerführer Gauführer Untergruppenführer Stabsführer Reichsjugendführer Bannführer Korpsführer Reichsführer-SS Stabschef (SA)
Nazi Party ranks	Blockleiter Zellenleiter Ortsgruppenleiter Kreisleiter Gauleiter Reichsleiter
Other ranks	RLB-Präsident
Organizations	Nazi Party Sturmabteilung Schutzstaffel Allgemeine SS SS-Verfügungstruppe Waffen-SS SS-Totenkopfverbände Hitler Youth National Socialist Motor Corps National Socialist Flyers Corps Volkssturm