Rank Comparison Table

Rank Comparison

In the table below the ranks of the German Army, Air Force, Navy, and the Waffen-SS and their groupings are shown as they compared during the Second World War.

Because military ranks in different countries were not standardized during the Second World War it is not possible to make a completely accurate rank conversion table. Some ranks did not have equivilants in other armies, or might not exist any longer. An approximate comparison to the current NATO and the Second World War US rank scales have been used for comparison. The rank of Reichführer-SS has been omitted, as it was not a military rank, but rather an administrative rank created when the SS was still a paramilitary organization.

Medical (Arzt), veterinary (Veterinär), and music officers had separate rank paths that were aligned with the regular ranks. For simplicity, the ranks of the different rank paths have been combined for each rank class below.

Heer	Luftwaffe	Kriegsmarine	Waffen-SS	NATO	US Army
Generals
	Reichmarschall
Generalfeldmarschall	Generalfeldmarschall	Großadmiral		OF-10	General of the Army
Generaloberst	Generaloberst	Generaladmiral	Oberstgruppenführer	OF-9	General
General der Infanterie General der Gebirgstruppe General der Kavallerie General der Artillerie General der Pioniere General der Panzertruppe General der Nachrichtentruppe Generaloberstabsarzt Generaloberstabsveterinär	General der Flieger General der Flakartillerie General der Luftnachrichtentruppe Generaloberstabsarzt	Admiral	Obergruppenführer	OF-8	Lieutenant General
Generalleutnant Generalstabsarzt Generalstabsveterinär	Generalleutnant Generalstabsarzt	Vizeadmiral Admiralstabsarzt	Gruppenführer	OF-7	Major General
Generalmajor Generalarzt Generalveterinär	Generalmajor Generalarzt	Konteradmiral Admiralarzt	Brigadeführer	OF-6	Brigadier General
Staff officers
Oberst Oberstarzt Oberstveterinär	Oberst Oberstarzt	Kapitän zur See Flottenarzt	Oberführer	OF-5	Colonel
Oberst Oberstarzt Oberstveterinär	Oberst Oberstarzt	Kapitän zur See Flottenarzt	Standartenführer	OF-5	Colonel
Oberstleutnant Oberfeldarzt Oberfeldveterinär	Oberstleutnant Oberfeldarzt	Fregattenkapitän Geschwaderarzt	Obersturmbannführer	OF-4	Lieutenant Colonel
Major Oberstabsarzt Oberstabsveterinär	Major Oberstabsarzt	Korvettenkapitän Marineoberstabsarzt	Sturmbannführer	OF-3	Major
Captains and cavalry captains
Hauptmann Rittmeister Stabsarzt Stabsveterinär	Hauptmann Stabsarzt	Kapitänleutnant Marinestabsarzt	Hauptsturmführer	OF-2	Captain
Lieutenants
Oberleutnant Oberarzt Oberveterinär	Oberleutnant Oberarzt	Oberleutnant zur See Marineoberassistenzarzt	Obersturmführer	OF-1	First Lieutenant
Leutnant Assistenzarzt Veterinär	Leutnant Assistenzarzt	Leutnant zur See Marineassistenzarzt	Untersturmführer	OF-1	Second Lieutenant
Music inspectors and bandmasters
Obermusikinspizient
Musikinspizient
Stabsmusikmeister
Obermusikmeister
Musikmeister
Fortress masters and farrier instructors
Festungsoberwerkmeister Oberhufbeschlaglehrmeister
Festungswerkmeister Hufbeschlaglehrmeister
Non-commissioned officers with portfolio
Stabsfeldwebel Stabswachtmeister Stabsbeschlagmeister Stabsfeuerwerker Stabsschirrmeister Stabsfunkmeister Stabsbrieftaubenmeister	Stabsfeldwebel1Generic ranks followed those of the Army while specialist Air Force ranks had their own paths.	Stabsoberfeldwebel2Additional Navy-specific ranks existed.	Sturmscharführer	OR-8	Master Sergeant
Oberfähnrich3Only in peacetime. Unterarzt Unterveterinär	Oberfähnrich Unterarzt 1Generic ranks followed those of the Army while specialist Air Force ranks had their own paths.	Oberfähnrich zur See2Additional Navy-specific ranks existed.3Only in peacetime.	Hauptscharführer	OR-7	Technical Sergeant
Oberfeldwebel Oberwachtmeister Oberbeschlagmeister Oberfeuerwerker Oberschirrmeister Oberfunkmeister Oberbrieftaubenmeister	Oberfeldwebel1Generic ranks followed those of the Army while specialist Air Force ranks had their own paths.	Oberfeldwebel Oberbootsmann 2Additional Navy-specific ranks existed.	Hauptscharführer Stabsscharführer1	OR-7	Technical Sergeant
		Stabsfeldwebel
Feldwebel Wachtmeister Beschlagmeister Feuerwerker Schirrmeister Funkmeister Brieftaubenmeister Fahnenjunker-Feldwebel4Only in wartime.	Feldwebel1Generic ranks followed those of the Army while specialist Air Force ranks had their own paths.	Feldwebel Bootsmann 2Additional Navy-specific ranks existed.	Oberscharführer	OR-6	Staff Sergeant
Non-commissioned officers without portfolio
Fähnrich Fähnrich für Sanitätskorps Fähnrich für Veterinärkorps Fähnrich für Ingenieurkorps 3Only in peacetime.	Fähnrich1Generic ranks followed those of the Army while specialist Air Force ranks had their own paths.3Only in peacetime.	Fähnrich zur See2Additional Navy-specific ranks existed.3Only in peacetime.
Unterfeldwebel Unterwachtmeister	Unterfeldwebel	Oberbootsmannsmaat2Additional Navy-specific ranks existed.	Scharführer	OR-5	Sergeant
Unteroffizier Oberjäger Fahnenjunker-Unteroffizier	Unteroffizier	Bootsmannsmaat2Additional Navy-specific ranks existed.	Unterscharführer	OR-4	Corporal
Enlisted
Stabsgefreiter	Stabsgefreiter	Oberstabsgefreiter
		Matrosenstabsgefreiter
	Hauptgefreiter	Matrosenhauptgefreiter
Obergefreiter	Obergefreiter	Matrosenobergefreiter	Rottenführer	OR-3	Private First Class
Gefreiter Fahnenjunker-Gefreiter	Gefreiter	Matrosengefreiter	Sturmmann	OR-2	Private
Oberschütze Oberreiter Oberkanonier Panzeroberschütze Oberpionier Oberfunker Oberkraftfahrer Oberfahrer Sanitätsobersoldat Bauobersoldat			Oberschütze	OR-1
Schütze Jäger Grenadier Füsilier Reiter Kanonier Panzerschütze Pionier Funker Kraftfahrer Fahrer Sanitätssoldat Bausoldat Fahnenjunker	Flieger5Additional Air Force-specific ranks existed.	Matrose	Schütze SS-Mann2	OR-1

Rank Authority Structure

The German 1940 field manual on ranks described which ranks held authority over others:3

Common superiority regulation

Both in and outside service, officers of all brances, music inspectors, and bandmasters of the armed forces have superioriority over non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel of the armed forces.

Both in and outside service, officers of higher rank classes have superiority over all officers, music inspectors, and bandmasters of lower ranks.

Between officers of the same rank class, music inspectors, and bandmasters, a higher service position or seniority (rank seniority) does not generally convey any superiority, however, all officers with lower seniority and all music inspectors and bandmasters are to salute officers with seniority. In no case can a music inspector or bandmaster have superiority over an officer.

Both in and outside service, non-commissioned officers of the armed forces have superiority over all enlisted personnel of the armed forces.

There is no general superiority between the individual rank classes of the non-commissioned officers of the armed forces. However, those of a lower rank must salute those of a higher rank. Both in and outside of service, fortress masters and farrier instructors (rank class B III 1) and non-commissioned officers with portfolio (rank class B III 2) have superiority over ensigns and non-commissioned officers with in their own unit.

There is no general superiority between the individual ranks of the enlisted personnel.

Superiority due to specific positions

Soldiers who have command over other soldiers due to general service regulations or by specific circumstances have superiority for the duration of the position, even when they have a lower class than those whom they are commanding, however only within the scope of the position.

The following superiority constellations are not to be created:

Music inspectors, bandmasters, non-commissioned officers, or enlisted personnel over officers;
Non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel over music inspectors and bandmasters;
Enlisted personnel over non-commissioned officers.

Notes

Generic ranks followed those of the Army while specialist Air Force ranks had their own paths. Back
Additional Navy-specific ranks existed. Back
Only in peacetime. Back
Only in wartime. Back
Additional Air Force-specific ranks existed. Back

References

Führererlaß über die bewaffneten Teile der SS. Wehrkreiskommando VII, 1939. Back
Führererlaß über die bewaffneten Teile der SS. Wehrkreiskommando VII, 1939. Back
Bestimmungen über Rang- und Vorgesetztenverhältnis der Soldaten des Heeres (R. u. V.). AHA, 1940. Back

Sources

Führererlaß über die bewaffneten Teile der SS. Wehrkreiskommando VII, 1939. 23 p. BArch RS 1/1.
Bestimmungen über Rang- und Vorgesetztenverhältnis der Soldaten des Heeres (R. u. V.). Berlin : AHA, 1940. 9 p. H Dv 82/9. NARA T78 R875.
KEITEL, Wilhelm. Wehrmacht-Gebührnisse; Einsatzgebührnisse - Amtlische Texte. Berlin : Führer-Hauptquartier, 1945. 10 p.
SCHULLZE, Erich. Gesetz zur Befreiung von Nationalsozialismus und Militarismus. Munich : Biederstein Verlag, 1947. 372 p.
THOMAS, Nigel & ANDREW, Stephen. Men-At-Arms 311 - The German Army 1939-45 (I) : Blitzkrieg. Oxford : Osprey Publishing, 1997. 56 p. ISBN 1-85532-639-6.