Home page   World War II Armed Forces — Orders of Battle and Organizations Last Updated 25.05.2013
German Army
Military personnel Billet Groups, Functions, and Ranks Discussed
These symbols were used to depict the internal organization of units. The basic symbols with a few examples are depicted here. Others use these basic symbols in combination, possibly enhanced by abbreviations.
 
Generals     
Billet Group "A"
  Commander-in-Chief / General Officer in an "A" Group
  Oberbefehlshaber / General in A-Stelle
Ranks:
   Generalfeldmarschall
   Generaloberst
Ranks:
   General of the Army (Field Marshal)
   General
Billet Group "F"
   Commanding General / General Officer in an "F" Group
   Kommandierender General / General in F-Stelle
Ranks:
   General
     der Infanterie
     der Kavallerie
     der Artillerie
     der …
     Generaloberstabsarzt
     Generaloberstabs …
Ranks:
  Lieutenant General
     of the Cavalry
     of the Infantry
     of the Artillery
     of the …
     Lieutenant General (Medical Corps)
     Lieutenant General ( … )
Billet Group "D"
   Divisional Commander / General Officer in a "D" Group
   Divisionskommandeur / General in D-Stelle
Ranks:
   Generalleutnant
      Generalstabsartz
      Generalstabs-…
Ranks:
   Major General
      Major General (Medical Corps)
      Major General ( … )
Billet Group "I"
   Infantry, Artillery, or Brigade Commander / General Officer in an "I" Group
   Infanterie-, Artillerie-, Brigadekommandeur / Offizier in I-Stelle
Ranks:
   Generalmajor
      Generalarzt
      General- …
      Feldbischof
Ranks:
   Brigadier General
      Brigadier General (Medical Corps)
      Brigadier General ( … )
      Brigadier General (Chaplain Corps)
Officers     
Billet Group "R"
   Regimental Commander / Officer in an "R" Group
   Regimentskommandeur / Offizier in R-Stelle
Ranks:
   Oberst
      Oberstarzt
      Oberst- …
      Wehrmachtsdekan
Ranks:
   Colonel
      Colonel (Medical Corps)
      Colonel ( … )
      Colonel (Chapain Corps)
Billet Group "B"
   Battalion Commander / Officer in a "B" Group
   Bataillons bzw. Abteilungskommandeur / Offizier in B-Stelle
Ranks:
   Oberstleutnant
      Oberfeldarzt
      Oberfeld- …
      Obermusikinspizient
      Heeresoberpfarrer
   Major
      Oberstabsarzt
      Oberstabs- …
      Musikinspizient
      Heerespfarrer
Ranks:
   Lieutenant Colonel
      Lieutenant Colonel (Medical Corps)
      Lieutenant Colonel ( … )
      Lieutenant Colonel (Band)
      Lieutenant Colonel (Chaplain Corps)
   Major
      Major (Medical Corps)
      Major ( … )
      Major (Band)
      Major (Chaplain Corps)
Billet Group "K"
   Battery, Squadron, or Company Commander / Officer in a "K" Group
   Kompanie-, Batterie-, bzw. Schwadronführer / Offizier in K-Stelle
Ranks:
   Hauptmann
      Rittmeister
      Stabsarzt
      Stabsveterinär
      Stabsmusikmeister
      Stabs- …
      Heereshilfspfarrer
Ranks:
   Captain
      Captain (Cavalry Corps)
      Captain (Medical Corps)
      Captain (Veterinary Corps)
      Captain (Band)
      Captain ( … )
      Captain (Chaplain Corps)
Billet Group "Z"
   platoon Leader / Officer in a "Z" Group
   Zugführer / Offizier in Z-Stelle
Ranks:
   Oberleutnant
      Oberazt
      Obermusikmeister
      Oberzahlmeister
      Ober- …
   Leutnant
      Asisstenzarzt
      Musikmeister
      Assistenzzahlmesiter
      Assistenz- …
Ranks:
   First Lieutenant
      First Lieutenant (Medical Corps)
      First Lieutenant (Band)
      First Lieutenant (paymaster Corps)
      First Lieutenant ( … )
   Second Lieutenant
      Second Lieutenant (Medical Corps)
      Second Lieutenant (Band)
      Second Lieutenant (paymaster Corps)
      Second Lieutenant ( … )
Enlisted Men     
Billet Group "O"
   Senior Non-Commissioned Officer in an "O" Group
   Oberfeldwebel (Unteroffiziere mit portepee)
Ranks:
   Stabsfeldwebel
      Obermeister
   Hauptfeldwebel
      Hauptwachtmeister
   Oberfeldwebel
      Oberwachtmeister
      Musikleiter
      etc.
   Feldwebel
      Wachtmeister
      Beschlagmeister
      Feuerwerker
      Brieftaubenmeister
      etc.
Ranks:
   Warrant Officer First Class
      Warrant Officer 1st Class of a Technical Establishment
   Warrrant Officer 2nd Class
      Warrant Officer 2nd Class (Cavalry, Artillery, AA, etc.)
   Sergeant Major
      Sergeant Major (Cavalry, Artillery, AA, etc.)
      Sergeant Major (Band)
      etc.  
   First Sergeant
      First Sergeant (Cavalry, Artillery, AA, etc.)
      Farrier First Sergeant
      Ordnance First Sergeant
      Pigeon Postmaster
      etc.
Billet Group "G"
   Non-Commissioned Officer in a "G" Group
   Gruppenführer (Unteroffiziere ohne Portepee)
Ranks:
   Unterfeldwebel
      Unterwachtmeister
      etc.
   Unteroffizier
      Santitätsunteroffizier
      etc.
   Obergefreiter
      Santitätsobergefreiter
      etc.
Ranks:
   Staff Sergeant
      Staff Sergeant (Cavalry, Artillery, AA, etc.)
      etc.
   Sergeant
      Sergeant (Medical Corps)
      etc.
   Corporal
      Corporal (Medical Corps
      etc.
Billet Group "M"
   Other Rank in an "M" Group
   Mannschaft
Ranks:
   Gefreiter
   Oberschütze
      Oberreiter
      etc.
   Schütze
      Grenadier
      Jäger
      Reiter
      Kanonier
      Pionier
      Funker
      Fahrer
      Kraftfahrer
      Sanitätssoldat
      Beschlagschmiedschütze
      Spielman
      etc.
Ranks:
   Private First Class
   Private 2
      Trooper First Class
      etc.
   Private 1 (infantryman)
      Private (alternate designation for infantryman)
      Private (Mountain or Light Infantry)
      Trooper (Cavalry)
      Gunner (Artillery)
      Engineer / Pioneer (Engineers)
      Radioman (Signals)
      Driver (usually of a horse-drawn vehicle)
      Driver (motor vehicle)
      Medic (Medical)
      Farrier (horse smith)
      Bandsman / Bugler
      etc.
 
NOTES:
This is only a simplified account of the German military personnel structure and hierarchy. Readers are warned that, as in all armies, they were in actual fact more complicated, with important differentiations being made between designations of rank, billet, function, and skill..
‘Billet’ indicates an appointment to (staffing of) a position — also called a 'slot' — like Squad Leader, Platoon Commander, Divisional Commander, Executive Officer, Supply Sergeant, etc. Confusingly, in some cases, the billet has the same designation as a rank, such as Hauptfeldwebel.

The equivalent Ranks given in English are neither completely World War II British nor American, and is not going to satisfy any specialist. (However a specialist would probably not be reading this anyway). Nearly all German officer ranks correspond to US Army ranks, although their terminology differs, a Generalmajor being the equivalent of a brigadier general. Modern US Army rank equivalents have some differences. There is one more enlisted rank (Command Sergeant Major), and three more Warrant Officer ranks (Warrant Officers W3–W5). US Army Warrant Officers are counted as officers, not enlisted men. In the German WWII Army, all ranks below 2nd Lieutenant were enlisted men.

The German Army divided officers billets into eight groups, depending on the function to be carried out. German wartime officer ranks were permanent, which often made it impossible for German officers to be promoted to the higher rank which their wartime billet would actually have warranted. For example, although a Captain normally staffed the billet of Company Commander, this was not always a rule. If there were not enough Captains then a senior member of a lower rank was assigned to that billet. Conversely, if there were too many of a higher rank than one or more might be assigned a lower ranking billet. Many Divisions were commanded by a Brigadier General — and even an occasional Colonel — instead of a Major General. Conversely, if a billet was particularly critical, a higher-ranking person might be assigned to that billet than would normally be the case. Skill was preferred to rank. promotion was achieved by serving time. The function or billet filled as such was not a ground for promotion.

The enlisted men were divided into three billet groups: Senior Sergeants (Unteroffiziere mit portepee) ("O" Group), Junior Sergeants (Unteroffiziere ohne portepee) ("G" Group), and Other Ranks (Mannschaften) ("M" Group).

Enlisted members of the German Army had an ‘Occupation’ (Laufbahn), i.e. a career or field of specialty, like Infantry, Supply, Finance, and so on. The occupation might be incorporated into the rank designation, such as Beschlagschmied-obergefreiter, a farrier (horseshoe smith) corporal; or even be used instead of the rank designations, such as Beschlagmeister, (‘Farrier Master’), who was an expert farrier sergeant.

The highest combat leader position held by an enlisted man was that of platoon leader. However, this usually applied only to the third and fourth platoons. All other combat command positions were held by officers. Sergeants and Warrant Officers were in charge of logistics and administration, freeing the officers for their primary function of leading men into combat. It was not unusual for senior enlisted men to become involved in combat when the need arose, although the German Army considered it a waste of skilled manpower to use these highly trained and experienced men for this purpose.

German Tables of Organization (KStN – Kriegsstärkenachweisungen) had many notes indicating which billets and specialist slots were to be filled with what ranks and specialists, listing which billets had priority over others, which could alternatively be filled by a person with specialized knowledge or skill, and which billets should by preference be filled with regular army personnel.

Although it was expected to have rank and billet corresponding to each other, this was far from the case. Specialist personnel was rare and many units were raised in a hurry, not having enough time to acquire all its correct personnel. And once a units entered combat, the chances of acquiring the exact, highly-skilled soldier for the correct position often became merely a matter of luck.

Band Officers in the German Army ranked between NCOs and Officers, and formed a seperate rank class. They did not have powers of command, though they were entitled to wear officers' uniforms and did hold officer-equivalent rank. Musikinspizienten (Music Directors) were considered staff officers.

The German Wehrmacht also had a unique category of personnel within its ranks, namely the Wehrmachtbeamten, which can be loosely translated as Armed Forces Civil Servants or as Government Service Officials. They were found in administrative, legal, and technical service positions. They were civilians performing functions within the Armed Forces. They were members of the Armed Forces according to the Law of Land Warfare, but were not “soldiers” by the German definition. They wore uniforms identical with those of the Service branch they were serving with, albeit with different insignia. As officials, their authority extended only to their specialty field — unlike soldiers, whose authority extends to anyone whom the individual outranks. Beamten could not hold command. They were entitled to all the customs and courtesies associated with their rank/status, however. Their duties, at least at field and company level, could lead to armed encounters with enemy forces, and they were all armed with pistols.

Owing to the enormous casualties they suffered, the Germans incorporated a vast amount of prisoners-of-war and civilians from the occupied territories into their units, these being designated as Hilfwilligen ('Hiwi'). These more-or-less volunteers were not supposed to be armed, at least initially, and were to carry out the non-combat functions with the units, such as drivers, vehicle escorts, trailers, cobblers, horse holders, grooms, etc.. However, later tables of organization did authorize rifles for Hiwis.


See also:
  Military personnal Job Descriptions
  Military Individual Figure Symbols
  Military personnel promotions Discussed
 
 
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