SS-Oberführer

Joachim Rumohr , here with the rank of SS-Oberführer of the Waffen-SS

Oberführer (short: Oberf ; speech: Oberführer ) was in the German Reich , a staff officer rank of the Schutzstaffel (SS), in rank between the standartenführer or the Supreme and the SS Brigade Commander classified and the general ranks. This SS rank had no military equivalent; Rather, it corresponded to that of a senior colonel who was entitled to wear the silver-gray lapels and the aluminum cap piping of an SS general, but still had the shoulder boards of a colonel.

Ranking and insignia

This SS rank was on an equal footing with the SA Oberführer , but was above the Colonel at the time and was lower than the Major General of the Wehrmacht . In the navy , the rank of commodore had been the equivalent of this rank since 1939 , but there was no comparable rank in the army and air force. According to today's NATO rank codes , the Oberführer would be comparable to Senior OF-5 and would correspond to "Colonel B3 " in the Bundeswehr , which of course is not a separate rank. The backing of the shoulder pieces was held in the weapon color specified for officers of the Waffen-SS .

By the end of the war in 1945, the Schutzstaffel had a total of 276 SS Oberführer.

The illustrations show the badges of rank or rank badges that were worn as shoulder pieces and collar tabs , but also as sleeve badges from 1942 for camouflage or special suits. The mirror-like collar tabs with the badge of rank were worn on the field-gray uniform jacket of the Waffen-SS or the gray field blouse.

Rank
lower: SS standard leader	SS-Oberführer (Oberf)	higher: SS brigade leader

• Badge of rank SS-Oberführer of the Waffen-SS
• 

  Shoulder piece
  ( weapon color white:
  infantry )

• 

  Shoulder piece
  (weapon color cornflower blue:
  medical troops )

• 

  Collar Tabs

• 

  Sleeve badge camouflage suit

See also

• Illustration of the ranks and insignia of the Waffen SS
• Gun colors (Waffen-SS)
• NS ranks
• SS ranks

Web links

Commons : Rangabzeichen SS-Oberführer  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Wiktionary: SS-Oberführer  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Andrew Mollow: Uniforms of the Waffen-SS , p. 154
2. ↑ Heinz Höhne: The order under the skull. The history of the SS . Siegbert Mohn Verlag, Gütersloh 1967, p. 141 (reprint: Bassermann, Munich 2008, ISBN 978-3-8094-2255-6 . First published as a serial from October 1966 to November 1967 in the magazine Der Spiegel ).
3. ^ Dictionary of German military history. 1st edition. Military Publishing House of the GDR, Berlin 1985, p. 145 Rank badge 29/30.