SS group leader

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Herbert Gille with the rank of SS group leader and lieutenant general of the Waffen SS

The SS-Gruppenführer (short: Gruf ; address: Gruppenführer ) was the third highest general rank of the Schutzstaffel (SS) in the German Reich , which would be comparable to today's major general .

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.

Ranking and insignia

This SS rank corresponded to the SA group leader and the lieutenant general of the Wehrmacht . According to today's NATO rank codes , these ranks would be comparable to OF-7 ( Major General ). The base of the shoulder pieces was held in the weapon color "silver-gray", which is common for all ranks of the Waffen-SS .

By the end of the war in 1945, 96 SS members had achieved the rank of "SS group leader".

Rank
lower:
SS brigade leader
SS-Gruppenführer
(Gruf) 		higher:
SS-Obergruppenführer
Badge of rank SS-Gruppenführer and Lieutenant General of the Waffen-SS
Grufpre1942.png
Collar tab before 1942
(Allgemeine SS / Waffen-SS)
HH-SS-Gruppenfuhrer-Collar.png
Collar tab 1942–1945
(Allgemeine SS / Waffen-SS)
SS group leader (variant 1) .png
Shoulder piece
(Waffen-SS)
Genl-grpf.png
Sleeve badge camouflage suit
(Wehrmacht / Waffen-SS)
Uniform color: field gray

See also

Web links

Commons : Rangabzeichen SS-Gruppenführer  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files
Wiktionary: SS-Gruppenführer  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

References and comments

  1. ^ Dictionary of German military history, 1st edition (Liz. 5, P189 / 84, LSV: 0547, B-No. 746 635 0), Military Publishing House of the GDR (VEB) - Berlin, 1985, p. 145 Rank badge 29/30.
  2. ↑ Gordon Williamson: The SS - Hitler's Instrument of Power. Klagenfurth 1994, p. 250, appendix.
  3. ↑ OF stands for officer ranks , cf. NATO glossary abbreviations used in NATO documents and publications / Glossaire OTAN des abréviations utilisées dans les documents et publications OTAN ( Memento of 8 May 2010 in the Internet Archive )
  4. ↑ Heinz Höhne: The order under the skull: the history of the SS ; Munich: Bassermann, 2008; ISBN 978-3-8094-2255-6 ; P. 141.