SS-Oberscharführer

SS Oberscharführer of the Waffen SS Kurt Sametreiter

The SS-Oberscharführer (short: Oscha; address: Oberscharführer) was in the German Reich from 1933 to 1945 the lowest rank of the rank group of NCOs with portepee of the Schutzstaffel (SS).

introduction

The rank designation Oberscharführer was used for the first time in the Sturmabteilung (SA) and was associated with the increase in the number of NCOs in the late 1920s to early 1930s. Here, however, the rank was comparable to the Wehrmacht Unterfeldwebel and was classified between the lower SA-Scharführer (equivalent sergeant ) and the higher SA-Truppführer (equivalent sergeant ). With the adoption of the field gray Wehrmacht uniform from 1938, the sergeant shoulder boards of the Wehrmacht were also consistently introduced.

Oberscharfuhrer of the Waffen SS

In the course of the reorganization of the SS and the establishment of the combat units of the Waffen-SS , the rank here was taken over, upgraded and put on an equal footing with the SA troop leader , which was now comparable to the sergeant of the Wehrmacht.

At the company level of the Waffen-SS combat units , the SS-Oberscharführer was often deployed as platoon leader third - and sometimes second platoon or as a spear. Often SS-Oberscharführer were also used as tank commanders in the armored forces of the Waffen SS.

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 collar tabs with SS runes and 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 was equivalent to the SA troop leader and the sergeant at the time in the army and air force of the Wehrmacht. The SS-Standartenjunker as officer candidate of the Waffen-SS was nominally equal to the SS-Oberscharführer. According to today's NATO rank codes , these ranks would be comparable to OR-6. The piping of the shoulder pieces was in the weapon color specified for non-commissioned officers of the Waffen-SS .

Rank
lower: SS squad leader	SS-Oberscharführer (Oscha)	higher: SS-Hauptscharführer

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

  SS-Oberscharführer
  ( weapon color white:
  SS infantry, armored infantry, motorized infantry)

• 

  SS-Standartenjunker
  (weapon color orange:
  SS-Feldgendarmerie )

• 

  Collar Tabs

• 

  Sleeve badge camouflage suit

See also

• Illustration of the ranks and insignia of the Waffen SS
• Gun colors (Waffen-SS)
• NS ranks
• Service ranks of the SS compared to the Wehrmacht
• NCOs with Wehrmacht porters

References and comments

1. ^ Dictionary of German military history. 1st edition. Military Publishing House of the GDR, Berlin 1985, p. 145 Rank badge 29/30.
2. ↑ OR stands for Other 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 )