SS Colonel Group Leader
The SS-Oberst-Gruppenführer ( Oberstgruf for short , address Oberst-Gruppenführer ) was in the German Reich from 1942 to 1945 the highest general rank ( Colonel General ) of the Schutzstaffel (SS) under the Reichsführer SS , comparable to today's general . To avoid confusion with the SS rank of Obergruppenführer , which was one star lower , the specific spelling of Oberst-Gruppenführer was deliberately chosen in June 1942 . The rank was awarded only four times.
Introduction and award between 1942 and 1944
On April 7, 1942, Adolf Hitler and the SS-Oberst-Gruppenführer approved the introduction of a new SS rank, which was primarily intended for the Waffen SS and police. The first appointment was made on the Fuehrer's birthday on April 20, 1942, which was a backdating: With effect from April 20, 1942, Josef Dietrich was awarded the rank as commanding tank general of the Waffen SS. With effect from April 20, 1942, Franz Xaver Schwarz ( honorary rank for his services as treasurer of the NSDAP and as head of the Reichszeugmeisterei ) and Kurt Daluege (as head of the Ordnungspolizei) received this SS rank and - related to it - the rank of colonel general awarded to the police. Daluege was also the only police officer who was appointed SS-Oberst-Gruppenführer and Colonel-General of the Police . On August 1, 1944, Paul Hausser was promoted as Commander in Chief of the 7th Army in Normandy to SS Colonel Group Leader and Colonel General of the Waffen SS.
The collar tabs with the Oberst-Gruppenführer insignia were worn on the field-gray uniform jacket of the Waffen-SS or the gray field blouse or, in the case of Daluege, on the uniform jacket of the police. On the other hand, there are no photo documents with these insignia on the black SS uniform, which was already worn less and less during the time this rank was awarded.
Special features and comments
At the end of 1944, Heinrich Himmler proposed Albert Speer as an honorary SS-Oberstgruppenführer. Speer refused on the grounds that he did not want to be formally presented to Himmler.
Like Hans-Adolf Prützmann , Hermann Göring was proposed for appointment at the beginning of 1945. A short time later, Göring fell out of favor with Hitler and with Prützmann the end of the war preceded an appointment.
The general rank of Oberst-Gruppenführer was partly used in literature after 1945, for example in Robert Harris ' novel Vaterland . In this novella, in which Germany won the Second World War in an alternative world story, Arthur Nebe appears as SS-Oberst-Gruppenführer and chief of the criminal investigation department.
List of SS-Oberst-Gruppenführer
The table below contains all four people who were promoted or appointed SS-Oberst-Gruppenführer.
| Surname | Service position | Rank designation | SS number |
SS entry |
NSDAP number |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kurt Daluege | Chief of the Ordnungspolizei and Deputy Reich Protector of Bohemia and Moravia | SS Colonel Group Leader and Colonel General of the Police | 1,119 | July 25, 1930 | 31,981 |
| Josef Dietrich (also: Sepp Dietrich ) | Commander 6th Panzer Army , Commander Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler | SS Colonel Group Leader and Colonel General of the Waffen SS | 1,177 | May 5, 1928 | 89.015 |
| Paul Hausser (also: Papa Hausser ) | Commander II. SS Panzer Corps and Army Group G | SS Colonel Group Leader and Colonel General of the Waffen SS | 239.795 | November 15, 1934 | 4,158,779 |
| Franz Xaver Schwarz | Treasurer of the NSDAP | SS Colonel Group Leader | 38,500 | September 16, 1931 | 6th |
Ranking and badges
This SS rank corresponded to the Colonel General of the Wehrmacht at the time . According to today's NATO rank codes , SS-Oberst-Gruppenführer and Generaloberst of the Wehrmacht would be comparable with OF-9 ( 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 .
| Rank | ||
| lower: SS-Obergruppenführer |
SS-Oberst-Gruppenführer (Oberstgruf) |
higher: Reichsführer SS |
(Allgemeine SS / Waffen-SS 1942–1945)
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(Waffen-SS)
(Wehrmacht / 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 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.
See also
- Rank insignia of the SS
- Gun colors (Waffen-SS)
- SS Colonel Group Leader and Colonel General of the Waffen SS
- NS ranks
- Organizational structure of the SS
- General ranks of the Wehrmacht
- General ranks of the Ordnungspolizei
Web links
Individual evidence
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^ Ordinance sheet of the Waffen-SS. 3rd year, Berlin June 15, 1942, No. 12, p. 46:
"The Reichsführer SS has ordered that the new rank of the SS-Oberst-Gruppenführer - to avoid confusion with the rank of the SS-Obergruppenführer - as follows is written: SS-Oberst-Gruppenführer. "(quoted from Klietmann in Feldgrau. 13th year No. 1, Berlin 1967) - ↑ SS personnel change sheet of September 1, 1944: “With effect from April 20, 1942 SS-Oberstgruppenführer and Panzer-Generaloberst of the Waffen-SS the SS-Obergruppenführer and Panzergeneral of the Waffen-SS Dietrich, Josef, SS-No. 1.177, Commanding General I. SS-Pz-Korps 'Leibstandarte'. "
- ↑ Andrew Mollo: Uniforms of the Waffen SS. P. 155.
- ^ 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.