__NOTOC__
''Gruppenführer'' (, ) was an early
paramilitary
A paramilitary is an organization whose structure, tactics, training, subculture, and (often) function are similar to those of a professional military, but is not part of a country's official or legitimate armed forces. Paramilitary units carr ...
rank of the
Nazi Party
The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party (german: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or NSDAP), was a far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that created and supported t ...
(NSDAP), first created in 1925 as a senior
rank of the SA. Since then, the term ''Gruppenführer'' is also used for leaders of groups/teams of the police, fire departments, military and several other organizations.
History
In 1930, ''Gruppenführer'' became an
SS rank
The uniforms and insignia of the ''Schutzstaffel'' served to distinguish the Nazi paramilitary ranks of the ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) between 1925 and 1945 from the ranks of the '' Wehrmacht'' (the regular German armed forces from 1935), the German ...
and was originally bestowed upon those officers who commanded ''
SS-Gruppen'' and also upon senior officers of the
SS command staff. In 1932, the SS was reorganized and the ''SS-Gruppen'' were reformed into ''
SS-Abschnitte''. A ''Gruppenführer'' commanded an ''SS-Abschnitt'' while a new rank, that of ''
Obergruppenführer'', oversaw the ''
SS-Oberabschnitte'' which were the largest SS units in Germany.
Initially in the SA,
NSKK, and SS, the rank of ''Gruppenführer'' was considered equivalent to a full
general
A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry.
In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". O ...
, but became regarded as equivalent to ''
Generalleutnant'' after 1934. During the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
, when the
Waffen-SS began using the rank, an ''SS-Gruppenführer'' was considered equal to a ''Generalleutnant'' in the ''
Wehrmacht
The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the '' Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previo ...
'' and was referred to as ''SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS''. ''Waffen-SS Gruppenführer'' also displayed the shoulder boards of a ''Wehrmacht Generalleutnant''.
The insignia for SS-''Gruppenführer'' consisted of three oak leaves centred on both collars of an
SS uniform
The uniforms and insignia of the ''Schutzstaffel'' served to distinguish the Nazi Germany paramilitary ranks, Nazi paramilitary ranks of the ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) between 1925 and 1945 from the ranks of the ''Wehrmacht'' (the regular German arme ...
. From 1930 to 1942, the SS insignia was the same as the SA badge of rank; however the SS modified the ''Gruppenführer'' insignia slightly to include a collar pip (stern, a star), upon the creation of the rank ''
SS-Oberst-Gruppenführer'' in April 1942.
In the
SA, a ''Gruppenführer'' was typically in charge of a number of regiments (known as ''Standarten'') which were formed into ''SA-Gruppen''. The rank of ''Gruppenführer'' was also used in several other Nazi paramilitary groups, among them the
National Socialist Motor Corps (NSKK) and the
National Socialist Flyers Corps (NSFK). In October 1944, the rank of ''Gruppenführer'' was adopted by the ''
Volkssturm
The (; "people's storm") was a levée en masse national militia established by Nazi Germany during the last months of World War II. It was not set up by the German Army, the ground component of the combined German ''Wehrmacht'' armed forces, ...
'' as a low level
non-commissioned officer
A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is a military officer who has not pursued a commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority by promotion through the enlisted ranks. (Non-officers, which includes most or all enli ...
position in charge of squad sized formations (''Gruppe'') of ''Volkssturm'' soldiers. The term is also a generic term for the function of a leader of a
squad
In military terminology, a squad is among the smallest of military organizations and is led by a non-commissioned officer. NATO and US doctrine define a squad as an organization "larger than a team, but smaller than a section." while US Army d ...
of
infantry
Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...
(9 or 10 men – ''Gruppe'') in the
German Army
The German Army (, "army") is the land component of the armed forces of Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German ''Bundeswehr'' together with the ''Marine'' (German Navy) and the ''Luftwaf ...
(''Heer''), Waffen-SS, or
Luftwaffe
The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German '' Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the '' Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabt ...
ground troops.
File:Wilhelm Brückner (1884-1954, Adolf Hitler's chief adjutant) Portrait SS-Gruppenführer uniform late 1930s (?) National Archives NARA (US seized WW2 enemy property) 242-HF-0037 001 Unrestricted No known copyright.jpg, Hitler's Chief Adjutant Wilhelm Brückner wearing his Sturmabteilung
The (; SA; literally "Storm Detachment") was the original paramilitary wing of the Nazi Party. It played a significant role in Adolf Hitler's rise to power in the 1920s and 1930s. Its primary purposes were providing protection for Nazi ralli ...
uniform with SA collar tab rank insignia as ''SA-Gruppenführer'' 1933–1934.
Photo: NARA
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an " independent federal agency of the United States government within the executive branch", charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. It ...
File:Heinz Reinefarth.jpg, ''SS-Gruppenführer'' Heinz Reinefarth wearing the post-April 1942 SS rank insignia.
Insignia
File:SA-Gruppenführer Collar tab.svg, Gorget patch
Gorget patches (collar tabs, collar patches) are an insignia in the form of paired patches of cloth or metal on the collar of a uniform (gorget), used in the military and civil service in some countries. Collar tabs sign the military rank (group ...
/collar tab
(Sturmabteilung
The (; SA; literally "Storm Detachment") was the original paramilitary wing of the Nazi Party. It played a significant role in Adolf Hitler's rise to power in the 1920s and 1930s. Its primary purposes were providing protection for Nazi ralli ...
)
File:Grufpre1942.png, Gorget patch
Gorget patches (collar tabs, collar patches) are an insignia in the form of paired patches of cloth or metal on the collar of a uniform (gorget), used in the military and civil service in some countries. Collar tabs sign the military rank (group ...
until April 1942
(Allgemeine SS
The ''Allgemeine SS'' (; "General SS") was a major branch of the ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany; it was managed by the SS Main Office (''SS-Hauptamt''). The ''Allgemeine SS'' was officially established in the autumn ...
and Waffen-SS)
File:HH-SS-Gruppenfuhrer-Collar.png, Gorget patches
1942–1945
(Allgemeine SS and Waffen-SS)
File:SS-Gruppenführer.svg, Shoulder board
A shoulder mark, also called rank slide, or slip-on, is a flat cloth sleeve worn on the shoulder strap of a uniform. It may bear rank or other insignia. A shoulder mark should not be confused with a ''shoulder board'' (which is an elaborate ...
(Waffen-SS)
File:NSFK-Gruppenführer.svg, NSFK Gorget patch
File:NSKK-Gruppenführer.svg, NSKK Gorget patch
See also
*
List of SS-Gruppenführer
*
Comparative ranks of Nazi Germany
*
Uniforms and insignia of the Sturmabteilung
*
Uniforms and insignia of the Schutzstaffel
The uniforms and insignia of the ''Schutzstaffel'' served to distinguish the Nazi Germany paramilitary ranks, Nazi paramilitary ranks of the ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) between 1925 and 1945 from the ranks of the ''Wehrmacht'' (the regular German arme ...
*
Corps colours (Waffen-SS) Corps colours, or Troop-function colours ( German: ''Waffenfarben'') were worn in the Waffen-SS from 1938 until 1945 in order to distinguish between various branches of service, units, and functions. The corps colours were part of the pipings, gor ...
*
Table of ranks and insignia of the Waffen-SS
References
Notes
Bibliography
*
*
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Gruppenfuhrer
SS ranks
Nazi paramilitary ranks
German words and phrases
Two-star officers of Nazi Germany
Lists of generals