__NOTOC__ (; ) was a Nazi rank of the

Waffen-SS The (; ) was the military branch, combat branch of the Nazi Party's paramilitary ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) organisation. Its formations included men from Nazi Germany, along with Waffen-SS foreign volunteers and conscripts, volunteers and conscr ...

that existed between 1934 and 1945. The rank was the most senior enlisted rank in the Waffen-SS, the equivalent of a

regimental sergeant major Regimental sergeant major (RSM) is an appointment that may be held by a warrant officer (WO) in the British Army, the Royal Marines, and the armies of many other Commonwealth and former Commonwealth nations. It is also an actual rank in the Iri ...

, in other military organizations.

Rank usage

''Sturmscharführer'' as a proper rank was unique to the Waffen-SS and was not used in the '' Allgemeine-SS'' (general-SS), where the highest enlisted rank was '' Hauptscharführer''. Members of the ''

Sicherheitspolizei The often abbreviated as SiPo, is a German term meaning "security police". In the Nazi Germany, Nazi era, it referred to the state political and criminal investigation security agency, security agencies. It was made up by the combined forces of ...

'' (SiPo), when wearing the rank insignia of ''Sturmscharführer'' with police collar piping, did so when holding the equivalent police rank of ''Meister'' or the investigator's title of ''Kriminalsekretär''. Administratively, such secret police members were not even required to be members of the SS (although many were) and thus the insignia was sometimes worn by non-SS members. Due to SS rank parity regulations, by 1943 most police members were required to hold SS rank, and those with police equivalent rank to ''Sturmscharführer'' were often administratively enlisted into the Waffen-SS in order to be ranked as a ''Sturmscharführer''.

History

The rank of ''Sturmscharführer'' was first created in June 1934, after the

Night of the Long Knives The Night of the Long Knives (, ), also called the Röhm purge or Operation Hummingbird (), was a purge that took place in Nazi Germany from 30 June to 2 July 1934. Chancellor Adolf Hitler, urged on by Hermann Göring and Heinrich Himmler, ord ...

. Due to a reorganization of the SS, ''Sturmscharführer'' was created as the most senior enlisted rank of the '' SS-Verfügungstruppe'' (SS-VT), replacing the older ''

Sturmabteilung The (; SA; or 'Storm Troopers') was the original paramilitary organisation under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party of Germany. It played a significant role in Adolf Hitler's rise to power, Hitler's rise to power in the 1920s and early 1930s. I ...

'' (SA) title of '' Haupttruppführer''. By 1941, the Waffen-SS had become the successor organization to the SS-VT and ''Sturmscharführer'' was established as the most senior enlisted rank. A ''Sturmscharführer'' was typically assigned as the head sergeant of an entire regiment or, in some cases, an infantry division.

Insignia

''Sturmscharführer'' was not the same as '' Stabsscharführer'', which was a positional title given to the head SS

non-commissioned officer A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is an enlisted rank, enlisted leader, petty officer, or in some cases warrant officer, who does not hold a Commission (document), commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority b ...

of a company. The rank of ''Sturmscharführer'' was also not a prerequisite for promotion to '' Untersturmführer'' and was generally considered as a rank for "career" enlisted SS soldiers, rather than a rank on the path to becoming an officer. The insignia for ''Sturmscharführer'' was two silver pips and two silver stripes worn on a collar patch along with the shoulder boards of a

Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the German Army (1935–1945), ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmac ...

'' Stabsfeldwebel''. As was the case with Waffen-SS enlisted insignia, the collar patch of a ''Sturmscharführer'' was edged with black-and-silver twist cord until 1940 when the edging was dropped; like all non-commissioned officers the collar was bordered with 9mm silver-grey braid.

Insignia Waffen-SS

File:SS-Sturmscharführer h.svg ,

Shoulder strap A strap, sometimes also called strop, is an elongated flap or ribbon, usually of leather or other flexible materials. Thin straps are used as part of clothing or baggage, or bedding such as a sleeping bag. See for example spaghetti strap, shou ...

File:SS-Sturmscharführer.svg ,

Gorget patches 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 ...

File:StFw Stuscha OR8 cam slv 1945.svg , SS smock insignia

Notes

Bibliography