Gruppenführer

"Gruppenführer" (literally “Group Leader”) was an early paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party, first created in 1925 as a senior rank of the SA.

rank

In 1930, "Gruppenführer" became an SS rank 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-Abschnitt". "Gruppenführer" commanded the "SS-Abschnitt" while a new rank, that of "Obergruppenführer", oversaw the "SS-Oberabschnitts" which were the largest SS units in Germany.

As in the SA, the SS rank of "Gruppenführer" was considered equivalent to a full General, but became regarded as equivalent to Generalleutnant after 1934. During the Second World War, when the "Waffen-SS" began using the rank, an "SS-Gruppenführer" was considered equal to a "Generalleutnant" in the "Wehrmacht" and was typically referred to as "SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS".

The insignia for SS-Gruppenführer consisted of three oak leaves centered on both collars of an SS uniform. 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 an additional collar pip, upon the creation of the rank "Oberstgruppenführer".

"Waffen-SS Gruppenführer" also displayed the shoulder boards of a "Wehrmacht Generalleutnant".

A rank

A "Gruppenführer" was typically in charge of large numbers of SA units (known as "Standarten") which were formed into "SA-Gruppen". Upon its original conception, "Gruppenführer" was considered equivalent to a full General.

Other uses

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 1944, the rank of Gruppenführer was adopted by the "Volkssturm" as a low level non-commissioned officer 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 of infantry (9 or 10 men - "Gruppe") in the German Army, "Waffen SS", or "Luftwaffe" ground troops.

In the German fire fighting corps, the term "Gruppenführer" refers to the commander of a group of eight fire fighters. A "Gruppe" is the smallest tactical unit in the German fire fighting corps. Just as in military use, the term does not refer to a rank but describes a function. The term is still in use today.

{| class="toccolours" border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin: 0.5em auto; clear: both;"
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width="30%" align="center"|Junior Rank
Brigadeführer
width="40%" align="center"|SS rank and SA rank
Gruppenführer
width="30%" align="center"|Senior Rank
Obergruppenführer
-width="304" align="center"|"' [Gruppe was also used in a variety on other ways. In the Luftwaffe as a grouping of Staffel(Squadrons) either independent of as the sub-division of a Geschwader - see in Organization of the Luftwaffe. It was also used for ad hoc Army formations.Kampfgruppe - a combat group made up for a particular purpose or in an emergency – size varied.Regimentsgruppe, Divisionsgruppe, Korpsgruppe - ad hoc formations of the size indicated by the title.Panzergruppe - one or more Armeekorps subordinate to an Infantry Army; later became independent as PanzerarmeeArmeegruppe - occasionally an Army sized Combat Group usually much like a Korpsgruppe and also a temporary grouping of two Armies usually one German and one Allied Army. It is not to be confused with Heeresgruppe, which was the command of several Armies.