Age appropriate ranks

[Bauer]

One more question... Could the EM wear crusher caps? Or did you have to be over a certain rank?

....i would personally go with the rank of Squad leader (Sergeant) for
a small group to make it more feasible to begin with, higher ranks were usually
associated with larger numbers, anyway good luck with it
Pipes

To be clear, a gruppenfuehrer (section/squad leader) was typically an unteroffizier (broad equivalent to British/US rank of corporal), the first rank of non-commissioned officer within the german army. He was identified by "tressed" shoulder boards which was the symbolic transfer of rank insignia from the arm to the shoulder, thus meaning "to shoulder the burden of responsibility". The responsibility in this case being leading 8/9 men.

As ever, this was not inflexible and other ranks could well be made gruppenfuehrer through operational needs.

Hope that helps.

[FschJg_Heilmann]

Thanks for the info Bauer!

[BedsnHerts]

One more question... Could the EM wear crusher caps? Or did you have to be over a certain rank?

Proper crusher caps were for officers. A "crushed look" Schirmmütze might be worn by officers or NCOs on leave or away from the front. If your impression is pre-war Heer, all ranks would have a Schirmmütze as part of their walking out dress. For a wartime impression it would be the Schiffchen sidecap, or after '43 the Feldmütze peaked cap.

[Peiper]

One more question... Could the EM wear crusher caps? Or did you have to be over a certain rank?

....i would personally go with the rank of Squad leader (Sergeant) for
a small group to make it more feasible to begin with, higher ranks were usually
associated with larger numbers, anyway good luck with it
Pipes

To be clear, a gruppenfuehrer (section/squad leader) was typically an unteroffizier (broad equivalent to British/US rank of corporal), the first rank of non-commissioned officer within the german army. He was identified by "tressed" shoulder boards which was the symbolic transfer of rank insignia from the arm to the shoulder, thus meaning "to shoulder the burden of responsibility". The responsibility in this case being leading 8/9 men.

As ever, this was not inflexible and other ranks could well be made gruppenfuehrer through operational needs.

Hope that helps.

Beg to differ kamerad, ive always found that squad leaders in Wehrmacht ranks were usually
Unterfeldwebels who handled a squad of 9 men, the rank of Unteroffizier is usually a technical
rank or for someone who has been earmarked for Officer training, SS rank equilivent was SS-
Unterscharfuhrer for squad leaders.
Peiper

[BedsnHerts]

the rank of Unteroffizier is usually a technical rank or for someone who has been earmarked for Officer training

Interesting. I've never heard of that before.

Of course later on, A Gruppe could be commanded by even lower ranks. From the excellent Der Erste Zug site, reminiscences from a Gefreiter called Alfred Becker:

I can't remember what we had in France, but when I came back, I know we had only 9 men in a Gruppe. I was a Stellvertretende Gruppenführer, or the assistant commander of the Gruppe. I had a Karabiner and a smoke grenade. Later when I commanded the Gruppe, I had the Machinenpistole. Our Gruppenführer was an Obergefreiter and had a Maschinenpistole and a pair of binoculars....
This made 9 men in all, we never had 10. After the first battle you wouldn't even have 9, maybe 6 or so because you would lose some. We might get new guys from other Gruppen that had lost their machine-gun. You never wanted to lose your machine-gun. If you did, they would divide the survivors up and put them into other Gruppen that still had their gun. Of course we wanted to stay together, but after enough of the original gang was gone, it didn't really matter anyway..."

[Oberleutnant Ulrich]

Back to the Schirmütze.

Enlisted ranks down to Schütze were issued them early in the war and before the war but was only worn on special occasions such as going to a formal ceremony, where the helme t would be worn during the parade and then the Schirmütze would be allowed to be worn afterwards.

Don't make me pull out pictures chaps if you dare to argue

[Christian_Jaeger]

Beg to differ kamerad, ive always found that squad leaders in Wehrmacht ranks were usually
Unterfeldwebels who handled a squad of 9 men, the rank of Unteroffizier is usually a technical
rank or for someone who has been earmarked for Officer training, SS rank equilivent was SS-
Unterscharfuhrer for squad leaders.
Peiper

I do not know where you took your information. But it is not very accurate.



The postion of squad leader is "Stellengruppe G" the lowest rank to become squad leader is Unteroffizier and he can promoted to Unterfeldwebel. In wartime often a Obergefreiter or Gefreiter took over because the NCO was killed.
The rank Unterfeldwebel was often overleaped and the Unteroffizier promoted to Feldwebel, if he was fit for the job as platoon leader.

The Rank Feldwebel was not for a squad leader! A Feldwebel was the Platoon leader of the 2nd and 3rd platoon. Only the 1st platoon was led by an officer.

The Rank for someone who earmarked for Officer training was:

Fahnenjunker- Unteroffizier (Unteroffizier)
Fähnrich (Unterfeldwebel shoulder boards)
Oberfähnrich (Oberfeldwebel)

SS- Junker (SS-Unterscharführer)
SS-Oberjunker (SS-Scharführer)
SS- Standartenjunker (SS-Oberscharführer)
SS-Standartenoberjunker (SS-Hauptscharführer)


Technical ranks are not named Unteroffizier, they are named after their technical job. A Few examples:
Equal to Unteroffizier
Beschlagschmiedunteroffizier = blacksmith
Feuerwerksunteroffizier = pyrotechnician
Schirrunteroffizier = mechanic
Sanitätsunteroffizier = medic

http://www.wwiidaybyday.com/kstn/stellengruppen.htm
http://www.wwiidaybyday.com/kstn/kstn131n1mai44.htm
Adolf Schlicht (Autor), John R. Angolia (Autor), Die Deutsche Wehrmacht - Uniformierung und Ausrüstung 1933-1943, Band 1: Das Heer
Martin van Creveld (Autor), Tilla Stumpf (Übersetzer) Kampfkraft: Militärische Organisation und militärische Leistung der deutschen und amerikanischen Armee 1939 - 1945