SS-Rank Table showing equivalents in the German, American and British Armies

Waffen-SS is the normal abbreviation of: Waffen-Schutzstaffel, or Armed Protection Squad: Hitler's Praetorian Guard.

SS Rank	Translation of SS Rank	Wermacht Rank	American Rank	British Rank
None		None	None	Monarch
Der oberste Führer der Schutzstaffel. Der Führer Adolf Hitler	Supreme Leader of the Protection Squad. The Leader Adolf Hitler	Oberste Führer (Adolf Hitler)	President	Prime Minister (The Monarch is an hereditary position and is not elected)
Reichsführer-SS	Empire Leader of the SS	None	None	None
None		General-Feldmarschall	General of the Army	Field Marshall
SS-Oberstgruppen-Führer	SS-Supreme Group Leader	Generaloberst	General	General
SS-Obergruppenführer	SS-Senior-Group Leader	General der Infanterie, der Artillerie etc.	Lieutenant General	Lieutenant General
SS-Gruppenführer	SS-Group Leader	Generalleutnant	Major General	Major General
SS-Brigadeführer	SS-Brigade Leader	Generalmajor	Brigadier General	Brigadier
SS-Oberführer	SS-Senior Leader	None	None	None
SS-Standartenführer	SS-Standard Leader	Oberst	Colonel	Colonel
SS-Obersturmbannführer	SS-Senior Storm Command Leader	Oberstleutnant	Lieutenant Colonel	Lieutenant Colonel
SS-Sturmbannführer	SS-Storm Command Leader	Major	Major	Major
SS-Hauptsturmführer	SS-Head Storm Leader	Hauptmann	Captain	Captain
SS-Obersturmführer	SS-Senior Storm Leader	Oberleutnant	1st Lieutenant	Lieutenant
SS-Untersturmführer	SS-Under Storm Leader	Leutnant	2^nd Lieutenant	2^nd Lieutenant

SS-Sturmscharführer	SS-Storm Company Leader	Stabsfeldwebel	Sergeant Major	Regimental Sergeant Major
SS-Standarten-Oberjunker	SS-Standard Senior Officer Cadet	Oberfähnrich	None	None
SS-Hauptscharführer	SS-Head Company Leader	Oberfeldwebel	Master Sergeant	Battalion Sergeant Major
SS-Oberscharführer	SS-Senior Company Leader	Feldwebel	Sergeant 1^st Class	Company Sergeant Major
SS-Standartenjunker	SS-Standard Officer Cadet	Fähnrich	None	None
SS-Scharführer	SS-Company Leader	Unterfeldwebel	Staff Sergeant	Platoon Sergeant Major
SS-Unterscharführer	SS-Under Company Leader	Unteroffizier	Sergeant	Sergeant
SS-Rottenführer	SS-Band Leader	Obergefreiter	Corporal	Corporal
SS-Sturmmann	SS-Storm Man	Gefreiter	None	Lance Corporal
SS-Oberschütze	SS-Head Private	Oberschütze	Private 1^st Class	None
SS-Schütze	SS-Private	Schütze	Private	Private

Note 1) The term, 'Reichsführer-SS' was applied to the head of the combined Waffen and Allgemeine-SS, the longest serving of which was Heinrich Himmler. There was no direct equivalent to this position in any of the other combatant nations of the Second World War.

Note 2) The above table shows what I believe to be the equivalent ranks in the different forces during the years 1939-45. It is not always easy to provide a direct equivalent between nations, or indeed between the SS and the rest of the Wermacht. The starting point rank, SS-Schütze, was the designation for the Infantry and depending on the actual unit, it could be different, for example, Kanonier for the Artillery. The SS-Ranks with, Junker in the title usually refers to non-commissioned Officers who were acting as Officer Cadets pending a definite promotion. During this time they could command troops in the field. A full and exhaustive Rank table would be quite complicated and involve many footnotes and additional explanation, the above is of necessity somewhat simplified.

Note 3) It is sometimes difficult to render words and phrases from one language into another. An example is, Sturmbannführer. In modern German, Sturm means, Storm, or in the military sense, Assault. The word, Bann means a (magic) Spell and Führer, means a Leader or Guide. Clearly Sturmbannführer cannot be rendered as, Storm Spell (magic) Leader, so some further clarification is needed.

German in the Middle Ages used the word Bann both on its own and in conjunction with others, to form words to denote authority and power. Examples are words such as, Banner, meaning a Banner or Flag and Heerbann meaning, Army Command (the power of a King to raise and command an Army). Modern English uses Bann, as in The Banns of Marriage, meaning the command from the church to the listening congregation to, 'raise any cause or just impediment' to the match.

In Germany during the 1920's, the Sturm Abteilung, or SA (Storm Detachment) came into being as the street muscle of the Nazi Party. The SA formed themselves into, Companie, three to a Sturm and three, Stürme, into a Sturmbann. Thus a Sturmbannführer was a, Storm Command Leader, using Command in its noun sense, in the same way that a Colonel could refer to his Regiment as being his Command. Using the normal military grading structure equates a Sturmbann to a Battalion and thus a Sturmbannführer to a Major.

The translations given above are my own and I must bear any criticism for their interpretation.