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SS-Gruppenführer Paul Hausser wearing the pre-1942 rank insignia

Gruppenführer (literally “group leader”) was an early paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party, first created in 1925 as a senior rank of the SA.[1]

SS rank[edit]


Initially in the SA, NSKK, and SS, the 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 referred to as SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS. Waffen-SS Gruppenführer also displayed the shoulder boards of a Wehrmacht Generalleutnant. Note that the Wehrmacht and SS rank of Generalleutnant was equivalent to the rank of major general in the U.S. and British armies, as well as other western militaries.[3]


SA rank[edit]

A Gruppenführer was typically in charge of a number of SA regiments (known as Standarten) which were formed into SA-Gruppen.[1] Upon its original conception, Gruppenführer was considered equivalent to a full general. This later changed to where the rank was considered to be equal to a Generalleutnant in the Heer (army) and a major general in other western countries.

Other uses[edit]

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.

Gruppe was also used in a variety on other ways. In the Luftwaffe as a grouping of Staffeln (squadrons) either independent of as the sub-division of a Geschwader. 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, Korpsgruppead hoc formations of the size indicated by the title.
  • Panzergruppe—one or more Armeekorps subordinate to an infantry army; later became independent as Panzerarmee
  • Armeegruppe—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 (army group).
Insignia of rank of SS-Gruppenführer and Lieutenant-general of the Waffen-SS
Junior Rank
SS rank and SA rank
Senior Rank

Fictional portrayals[edit]

See also[edit]


  2. ^ McNab 2009, pp. 29, 30.
  3. ^ a b Flaherty 2004, p. 148.

