__NOTOC__ ''Hauptscharführer'' ( ) was a Nazi paramilitary rank which was used by the ''

Schutzstaffel The ''Schutzstaffel'' (; ; SS; also stylised with SS runes as ''ᛋᛋ'') was a major paramilitary organisation under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany, and later throughout German-occupied Europe during World War II. It beg ...

'' (SS) between the years of 1934 and 1945. The rank was the highest enlisted rank of the SS, with the exception of the special

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 ...

rank of '' Sturmscharführer''. The ''Hauptscharführer'' became an SS rank after reorganization of the SS following the Night of the Long Knives. The first use of ''Hauptscharführer'' was in June 1934 when the rank replaced the older SA title of '' Obertruppführer''. Within the '' Allgemeine-SS'' (general-SS), a ''Hauptscharführer'' was typically 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 an ''SS-Sturm'' (company) or was a rank used by enlisted staff personnel assigned to an SS headquarters office or security agency (such as the

Gestapo The (, ), Syllabic abbreviation, abbreviated Gestapo (), was the official secret police of Nazi Germany and in German-occupied Europe. The force was created by Hermann Göring in 1933 by combining the various political police agencies of F ...

and '' Sicherheitsdienst'' (SD)). The rank of ''Hauptscharführer'' was also commonly used in the

concentration camp A concentration camp is a prison or other facility used for the internment of political prisoners or politically targeted demographics, such as members of national or ethnic minority groups, on the grounds of national security, or for exploitati ...

service and could also be found as a rank of the ''

Einsatzgruppen (, ; also 'task forces') were (SS) paramilitary death squads of Nazi Germany that were responsible for mass murder, primarily by shooting, during World War II (1939–1945) in German-occupied Europe. The had an integral role in the imp ...

''. The rank of SS-''Hauptscharführer'' was senior to SS-'' Oberscharführer'' and junior to SS-'' Sturmscharführer'', except in the General-SS where ''Hauptscharführer'' was immediately junior to rank of SS-'' Untersturmführer''. In the

, ''Hauptscharführer'' was a rank bestowed upon company and battalion non-commissioned officers and was considered the second highest enlisted rank, below that of '' Sturmscharführer''. Those holding the Waffen-SS rank of ''Hauptscharführer'' were typically also granted the title of '' Stabsscharführer'', which was an appointment held by the senior SS non-commissioned officer of a company, battalion, or regiment. The insignia for ''Hauptscharführer'' was two silver pips, with a silver stripe centred on a black collar patch. On field grey uniforms, the rank was worn with silver collar piping and the ''

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 ...

'' shoulder boards of an '' Oberfeldwebel''.

Insignia

File:SS-Hauptscharführer h.svg, Shoulder strap
SS-Hauptscharführer File:SS-Standartenoberjunker h.svg, ...
SS-Standartenoberjunker File:SS-Hauptscharführer.svg, Gorget patches
SS-Hauptscharführer
SS-Standartenoberjunker File:OFw Hscha OR7 cam slv 1945.svg, SS smock insignia

Notes

Bibliography

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hauptscharfuhrer SS ranks

Insignia

See also

Notes

Bibliography