(; ) was a German military rank first used in the
Bavarian Army
The Bavarian Army () was the army of the Electorate of Bavaria, Electorate (1682–1806) and then Kingdom of Bavaria, Kingdom (1806–1918) of Bavaria. It existed from 1682 as the standing army of Bavaria until the merger of the military sovereig ...
of the late 19th century.
Usage
The rank and its equivalents (''Oberkanonier, Oberpionier'' etc.) were generally introduced into the
German ''
Reichswehr
''Reichswehr'' (; ) was the official name of the German armed forces during the Weimar Republic and the first two years of Nazi Germany. After Germany was defeated in World War I, the Imperial German Army () was dissolved in order to be reshaped ...
'' around 1920 and continued to be used in its successor, 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 ...
'', until 1945, with the exception of the period from October 1934 to October 1936, during which no promotions to this rank took place. In
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...
's ''
Kriegsmarine
The (, ) was the navy of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It superseded the Imperial German Navy of the German Empire (1871–1918) and the inter-war (1919–1935) of the Weimar Republic. The was one of three official military branch, branche ...
'' (navy), there was no equivalent for this particular rank grade. The use of ''Oberschütze'' and its equivalents reached its height during the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
when the ''Wehrmacht'' maintained the rank in both the German Army (''
Heer'') and the ground forces branch of the air force (
Luftwaffe
The Luftwaffe () was the aerial warfare, aerial-warfare branch of the before and during World War II. German Empire, Germany's military air arms during World War I, the of the Imperial German Army, Imperial Army and the of the Imperial Ge ...
).
The rank of ''Oberschütze'' and its specific unit type equivalents (''Oberkanonier'', ''Obergrenadier'' from 1942, ''Oberpionier'', ''Oberfahrer'', ''Oberfunker'', etc.) was created to give recognition and rank promotion to those enlisted soldiers who had achieved or displayed an above-average aptitude and proficiency but would not, however, qualify for promotion to the ''
Gefreiter
Gefreiter (, abbr. Gefr.; plural ''Gefreite'') is a military rank used in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria since the 16th century. It is typically the second rank or grade to which an Enlisted rank, enlisted soldier, airman, or sailor can be prom ...
'' rank. Consideration for promotion to the rank of ''Oberschütze'' could usually be achieved after six months to one year of military service.
In the militaries of other nations, ''Oberschütze'' was considered the equivalent of a
private first class.
See also
*
Table of ranks and insignia of the Waffen-SS
*
Original German: SS-Oberschütze
Notes
Bibliography
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oberschutze
Military ranks of Germany
SS ranks