Unterscharführer
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''Unterscharführer'' (, ) was a
paramilitary A paramilitary is a military that is not a part of a country's official or legitimate armed forces. The Oxford English Dictionary traces the use of the term "paramilitary" as far back as 1934. Overview Though a paramilitary is, by definiti ...
rank of the
Nazi Party The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party ( or NSDAP), was a far-right politics, far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that created and supported the ideology of Nazism. Its precursor ...
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 1934 and 1945. The SS rank was created after the Night of the Long Knives. That event caused an SS reorganisation and the creation of new ranks to separate the SS from the ''
Sturmabteilung The (; SA; or 'Storm Troopers') was the original paramilitary organisation under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party of Germany. It played a significant role in Adolf Hitler's rise to power, Hitler's rise to power in the 1920s and early 1930s. I ...
'' (SA). The insignia was a button pip centred on a collar patch opposite an SS unit insignia collar badge. The field grey SS uniform displayed the rank with silver collar piping and the shoulder boards of an ''Unteroffizier''. Rank comparisons list the rank of ''Unterscharführer'' as equivalent to a
corporal Corporal is a military rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The rank is usually the lowest ranking non-commissioned officer. In some militaries, the rank of corporal nominally corr ...
in other services, but the rank held responsibilities of a
sergeant Sergeant (Sgt) is a Military rank, rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and in other units that draw their heritage f ...
in some other armies.


Creation

The rank of ''Unterscharführer'' was created from the SA rank of '' Scharführer''. After 1934, an SS-''Unterscharführer'' and SA-''Scharführer'' were considered equivalent positions; the rank of SS-''Unterscharführer'' was junior to SS-''Scharführer'' and senior to the rank of SS-'' Rottenführer''. ''Unterscharführer'' was the most junior and most common
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 ...
rank of the SS and was the equivalent of an '' Unteroffizier'' in the German ''
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 ...
''. The range of duties performed by the rank was diverse and extensive.


Uses


Allgemeine-SS

Within the Allgemeine SS (General SS) an ''Unterscharführer'' typically commanded squad sized formations of seven to fifteen SS troopers. The rank was held commonly as a non-commissioned officer staff position and could be found in all of the Nazi security agencies, including the '' Sicherheitsdienst'' and the '' Einsatzgruppen''.


''SS-Totenkopfverbände''

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, ''Unterscharführer'' holders were often assigned the position of '' Blockführer'', which was a supervisory position overseeing order within a prison barracks of a concentration camp. The position of ''Blockführer'' is of note in the Holocaust, as it was typically ''Blockführer'' in charge of various '' Sonderkommandos''.


Waffen-SS

In the
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 ...
an ''Unterscharführer'' was as a junior squad commander, one of several attached to company and platoon sized formations. The rank was considered the equivalent to the first Waffen-SS officer candidate rank of '' Junker FA''.


Insignia

File:SS-Unterscharführer h.svg , Shoulder strap
SS-Unterscharführer
(Junker FA) File: SS-Unterscharführer.svg , Gorget patches File: Uffz Uscha OR5b cam slv 1945.gif , SS smock insignia


Promotion

Requirements of a battlefield non-commissioned ''Unterscharführer'' were higher than that expected of an ''Unterscharführer'' in the General SS. In the Waffen-SS, candidates were required to undergo a selection process before being promoted. During this time the aspirant was known as an ''Untersharführer-Anwärter'' () until passing the required evaluation, training and promotion board.


Notable recipients

* Oskar Gröning * Franz Suchomel


See also

* Table of ranks and insignia of the Waffen-SS


Notes


Bibliography

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Unterscharfuhrer SS ranks