Ranks and insignia of the Ordnungspolizei

The ranks and insignia of the Ordnungspolizei were developed in 1936 after the nationalization of Germany's regular police forces.

The wreathed Polizeiadler (police eagle) was worn as a cap badge and on the left sleeve by all uniformed police

Ordnungspolizei rank titles

Ordnungspolizei (Orpo) ranks were based on local police titles and were considered a separate system from the ranks of the SS. It was also possible for Orpo members to hold dual status in both the Orpo and the SS, meaning that two ranks could be held simultaneously. In the case of Orpo generals, equivalent SS rank was always held in which case the Orpo general would be addressed by their SS rank first, followed by their police titles (for example: SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Polizei). In 1944, all Orpo generals also gained equivalent Waffen-SS rank so that, in the event of capture by the Allies, the Orpo general would hold status as a military officer instead of a police official.

Orpo personnel who were also members of the Allgemeine-SS were authorized to wear an embroidered SS Sigrunen patch on the breast pocket.

Ordnungspolizei rank insignia

In addition to collar and shoulder insignia, Ordnungspolizei also wore the wreathed police eagle on the upper left sleeve. The collar patch and shoulderboards were backed, and the sleeve eagle (below the rank of Leutnant) embroidered, in truppenfarbe, a color-code which indicated the branch of police: green for Schutzpolizei (protection police) and police general officers, wine-red for Gemeindepolizei (municipal protection police), orange for rural Gendarmerie, carmine-red for fire brigades, gold for maritime police, light grey for administrative police.[1]

General officers
Shoulder insignia Collar insignia
(1936–42)		 Collar insignia
(1942–45)		 Orpo general rank Equivalent SS rank
Chef der Deutschen Polizei Reichsführer-SS
Generaloberst der Polizei Oberst-gruppenführer
General der Polizei Obergruppenführer
Generalleutnant der Polizei Gruppenführer
Generalmajor der Polizei Brigadeführer

Note: Since most police generals, increasingly as time went on, were also SS generals, they typically wore an SS uniform except at police-specific functions.

Field officers
Shoulder insignia Collar insignia Orpo general rank Equivalent SS rank
Oberst der Polizei Standartenführer
Oberstleutnant der Polizei Obersturmbannführer
Major der Polizei Sturmbannführer
Hauptmann der Polizei Hauptsturmführer
Oberleutnant der Polizei Obersturmführer
Leutnant der Polizei Untersturmführer

Enlisted and NCOs
Shoulder insignia Collar insignia Orpo general rank Translation Equivalent SS rank
Meister
(Sergeant Major)		 Master Sturmscharführer
Hauptwachtmeister
(Master Sergeant)		 Chief watch master Hauptscharführer
Revier-oberwachtmeister
(Schupo)
Bezirks-oberwachtmeister
(Gendarmerie)
Zugwachtmeister
(Kasernierte Polizei)
(Technical Sergeant)		 Precinct senior watch master
District senior watch master
Platoon watch master		 Oberscharführer
Oberwachtmeister Senior watch master
(Staff Sergeant)		 Scharführer
Wachtmeister
(Sergeant)		 Watch master Unterscharführer
Rottmeister
(Corporal)		 Team master Rottenführer
Unterwachtmeister
(Constable)		 Junior watch master Sturmmann
No insignia Anwärter
(Constable Cadet)		 Candidate Mann

Rank and Pay
Pay Grade [3] Annual Pay
Reichsmark (RM)
(basic pay without allowances)[3]		 Mannschaften (Enlisted)
Unterführer (NCO)
Revieroffiziere		 Offiziere (Officers)
-..Anwärter
-..Anwärter with more than 6 months service
-..Unterwachtmeister
A8c51,536Rottwachtmeister
A8c41,920Wachtmeister
A8c32,040Oberwachtmeister
A8c22,340Revieroberwachtmeister
A8c12,370Hauptwachtmeister with less than 12 years service
A8a2,100–2,800Hauptwachtmeister with more than 12 years service
A7c2,000–3,000Hauptwachtmeister appointed before April 12, 1943
A7a2,350–3,500Meister
A5b2,300–4,200Obermeister
Revierleutnant
A4e2,800–4,600Leutnant
A4e2,800–4,600Oberleutnant
A4c22,800–5,000Inspektor
Revieroberleutnant
A4c12,800–5,300Revierhauptmann
A3b4,800–6,900Hauptmann
A2c28,400Major
A2b9,700Oberstleutnant
A1a12,600Oberst
B7a16,000Generalmajor
B419,000Generalleutnant
B3a24,000General

Mean annual pay for an industrial worker was 1,459 Reichsmark 1939, and for a privately employed white-collar worker 2,772 Reichsmark.[4]

References
  1. Gordon Williamsson, World War II German Police Units, Osprey Publishing 2006, p. 8.
  2. Schutzpolizei des Reiches Retrieved 2016-01-10.
  3. Reichsbesoldungsordnung 1943, RGBl I:38
  4. Die Besoldung eines Soldaten der Wehrmacht Retrieved 2013-11-26
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