Rottenführer

Rottenführer was first established in 1932 as an SA rank due to an expansion of the organisation requiring a greater number of enlisted positions. Since early SS ranks were identical to the ranks of the SA, Rottenführer became an SS rank at the same time.

Rottenführer was the first SS and SA position to have command over other paramilitary troops. They commanded a rotte (English: team, equal to a squad or section) usually numbering no more than five to seven persons. A Rottenführer, in turn, answered to a Scharführer.[3]

After 1934, a restructure of SS ranks made Rottenführer junior to the new rank of SS-Unterscharführer, although in the SA the rank continued to rate immediately below that of Scharführer.[1]

Final ranks to enlisted men until 1945

equivalent	Waffen-SS	Heer (Army)	Luftwaffe (Air Force)	Kriegsmarine (Navy)
OR-1	SS-Schütze	Soldat (private)	Flieger (aircraftman)	Matrose (seaman)
	SS-Oberschütze	Oberschütze
OR-2	SS-Sturmmann	Gefreiter		Matrosengefreiter
OR-3	SS-Rottenführer	Obergefreiter		Matrosenobergefreiter
	no equivalent		Hauptgefreiter	Matrosenhauptgefreiter
OR-4	no equivalent	Stabsgefreiter		Matrosenstabsgefreiter
	no equivalent			Matrosenoberstabsgefreiter

Ranks Waffen-SS as to: GORDON WILLIAMSON: “The SS Hitler´s Instrument of the power”; published by KAISER; appendix, page 250, service ranks of the SS and the equivalent to the Wehrmacht; copyright 1994 by Brown Packaging Books Ltd., London.

Taken during the 1943 Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. The SS (and also SD) Rottenführer on the right is Josef Blösche.

Within the Waffen-SS, Rottenführer was considered equivalent to an Obergefreiter in the German Wehrmacht.[1] For pay purposes, a Rottenführer with more than five years of service was administratively known as Rottenführer (2. Gehaltsstufe) and paid the same rate as an Army Stabsgefreiter. There was no difference in the Rottenführer insignia and the Gehaltsstufe designation was only used in written correspondence and never in verbal addressing of rank.[4]

While having command over some troops, a Rottenführer in the Waffen-SS was not considered a non-commissioned officer rank.

Those aspiring for promotion above Rottenführer were required to pass a promotion evaluation and combat skills assessment, during which time the Rottenführer was known by the title Unterführer-Anwärter (English: junior leader candidate). Waffen-SS Rottenführer also had the option to pursue an officer's commission through appointment as SS-Junker.

Rottenführer was also a rank of the Hitler Youth where the position was considered a junior squad leader title. A rank of Oberrottenführer also existed in the Hitler Youth.

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  Shoulder strap
  (all other enlisted ranks OR-1 to OR-3 of the Waffen-SS)
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  HJ Shoulder strap
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  HJ Oberrottenführer Shoulder strap
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  NSFK Gorget patches
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  NSKK Gorget patch
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  SA Gorget patch
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  SS Gorget patches
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  SS Sleeve badge

• Table of ranks and insignia of the Waffen-SS