Officers in the Heer and Waffen-SS

[geahanse]

How did most men in the Heer and the SS become officers? Before the war, did they have an ROTC at universities or did they become officers from an Heer Military Academy similar to West Point? I'm mainly interested in how they became officers during the war? Was there an Officer Candidate School? If so, what did that entail and how long was it? Would both men, just joining the Wehrmacht and men who have been in for a while go to such school? Or was it more common for men to advance through the ranks without going to school? Were they pulled from the line to go back to Germany and then once finished, return to their same unit but as an officer? Would this be the same way for Noncommissioned officer as well?

I know this is a lot of questions but I'm basically wondering what we're the ways men in the Heer and SS became officers. If it were through promotions or an Officers school and how a program like that worked.

[geahanse]

Anyone?

[Christoph Awender]

Hello,

The Problem is that this is an huuuuge Topic which fills books and hundreds of pages of Manuals etc..
A good Basic overview is here:
http://www.lonesentry.com/manuals/tme30 ... 6sub4.html

/Christoph

[geahanse]

So judging from what I read, a german nco can't earn a commissioned in the field? He would have to go back to Germany to take the Officer Candidate Course for 10 months and then after that attend the advanced officer candidate course for another 3 months, being over a year before he earns a commission and returns to the field?!?

[histan]

Hi

I don't think it is as long as that. As I read the following (taken from FMS Study D-110) an NCO with proven combat experience designated an officer candidate by his regiment would spend around 3 to 6 months in officer training.

FMS Study available online from fold3 (you may have to subscribe)

Regards

John

[hucks216]

Hi

I don't think it is as long as that. As I read the following (taken from FMS Study D-110) an NCO with proven combat experience designated an officer candidate by his regiment would spend around 3 to 6 months in officer training.

I have a Soldbuch to such a soldier who had a lot of combat experience with GD and was designated as a Fhj-Unteroffizier on the 1st October 1944 and was promoted to Leutnant on 30th January 1945 after serving time with an Officer Training Course set up by GD, which fits in to that timescale.