German / Wehrmacht Ranks System

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AlifRafikKhan
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German / Wehrmacht Ranks System

#1

Post by AlifRafikKhan » 21 Sep 2014, 20:31

Hi, does anyone know the differences between Chef, Führer, Kommandeur, Kommandierender General, Befehlshaber, Oberbefehlshaber? This rank names quite confused me. For example: mostly I readt that the leader of a company (or equivalent) is named as Kompaniechef, but sometimes I found different "nickname" such as Kompanieführer. Which one is correct?

j keenan
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Re: German / Wehrmacht Ranks System

#2

Post by j keenan » 21 Sep 2014, 21:28

Kompanie, Chef Permanent
Kompanie, Führer Acting
Oberbefehlshaber High Command
Befehlshaber der, Commander of
Kommandeur Commander of Unit
Kommandierender Commanding


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AlifRafikKhan
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Re: German / Wehrmacht Ranks System

#3

Post by AlifRafikKhan » 21 Sep 2014, 23:02

Thank you J Keenan, but which is more correct for platoon level or above like battalion, regiment, brigade, division, korps, etc. Is it correct, for example, if i'm using "Chef" for Battalion commander?

Latze
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Re: German / Wehrmacht Ranks System

#4

Post by Latze » 22 Sep 2014, 12:24

Chef is used exclusively for proper commanders of companies. AS j pointed out a Kompanieführer is only somebody giving orders because the Chef is absent, WIA, KIA, etc.

Kommandeur is used for all commanders between battalion and division level. So, to answer your question, the proper thing would be always "Batallionskommandeur". But one would never call somebody commanding a platoon or company or a corps or army Kommandeur.

Kommandierender General is always the leader of an army corps. The term is very specific because with this position certain rights and obligations (like running military courts) are connected.

Befehlshaber can just mean "commander of ...". But it is also the proper title for army leaders or similar high command echelons like "Befehlshaber der U-Boote".

Oberbefehlshaber is reserved for commanders of army groups and such.

Führer denotes the one in actual command of a given unit. It is often used if the unit is not a permanent command but ad-hoc like a Kampfgruppe. Sometimes it does show up in higher command echelons like "Fliegerführer Afrika" (which then is not the position of one person but the name of a staff and its sub-units).

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AlifRafikKhan
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Re: German / Wehrmacht Ranks System

#5

Post by AlifRafikKhan » 22 Sep 2014, 15:35

Great! Thank you Latze and J Keenan... :D

ilovehistory
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Re: German / Wehrmacht Ranks System

#6

Post by ilovehistory » 26 Sep 2014, 15:08

Kompanie-Chef and Kompanie-Fuhrer is equal, isn't it?

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