Unterscharführer
| Unterscharführer | |
|---|---|
 Gorget patch | |
  Shoulder and camo insignia | |
| Country |  Nazi Germany |
| Service branch |  Schutzstaffel |
| Abbreviation | Uscharf |
| Formation | 1934 |
| Abolished | 1945 |
| Next higher rank | Scharführer |
| Next lower rank | Rottenführer |
| Equivalent ranks | Unteroffizier |
Unterscharführer (
The insignia was a button pip centred on a collar patch opposite an
Creation
The rank of Unterscharführer was created from the
Unterscharführer was the most junior and most common non-commissioned officer rank of the SS and was the equivalent of an Unteroffizier in the German Wehrmacht.[1] The range of duties performed by the rank was diverse and extensive.
Uses
Allgemeine-SS
Within the 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
Waffen-SS
In the
Insignia
-
Shoulder strap
SS-Unterscharführer
(Junker FA) -
-
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 Unterführer-Anwärter (English: junior leader candidate) until passing the required evaluation, training and promotion board.
Notable recipients
See also
- Table of ranks and insignia of the Waffen-SS
| Junior rank Rottenführer |
SS rank Unterscharführer |
Senior rank Scharführer |
Notes
- ^ a b c d McNab 2009, p. 30.
- ^ Flaherty 2004, p. 148.
Bibliography
- Flaherty, T. H. (2004) [1988]. The Third Reich: The SS. Time-Life Books, Inc. ISBN 1-84447-073-3.
- McNab, Chris (2009). The SS: 1923–1945. Amber Books Ltd. ISBN 978-1-906626-49-5.