Luftwaffe rank equivalents USAAF and VVS

[Csaba B. Stenge]

Gentlemen


Could you help me in these ranks, I am not 100% sure about the approx equivalents in some ways:

Luftwaffe USAAF VVS

Unteroffizier Corporal(?) mladshij sherzant
Feldwebel Sergeant(?) starshij sherzant
Oberfeldwebel Technical Sergeant(?) starshina
Oberfähnrich approx. Flight Officer(Navy-Ensign) - (no approx Soviet equal)

Thanks in advance,

[Laurent Rizzotti]

My own table compiled from various sources:

Obergefreiter = Mladshii Serzhant (VVS) = Corporal (USAAF, RAF)

Unteroffizier = Serzhant (VVS) = Sergeant (USAAF, RAF)

Feldwebel = Starshii Serzhant (VVS) = Flight Sergeant (RAF) = no equivalent rank? (USAAF)

Oberfeldwebel = Starshina (VVS) = Warrant Officer (RAF) = Master Sergeant (USAAF)

Oberfähnrich is the rank of a "pupil officer" (an Aspirant in the Armée de l'Air, or a Zászlós in Hungary if my table is right). There was no equivalent in VVS, RAF or USA but the rank immediatly above in Luftwaffe is Leutnant (= Leitenant (VVS) = 2nd Lieutenant (USAAF) = Pilot Officer (RAF)) and there are in VVS and USAAF ranks just under the above:
Mladshii Leitenant (VVS) and Flight Officer (USA).

But they are not equivalent of Oberfähnrich, because this German rank implies the idea of someone still "training" in an officer's school. It is possible that the USN rank of Ensign implies the same thing, and so will be a good traduction.

Hope this helps

Laurent

[Andy Fletcher]

Hi Csaba,

Like Laurent I have also compiled a list of equivalent ranks from various sources and concure with his findings. The only addition would be

Unterfeldwebel = no equivalent (VVS) = no equivalent (RAF) = Staff Sergeant (USAAF)

Feldwebel = Starshii Serzhant (VVS) = Flight Sergeant (RAF) = Technical Sergeant (USAAF)

Regards

Andy Fletcher

[Csaba B. Stenge]

Thanks, guys.

[drgondog]

Laurent - 'Ensign' in USN is exactly the same as '2nd Lt' in USAAF or USMC.

Flight Officer (F/O) is Highest Enlisted rank in this case for the USAAF, but about the same as the current rank of Warrant Officer in the gray area between Officer and NCO's . The USMC actually permitted some NCO's at rank of Sargent in early days of WWII to pilot fighters but it was rare.

The USMC ranks and names for officers are identical to USAAF and USAF whereas the USN does it's 'own thing'