Ranks of the German war navy (Kriegsmarine) until 1945

Crews

University forming: Crews did not carry shoulder straps (excluded naval artillery, this like army and in high-red advanced) and no collar mirrors.

The badges of rank were carried at the left upper sleeve. Beyond that crews carried the respective career badge as golden Aufnäher over the rank insignia. It gave for all crews and NCOs and others the careers:

- Maritime service
- naval measurement service
- naval medical service
- naval signal service
- naval civil service
- attendant career
- naval artillery
- sailor: no rank insignia

 

Crew ranks:
- Matrosengefreiter (Sailor private first classes): a golden angle on dark document
- Matrosenobergefreiter (sailor upper private first classes): two into one another-pushed golden angles
- Matrosenhauptgefreiter (sailor main private first classes): three into one another-pushed golden angles
- Matrosenstabsgefreiter (sailor staff private first classes): a twisted golden angle, over it a golden four-jagged star
- Matrosenoberstabsgefreiter (sailor upper staff private first classes): two into one another-pushed twisted golden angles and a golden four-jagged star over it

 

Matrosengefreiter (Sailor private first class)(1), Matrosenobergefreiter (Sailor upper private first class)(2), Matrosenhauptgefreiter (Sailor main private first class)(3), Matrosengefreiter UA (abgeschlossen) (Sailor private first class UA (finally)(4), Matrosengefreiter UA (nicht abgeschlossen) (Sailor private first class UA (not locked)(5), Matrosenstabsgefreiter (Sailor staff private first class)(6), Matrosenoberstabsgefreiter (Sailor upper staff private first class)(7)

 

 

 

NCOs without Portepee

- Maat (Leading seaman): Rank insignia: On the collar mirror a golden bar. Career badge: Boat man leading seaman (golden anchor)
- Obermaat (upper leading seaman): Rank: On the collar mirror two golden bars. Career badge: Upper boat man leading seaman
(golden anchor, under this a golden angle)
- Maat (Leading seaman): Rank insignia: On the collar mirror a golden bar. Career badge: Attendant leading seaman
(golden double anchor)
- Obermaat (upper leading seaman): Rank: On the collar mirror two golden bars. Career badge: Colonel of you man leading seaman
(golden double anchor, under this a golden angle)

 

Bootsmannsmaat (Boat man leading seaman)(7), Oberbootsmannsmaat (Upper boat man leading seaman)(8), Steuermannsmaat (Attendant leading seaman)(9), Obersteuermannsmaat (Colonel of you man leading seaman)(10)

 

 

 

NCOs with Portepee

NCOs with Portepee carried similarly as the army shoulder straps with Tresse and stars, whereby the Tresse was goldfarben. In addition they carried the respective career badge on the shoulder straps. NCOs with Portepee of the attendant career were called attendant, Colonel of you man etc. In the maritime career the sergeant ranks were called as follows:

- Bootsmann  (Bootsmann) (also: Attendant): a star and a career badge
- Stabsbootsmann (staff boat man): two stars and career badge, stars next to each other
- Oberbootsmann (upper boat man): two stars and career badge, stars one above the other
- Stabsoberbootsmann (staff upper boat man): three stars and career badges

 

 

 

Officer candidate in NCO rank

- Seekadett (Sea-cadet): a round golden Tresse, among them for officers of the navy typical five-pointed golden so-called. Sea-star
- Fähnrich zur See (petty officer): Shoulder piece such as officers, this however smaller implemented and without stars
- Oberfähnrich zur See (midshipman): like petty officer, but with two four-jagged stars.
In addition midshipman carried the garrison cap of the officers

 

Bootsmann (1), Stabsbootsmann (Staff boat man)(2), Oberbootsmann (Upper boat man)(3), Stabsoberbootsmann (Staff upper boat man)(4), Fähnrich zur See (petty officer)(5), Oberfähnrich zur See (midshipman)(6)

 

 

 

Officers

The shoulder pieces of the war navy corresponded to those with all officers in the army, whereby the document was blue. Collar mirrors were void. The officers of the maritime service carried the sea-star already mentioned over the strip at the suit. Beyond that there were the careers for officers:
- Technical service: a golden gear wheel
- Sanitätsdienst: a golden Äskulapstab
- naval weapon service: crossed golden pipes
- check weapon service: a golden Raise
- marine oh arranging service: golden lightning
- naval artillery

Officer ranks:
- Leutnant zur See (Second lieutenant to sea): no star. sleeve： a centralbroad strip
- Oberleutnant zur See (first lieutenant to sea): one golden star。 Sleeve: Two middle latitude strip
- Kapitänleutnant (captain second lieutenant): two stars. Sleeve: Two middle latitude strip, between them a narrow strip
- Korvettenkapitän (lieutenant commander): no star. Sleeve: three middle latitude strip
- Fregattenkapitän (commander): a golden star. Sleeve: first four middle latitude strip, for starting from 1. August 1940 carried three middle latitude strip; starting from 1. April/1. July 1944 centralbroad strip, one narrow strip and two middle latitude strip.
- Kapitän zur See (Captain to sea): two golden stars. Sleeve: four middle latitude strip

 

Kapitän zur See (Captain to sea)(8), Fregattenkapitän (Commander) since Herbst 1944 (9), Fregattenkapitän (Commander) (1944) (10), Fregattenkapitän (Commander) (11), Korvettenkapitän (12), Kapitänleutnant (Lieutenant commander)(13), Oberleutnant zur See (First lieutenant to sea)(14), Leutnant zur See (Second lieutenant to sea)(15)

 

 

 

Flying a flag officers (admirals)

Admirals carried the same shoulder pieces as the army generals, but with blue document. Collar mirrors were void also here.
- Kommodore (Kommodore)
- Konteradmiral (countering admiral)
- Vizeadmiral (Vice Admiral)
- Admiral (admiral)
- Generaladmiral (general admiral)
- Generaladmiral Oberbefehlshaber (general admiral Supreme commander)
- Großadmiral (large admiral)

 

Kommodore (7), Konteradmiral (countering admiral)(6), Vizeadmiral (Vice Admiral)(5), Admiral (admiral)(4), Generaladmiral (general admiral)(3), Generaladmiral als Oberbefehlshaber (general admiral Supreme commander)(2), Großadmiral (large admiral)(1)

 

 

 

 

 

You can find the right literature here:

 

The Kriegsmarine: Facts, Figures and Data for the German Navy, 1935–45

Germany’s navy, the Kriegsmarine, played a critical role in the Third Reich’s attempt to restrict the flow of supplies, men and materiel from the United States to Britain in the early years of the war and from North America and Britain to the Soviet Union from 1941. Such was the success of the U-boats in particular, by the end of the war more than 3000 Allied ships with a combined gross tonnage 14.5 million had been sent to the bottom of the sea. The Kriegsmarine examines the workings of the German Navy through its organization, command structure, economic resources, production figures, recruitment, training and philosophy. Broken down by key campaigns and subject areas, the book includes exhaustive reference tables, diagrams, maps and charts, presenting all the core data in easy-to-follow formats. The Kriegsmarine is an essential reference guide for anyone interested in the history and structure of Germany’s wartime navy.

Click here!

 

 

Kriegsmarine 1935-1945: History • Uniforms • Headgear • Insignia • Equipment

This book describes and shows – in over 1000 color images – the history, uniforms, headgear, insignia, and equipment of the German Kriegsmarine between 1935 and 1945. In this work, the authors focus primarily on all the unnamed seamen who served on the minelayers, Schnellboote, minehunters, cruisers, U-Boats, and other ships. For this reason, they discovered previously unknown war-era records from private archives. The uniforms and equipment shown are originals from the period, and likewise come from private collections. This book is a must for readers who are interested in the history of the Kriegsmarine, and is a definitive reference for collectors of Third Reich-era memorabilia.

Click here!

 

 

Kriegsmarine U-Boats 1939-45 (Essential Identification Guide)

Although Germany had lost her fleet at the end of Word War I, by 1939 she had built up a formidable force of modern vessels. It was the Kriegsmarine’s submarines – the U-boats – that were to prove the most effective and deadly arm of the German navy in World War II. Built to harass Allied shipping, the U-boat ‘wolfpacks’ almost succeeding in bringing Britain to her knees in their campaign to restrict supplies and materiel from crossing the Atlantic. By the end of 1942, their most successful year, U-boats had sunk 1664 vessels – 7.26 million tonnes of shipping. Illustrated with detailed artworks of German U-boats, Kriegsmarine U-Boats 1939–45 is a comprehensive guide to the submarine arm of the German navy in World War II. Divided by flotilla, this book offers a complete organizational breakdown of U-boat units, from the beginning of the war in the North Atlantic through to last days of the Reich. Each chapter includes a compact history of the U-boat flotilla’s role and impact on the course of the conflict, as well as unit markings, orders of battle, lists of commanders and numbers of kills. Every type of German submarine is featured. Each submarine profile is accompanied by specifications, as well as details of unit markings. Packed with profiles of every major type of German U-boat, Kriegsmarine U-Boats 1939–45 is an essential reference guide for modellers, military historians and naval warfare enthusiasts alike.

Click here!

 

 

Deutsche Kriegsmarine: Uniforms, Insignias and Equipment of the German Navy 1933-1945

This book offers an outstanding visual record of the history, uniforms and gear used by the Kriegsmarine. Over 500 pages, 2600 photographs (most unpublished before) accompany the clear, explanatory text.

Click here!

 

 

Hitler's Navy: A Reference Guide to the Kriegsmarine, 1935-1945

Despite being heavily outnumbered by the navies of Great Britain and the United States, the German navy proved to be a serious adversary. Its major warships posed a constant threat to the Allied shipping lanes, and its U-boats in the North Atlantic threatened the very liberation of Europe. This important work explains why Hitler's navy was such a potent force. An indispensable guide to the ships, organization, command and rank structure, and leaders of the Kriegsmarine, the book's detailed text studies the navy from World War I to the collapse of the U-boat offensive and the demise of the Third Reich. More than 350 photos, many never before published, along with maps and diagrams, story updates and expands the author's 1979 title, The German Navy in World War Two, for a new generation of readers.

Click here!

 

 

 

 

 

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