Table of Equivalent Ranks-German Air Force, U.S. Army Air Force, and Royal Air Force
Table of Equivalent Ranks-German Air Force, U. S. Army Air Force, and Royal Air Force
THE SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES AMONG THE RANK STRUCtures for the three services should be apparent from an examination of the table. The rank abbreviations are those used in the text. They should not be taken as official. The Luftwaffe made extensive use of officer candidate titles, frequently hyphenated with another rank. These titles have been simplified in the text. The philosophy of the Luftwaffe with regard to granting pilots automatic officer's commissions differed from the USAAF and was similar to that of the RAF—a commission was not needed to drive an airplane. Commissioned officers wereneeded for leadership positions, however, and here the Luftwaffe suffered a chronic shortage. In 1939 about one-third of Germany's fighter pilots were commissioned officers. The fraction dropped steadily during the war, until it became common for a Staffel to have no more than one officer on flying status.
TABLE OF EQUIVALENT RANKS GERMAN AIR FORCE—UNITED STATES ARMY AIR FORCE—ROYAL AIR FORCE
GAF
|
USAAF
|
RAF
| Title
| Abbr.
| Title
| Abbr.
| Title
| Abbr.
|
COMMISSIONED OFFICERS
| Reichsmarschall
|
|
|
|
|
| Generalfeldmarschall
|
| General (5 star)
| Gen.
| Marshal of the RAF
|
| Generaloberst
| Genobst.
| General (4 star)
| Gen.
| Air Chief Marshal
|
| General der Flieger
| Gen. der
| Lieutenant General
| Lt. Gen.
| Air Marshal
|
| Generalleutnant
| Genlt.
| Major General
| Maj. Gen.
| Air Vice Marshal
|
| Generalmajor
| Genmaj.
| Brigadier General
| Brig. Gen.
| Air Commodore
| Air Cdre.
| Oberst
| Obst.
| Colonel
| Col.
| Group Captain
| Gp. Capt.
| Oberstleutnant
| Obstlt.
| Lieutenant Colonel
| Lt. Col.
| Wing Commander
| Wing Cdr.
| Major
| Maj.
| Major
| Maj.
| Squadron Leader
| Sqd. Ldr.
| Hauptmann
| Hptm.
| Captain
| Capt.
| Flight Lieutenant
| Fit. Lt.
| Oberleutnant
| Obit.
| First Lieutenant
| 1st Lt.
| Flying Officer
| Fig. Off.
| Leutnant
| Lt.
| Second Lieutenant
| 2nd Lt.
| Pilot Officer
| Pit. Off.
|
WARRANT OFFICERS
| Stabsfeldwebel
| Stabsfw.
| Flight Officer
| Fit. Off.
| Warrant Officer
| Wt. Off.
| Oberfaehnrich
| Obflir.
| (Sr. Off. Candidate)
|
| -
|
|
NONCOMMISSIONED OFFICERS
| Oberfeldwebel
| Obfw.
| Master Sergeant
| MSgt.
| Flight Sergeant
| Fit. Sgt.
| Faehnrich
| Fhr.
| (Officer Candidate)
| TSgt.
| -
|
| (Fahnenjunker)Feldwebel
| Fw.
| Technical Sergeant
| Sgt.
| Sergeant
| Sgt. Cpl.
| Unterfeldwebel
| Ufw.
| Sergeant Corporal
| Cpl.
| Corporal
|
| Unteroffizier
| Uffz.
| -
|
| -
|
|
ENLISTED MEN
| Hauptgefreiter
| Hptgefr.
|
|
|
|
| Obergefreiter
| Ogfr.
|
|
| Leading Aircraftsman
|
| Gefreiter
| Gefr.
| Private 1st Class
| PFC.
| Aircraftsman 1st Cl.
|
| Flieger
| Fig.
| Private
| Pvt.
| Aircraftsman 2nd Cl.
|
|
|