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Ranks and insignia of the Ordnungspolizei

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The wreathed Polizeiadler (police eagle) was worn as a cap badge and on the left sleeve by all uniformed police.

The ranks and insignia of the Ordnungspolizei were developed in 1936 after the nationalisation of Germany's regular police forces.

Ordnungspolizei

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Decals of the Ordnungspolizei used on various helmets

Ordnungspolizei (Orpo) ranks were based on local police titles and were considered a separate system from the ranks of the SS. If a member of the Order Police was already an SS member or - upon application - became an SS member, he was automatically awarded an SS rank according to his police rank. Within the police administration, only the police rank was used. In the SS environment, the equivalent SS title was usually mentioned first, even if the bearer usually had no function in the SS administration. In 1944, all Orpo generals also gained equivalent Waffen-SS ranks so that, in the event of capture by the Allies, the Orpo general would hold status as a military officer instead of a police official.

It was not until the decree of 16.4.1940 that the Order Police were allowed to show their SS affiliation in their uniforms: A small SS rune was sewn on below the left breast pocket.[1]

Ordnungspolizei rank insignia

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German police uniforms in 1936: Green service dress with brown collar and cuffs for Schutzpolizei (municipal and state protection police), orange collar and cuffs for Gendarmerie (state rural police), blue maritime police, and white traffic police uniforms; visor caps and German police shakos, the characteristic "bump hat" of the Schutzpolizei
German police insignia in 1936: Shoulderboards (Schulterstücke), collar patches (Kragenspiegel), and branch colours (Truppenfarbe)

In addition to collar and shoulder insignia, Ordnungspolizei also wore the wreathed police eagle on the upper left sleeve. The collar patch and shoulderboards were backed, and the sleeve eagle (below the rank of Leutnant) embroidered, in truppenfarbe, a colour-code which indicated the branch of police: green for Schutzpolizei (protection police) and police general officers, wine-red for Gemeindepolizei (municipal protection police), orange for rural Gendarmerie, carmine-red for fire brigades, gold for maritime police, and light grey for administrative police.[2]

General officers

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Shoulder insignia Collar insignia
(1936–42) 		Collar insignia
(1942–45) 		Orpo general rank Equivalent SS rank
Chef der Deutschen Polizei Reichsführer-SS
Generaloberst der Polizei Oberst-Gruppenführer
General der Polizei Obergruppenführer
Generalleutnant der Polizei Gruppenführer
Generalmajor der Polizei Brigadeführer

Note: Since most police generals, increasingly as time went on, were also SS generals, they typically wore an SS uniform except at police-specific functions.

Field and junior officers

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Shoulder insignia Collar insignia Orpo general rank Equivalent SS rank
Oberst der Schutzpolizei Standartenführer
Oberstleutnant der Schutzpolizei Obersturmbannführer
Major der Schutzpolizei Sturmbannführer
Hauptmann der Schutzpolizei Hauptsturmführer
Oberleutnant der Schutzpolizei Obersturmführer
Leutnant der Schutzpolizei Untersturmführer

Enlisted, NCOs, and senior NCOs[3]

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Shoulder insignia Collar insignia Orpo general rank Translation Equivalent SS rank Equivalent U.S. Army rank
Meister Master None[4] (Warrant officer)
Hauptwachtmeister Chief watch master Hauptscharführer (Master sergeant)
Revieroberwachtmeister (Schupo)
Bezirksoberwachtmeister (Gendarmerie)
Zugwachtmeister (Kasernierte Polizei) 		Precinct senior watch master
District senior watch master
Platoon watch master 		Oberscharführer (Technical sergeant)
Oberwachtmeister Senior watch master Scharführer (Staff sergeant)
Wachtmeister Watch master Unterscharführer (Sergeant)
Rottmeister Team master Rottenführer (Corporal)
Unterwachtmeister Junior watch master Sturmmann Constable (Private first class)
No insignia Anwärter Candidate Mann Constable cadet (Private)

Rank and pay

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Pay grade [6] Annual Pay Reichsmark (RM)

(basic pay without allowances)[6]

Mannschaften (Enlisted)

Unterführer (NCO) Revieroffiziere

Offiziere (Officers)
- .. Anwärter
- .. Anwärter with more than 6 months service
- .. Unterwachtmeister
A8c5 1,536 Rottwachtmeister
A8c4 1,920 Wachtmeister
A8c3 2,040 Oberwachtmeister
A8c2 2,340 Revieroberwachtmeister
A8c1 2,370 Hauptwachtmeister with less than 12 years service
A8a 2,100–2,800 Hauptwachtmeister with more than 12 years service
A7c 2,000–3,000 Hauptwachtmeister appointed before April 12, 1943
A7a 2,350–3,500 Meister
A5b 2,300–4,200 Obermeister
Revierleutnant
A4e 2,800–4,600 Leutnant
A4e 2,800–4,600 Oberleutnant
A4c2 2,800–5,000 Inspektor
Revieroberleutnant
A4c1 2,800–5,300 Revierhauptmann
A3b 4,800–6,900 Hauptmann
A2c2 8,400 Major
A2b 9,700 Oberstleutnant
A1a 12,600 Oberst
B7a 16,000 Generalmajor
B4 19,000 Generalleutnant
B3a 24,000 General

Mean annual pay for an industrial worker was 1,459 Reichsmarks in 1939, and for a privately employed white-collar worker 2,772 Reichsmarks.[7]

References

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  1. ^ O.-Kdo P I (1a) Nr. 146/40, RMBliV S. 798.
  2. ^ Gordon Williamsson, World War II German Police Units, Osprey Publishing 2006, p. 8.
  3. ^ Unteroffiziere mit Portepee (equivalent to warrant officer)
  4. ^ Maybe equivalent to the Wehrmacht's Festungswerkmeister ("Fortress Foreman") and Hufbeschlaglehrmeister ("Farrier Instructor").
  5. ^ Schutzpolizei des Reiches Retrieved 2016-01-10.
  6. ^ a b Reichsbesoldungsordnung 1943, RGBl I:38
  7. ^ Die Besoldung eines Soldaten der Wehrmacht Retrieved 2013-11-26
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