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The ranks and insignia of the Sturmabteilung (SA

Sturmabteilung

The , abbreviated SA , functioned as a paramilitary organization of the Nazi Party...

) were the first paramilitary rank system

Nazi party paramilitary ranks

Nazi party paramilitary ranks were pseudo-military titles which were used by the National Socialist German Workers Party between the years of 1920 and 1945...

to be developed by the Nazi Party in 1920. The titles and phrases used by the SA were eventually adopted by several other Nazi paramilitary groups, among them the Schutzstaffel
Schutzstaffel
The , abbreviated SS- or - was a major Nazi organization under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. The SS grew from a small paramilitary unit to a powerful force that served as the Führer's "Praetorian Guard," the Nazi Party's "Shield Squadron" and a force that, fielding almost a million men ,...

(SS). Early SS ranks

Ranks and insignia of the Schutzstaffel

The uniforms and insignia of the Schutzstaffel were paramilitary ranks and uniforms used by the SS between 1925 and 1945 to differentiate that organization from the regular German armed forces, the German state, and the Nazi Party....

were identical to the SA, since the SS was originally considered a sub-organization of the Sturmabteilung.

1920 – 1923

The first SA ranks were merely titles with no recognizable insignia. Typically, SA personnel would wear swastika armbands on a variety of paramilitary uniforms. At the start of the group’s existence, the SA had four primary ranks, those being:

Oberster SA-Führer (Supreme SA-Leader)
SA-Oberführer
Oberführer
Oberführer was an early paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party dating back to 1921. Translated as “Senior Leader”, an Oberführer was typically a Nazi Party member in charge of a group of paramilitary units in a particular geographical region...

(SA-Senior Leader)
SA-Führer
Führer
The word Führer is 'leader' or 'guide' in the German language, derived from the verb , a cognate of the Old English words faran and fær and the Modern English words derived from the older terms such as now mostly used in compounds such as wayfarer and sea-faring...

(SA-Leader)
SA-Mann
Mann (military rank)
Mann , was a paramilitary rank used by several Nazi Party paramilitary organizations between 1925 and 1945. The rank is most often associated with the S.S., and also as a rank of the SA where Mann was the lowest enlisted rank and was the equivalent of a Private.In 1938, with the rise of the...

(SA-Trooper)

1925 – 1928

In 1925, the SA was re-founded after having been disbanded following the failed Beer Hall Putsch

Beer Hall Putsch

The Beer Hall Putsch was a failed attempt at revolution that occurred between the evening of 8 November and the early afternoon of 9 November 1923, when Nazi Party leader Adolf Hitler, Generalquartiermeister Erich Ludendorff, and other heads of the...

in 1923. At that time, a simple rank insignia structure was developed for display on the collars of the SA’s brown uniforms.

SA Rank	Translation	Collar Insignia
SA Rank	Translation	Collar Insignia
Gruppenführer Gruppenführer Gruppenführer was an early paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party, first created in 1925 as a senior rank of the SA.-SS rank:...	Group Leader

Oberführer Oberführer Oberführer was an early paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party dating back to 1921. Translated as “Senior Leader”, an Oberführer was typically a Nazi Party member in charge of a group of paramilitary units in a particular geographical region...	Senior Leader

Standartenführer Standartenführer Standartenführer was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that was used in both the S.A. and the S.S.. First founded as a title in 1925, in 1928 the rank became one of the first commissioned Nazi ranks and was bestowed upon those S.A. and S.S...	Regiment Leader

Sturmführer Sturmführer Sturmführer was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party which began as a title used by the Sturmabteilung in 1925 and became an actual SA rank in 1928...	Storm Leader	No Insignia

Mann Mann (military rank) Mann , was a paramilitary rank used by several Nazi Party paramilitary organizations between 1925 and 1945. The rank is most often associated with the S.S., and also as a rank of the SA where Mann was the lowest enlisted rank and was the equivalent of a Private.In 1938, with the rise of the...	Trooper	No Insignia

1928 – 1932

In 1928, the SA had adopted an expanded system of rank titles and began displaying a version of collar insignia consisting of pips and collar bars to denote rank and position. The SA also introduced collar unit insignia, worn opposite the badge of rank, as well as a shoulder strap system to denote an SA member as a trooper, leader, or senior leader.

SA Rank	Army Equivalent	Shoulder Insignia	Collar Insignia
SA Rank	Army Equivalent	Shoulder Insignia	Collar Insignia
Gruppenführer Gruppenführer Gruppenführer was an early paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party, first created in 1925 as a senior rank of the SA.-SS rank:...	General General A general officer is an officer of high military rank. The term or equivalent is used by nearly every country in the world. General can be used as a generic term for all grades of general officer, or it can specifically refer to a single rank that is simply called general.-All general officer...

Oberführer Oberführer Oberführer was an early paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party dating back to 1921. Translated as “Senior Leader”, an Oberführer was typically a Nazi Party member in charge of a group of paramilitary units in a particular geographical region...	Brigadier Brigadier Brigadier is a military rank, the meaning of which has a considerable variation.-Officer rank:In many countries, especially those formerly part of the former British Empire, a Brigadier is either the highest field rank or most junior General appointment, nominally commanding a brigade...

Standartenführer Standartenführer Standartenführer was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that was used in both the S.A. and the S.S.. First founded as a title in 1925, in 1928 the rank became one of the first commissioned Nazi ranks and was bestowed upon those S.A. and S.S...	Colonel Colonel Colonel is a military rank of a commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every country in the world. It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...

Sturmbannführer Sturmbannführer Sturmbannführer was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party equivalent to major, used both in the Sturmabteilung and the Schutzstaffel...	Major Major In many European languages, the term Major is a military rank, implying seniority at one of usually various levels of rank. For example:*"General-Major" or "Major-General", denoting a senior ranking general officer....

Sturmhauptführer Sturmhauptführer Sturmhauptführer was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank used by both the Sturmabteilung and the SS. It was the equivalent of a Hauptmann in the German Army. This is the equivalent of Captain in western militaries....	Captain

Sturmführer Sturmführer Sturmführer was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party which began as a title used by the Sturmabteilung in 1925 and became an actual SA rank in 1928...	Lieutenant Lieutenant Lieutenant is a military, naval, paramilitary, fire service, emergency medical services or police officer rank....

Haupttruppführer Haupttruppführer Haupttruppführer was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that existed between the years of 1930 and 1945. Haupttruppführer was mainly used as a rank of the Sturmabteilung , but was also used by the Schutzstaffel in the early days of that group’s existence.As an SA rank, Haupttruppführer was created...	Sergeant Major Sergeant Major A Sergeant Major is a rank or appointment in many militaries around the world. In Commonwealth countries, Sergeants Major are usually appointments held by senior non-commissioned officers or warrant officers...

Truppführer Truppführer Truppführer was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that was first created in 1930 as a rank of the Sturmabteilung , or Nazi Stormtroopers. Translated as “Troop Leader”, the rank of Truppführer evolved from early Freikorps titles which traced their origins to World War I.As an SA rank, Truppführer was...	Sergeant Sergeant Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....

Scharführer Scharführer Scharführer was a Nazi Party title that was used by several paramilitary organizations from 1925 to 1945. Translated as “Squad Leader”, the title of Scharführer can trace its origins to the First World War, where a Scharführer was often a Sergeant or Corporal who commanded special action or shock...	Corporal Corporal Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and also by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4. The word is probably derived from a medieval Italian phrase capo corporale, meaning "head of a body "...

Mann Mann (military rank) Mann , was a paramilitary rank used by several Nazi Party paramilitary organizations between 1925 and 1945. The rank is most often associated with the S.S., and also as a rank of the SA where Mann was the lowest enlisted rank and was the equivalent of a Private.In 1938, with the rise of the...	Private Private (rank) A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank . The term dates from the Middle Ages, where privates were known as "private soldiers" who were either hired, conscripted, or feudalized into service by a nobleman forming an army...

1932 – 1945

In 1932, the year before Adolf Hitler

Adolf Hitler

Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , popularly known as the Nazi Party...

became Chancellor of Germany, the SA adopted its final rank and insignia versions which would remain unchanged until the organization ceased to exist at the close of the Second World War.

SA Rank	Translation	Army Equivalent	Shoulder Insignia	Collar Insignia (1932 - 1934)	Collar Insignia (1934 - 1945)
SA Rank	Translation	Army Equivalent
Stabschef Stabschef (SA) For other uses of the term "Stabschef" please refer to Chief of StaffStabschef was a paramilitary rank in the Sturmabteilung , the paramilitary stormtroopers associated with the Nazi movement....	Chief of Staff	Field Marshal Field Marshal Field Marshal is a military officer rank. Today, it is the highest rank in the armies in which it is used, one step above a general or colonel-general.-Usage and hierarchical position:...

SA Rank	Translation	Army Equivalent	Shoulder Insignia	Collar Insignia
SA Rank	Translation	Army Equivalent
Obergruppenführer Obergruppenführer Obergruppenführer was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that was first created in 1932 as a rank of the SA and until 1942 it was the highest SS rank inferior only to Reichsführer-SS...	Senior Group Leader	General General A general officer is an officer of high military rank. The term or equivalent is used by nearly every country in the world. General can be used as a generic term for all grades of general officer, or it can specifically refer to a single rank that is simply called general.-All general officer...

Gruppenführer Gruppenführer Gruppenführer was an early paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party, first created in 1925 as a senior rank of the SA.-SS rank:...	Group Leader	Lieutenant General Lieutenant General Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....

Brigadeführer Brigadeführer Brigadeführer was an SS rank that was used in Nazi Germany between the years of 1932 and 1945. Brigadeführer was also an SA rank.The rank was first created due to an expansion of the SS and assigned to those officers in command of SS-Brigaden...	Brigade Leader	Major General Major General Major General or Major-General is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of Sergeant Major General. A Major General is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of Lieutenant General and senior to the ranks of Brigadier and Brigadier General...

Oberführer Oberführer Oberführer was an early paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party dating back to 1921. Translated as “Senior Leader”, an Oberführer was typically a Nazi Party member in charge of a group of paramilitary units in a particular geographical region...	Senior Leader	Brigadier General Brigadier General Brigadier General is the lowest ranking General Officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of Colonel and Major General.The rank can be traced back to the militaries of Europe where a brigadier general, or simply a brigadier, would command a brigade in the field...

Standartenführer Standartenführer Standartenführer was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that was used in both the S.A. and the S.S.. First founded as a title in 1925, in 1928 the rank became one of the first commissioned Nazi ranks and was bestowed upon those S.A. and S.S...	Regiment Leader	Colonel Colonel Colonel is a military rank of a commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every country in the world. It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...

Obersturmbannführer Obersturmbannführer Obersturmbannführer was a paramilitary Nazi Party rank used by both the SA and the SS. It was created in May 1933 to fill the need for an additional field grade officer rank above Sturmbannführer as the SA expanded. It became an SS rank at the same time...	Senior Storm Unit Leader	Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant Colonel Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...

Sturmbannführer Sturmbannführer Sturmbannführer was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party equivalent to major, used both in the Sturmabteilung and the Schutzstaffel...	Storm Unit Leader	Major Major In many European languages, the term Major is a military rank, implying seniority at one of usually various levels of rank. For example:*"General-Major" or "Major-General", denoting a senior ranking general officer....

Sturmhauptführer Sturmhauptführer Sturmhauptführer was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank used by both the Sturmabteilung and the SS. It was the equivalent of a Hauptmann in the German Army. This is the equivalent of Captain in western militaries....	Chief Storm Leader	Captain

Obersturmführer Obersturmführer Obersturmführer was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi party that was used by the SS and also as a rank of the SA. Translated as “Senior Assault Leader”, the rank of Obersturmführer was first created in 1932 as the result of an expansion of the Sturmabteilung and the need for an additional rank in...	Senior Storm Leader	First Lieutenant First Lieutenant First Lieutenant is a military rank.The rank of Lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...

Sturmführer Sturmführer Sturmführer was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party which began as a title used by the Sturmabteilung in 1925 and became an actual SA rank in 1928...	Storm Leader	Second Lieutenant Second Lieutenant Second Lieutenant is the lowest commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.In British English the rank is pronounced second /lɛf'tɛnənt/ , while in American English it is pronounced second /lu'tɛnənt/ ....

Haupttruppführer Haupttruppführer Haupttruppführer was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that existed between the years of 1930 and 1945. Haupttruppführer was mainly used as a rank of the Sturmabteilung , but was also used by the Schutzstaffel in the early days of that group’s existence.As an SA rank, Haupttruppführer was created...	Chief Troop Leader	Sergeant Major Sergeant Major A Sergeant Major is a rank or appointment in many militaries around the world. In Commonwealth countries, Sergeants Major are usually appointments held by senior non-commissioned officers or warrant officers...

Obertruppführer Obertruppführer Obertruppführer was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party that was used between the years of 1932 and 1945. The rank is most closely associated with the Sturmabteilung , but also was an early rank of the Schutzstaffel in that group’s formative years.Translated as “Senior Troop Leader”,...	Senior Troop Leader	Master Sergeant Master Sergeant A master sergeant is the military rank for a senior non-commissioned officer in some armed forces.-United States:Master Sergeant insignia U.S. Army Master Sergeant insignia U.S. Marine Corps Master Sergeant insignia ...

Truppführer Truppführer Truppführer was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that was first created in 1930 as a rank of the Sturmabteilung , or Nazi Stormtroopers. Translated as “Troop Leader”, the rank of Truppführer evolved from early Freikorps titles which traced their origins to World War I.As an SA rank, Truppführer was...	Troop Leader	Sergeant First Class Sergeant First Class Sergeant First Class insigniaSergeant First Class is the seventh enlisted rank in the U.S. Army, above staff sergeant and below master sergeant and first sergeant, and is the first senior non-commissioned officer rank....

Oberscharführer Oberscharführer Oberscharführer was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that existed between the years of 1932 and 1945. Translated as “Senior Squad Leader”, Oberscharführer was first used as a rank of the Sturmabteilung and was created due to an expansion of the enlisted positions required by growing SA membership...	Senior Squad Leader	Staff Sergeant Staff Sergeant Staff Sergeant is a rank of non-commissioned officer used in several countries.The origin of the name is that they were part of the staff of a British army regiment and paid at that level rather than as a member of a battalion or company.-Australia:...

Scharführer Scharführer Scharführer was a Nazi Party title that was used by several paramilitary organizations from 1925 to 1945. Translated as “Squad Leader”, the title of Scharführer can trace its origins to the First World War, where a Scharführer was often a Sergeant or Corporal who commanded special action or shock...	Squad Leader	Sergeant Sergeant Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....

Rottenführer Rottenführer Rottenführer was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that was first created in the year 1932. The rank of Rottenführer was used by several Nazi paramilitary groups, among them the Sturmabteilung , the Schutzstaffel and was senior to the paramilitary rank of Sturmmann.The insignia for Rottenführer...	Section Leader	Corporal Corporal Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and also by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4. The word is probably derived from a medieval Italian phrase capo corporale, meaning "head of a body "...

Sturmmann Sturmmann Sturmmann was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that was first created in the year 1921. The rank of Sturmmann was used by the Sturmabteilung and the Schutzstaffel ....	Storm Trooper	Lance-Corporal/Private First Class Private First Class In many armed forces in the world, Private First Class is a rank held by junior enlisted persons.- United States :In the U.S. Army, Private First Class is the third lowest enlisted rank, just above Private and below Corporal or Specialist in the Army, and is equivalent to NATO Grade OR-3. In the U.S...

Mann Mann (military rank) Mann , was a paramilitary rank used by several Nazi Party paramilitary organizations between 1925 and 1945. The rank is most often associated with the S.S., and also as a rank of the SA where Mann was the lowest enlisted rank and was the equivalent of a Private.In 1938, with the rise of the...	Trooper	Private Private (rank) A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank . The term dates from the Middle Ages, where privates were known as "private soldiers" who were either hired, conscripted, or feudalized into service by a nobleman forming an army...

SA Unit Insignia

The SA used uniform colors and collar patches to denote an SA member's unit ranging from the Sturmbann and Standarten level (Battalion and Regiment) to the SA-Gruppen (SA Division) to which an SA member belonged. From those ranking Obersturmbannführer and below, a unit collar patch was worn on the right collar, opposite the badge of the rank. The patch typically displayed a member’s battalion number followed by their regiment number. Variations to this system occurred if an SA member was assigned to a headquarters staff or some other special branch of the SA.

All SA members wore various uniform colors to indicate in which SA Division a member belonged. The following was the 1944 color scheme of SA uniforms:

Red and Gold: SA Chief of Staff
Red and White: SA Supreme Command
Red: SA Group Staff
Yellow: Schlesien Group
Green: Thüringen
Thuringia
The Free State of Thuringia is located in central Germany. It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen Bundesländer...

Group
Blue: Hesse
Hesse
Hesse is a state of Germany with an area of and just over six million inhabitants. The state capital is Wiesbaden. Hesse's largest city is nearby Frankfurt am Main.Hesse contributes the largest share to the Rhine Main Area....

Group
Brown: Westmark Group
Light Blue: Hochland
Hochland
Hochland may refer to:* Hochland , a historical region in North Germany* Hochland AG, a German cheese and dairy manufacturer* Hochland , a game* Hochland Park, a suburb of the City of Windhoek...

Group
Orange: Südwest Group
Pink: Alpenland
Alps
The Alps are one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east; through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany; to France in the west....

Group
Light Blue (Gold Pip): Sudeten
Sudetenland
Sudetenland is the German name used in English in the first half of the 20th century for the western regions of Czechoslovakia inhabited mostly by ethnic Germans, specifically the border areas of Bohemia, Moravia, and those parts of Silesia associated with Bohemia.The name is derived from the...

Group
Black: Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. With a population of 3.4 million within its city limits, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city and the eighth most populous urban area in the European Union...

-Brandenburg
Brandenburg
Brandenburg is one of the sixteen states of Germany. It lies in the east of the country and is one of the new federal states that were re-created in 1990 upon the reunification of the former West Germany and East Germany. The capital is Potsdam...

Group