German ranks

[grumpybear]

I need a little help. What I need would be a simple rank list for german air forces WW1 From high to lowest. Thanks on me

[Oberst Hajj]

Here you go.

[Hunter]

Thanks Herr Oberst, how about enlisted ranks?

[Oberst Hajj]

A list of all German ranks in WWI (and a good magazine too!).

[grumpybear]

Thank you is just what I needed

[Ravenlord]

The non-officer ranks in the Imperial german army where much depending on the branch and the state and the regiment the soldier served:

Schütze - generic term for all branches
A private in prussian and württemberg service as generaly a Musketier, in bavaria an Infanterist and in Saxony a Soldat.
If he serves in a Füsilierregiment he was called Füssilier, Grenadierregiment/Grenadier; Garderegiment/Gardist and so on ...
If he serves at the artillery he was an artillerist.
If he was a trooper at the cavallery he was a Jäger zu Pferd, Ulan, Dragoner, Hussar,
Chevauleger(bavarian light cavallery) or a Cürassier at the heavy cavallery.

Gefreiter

Obergefreiter - only at the foot-artillery (heavy artillery)


Unterofficier
Oberjäger(light infantry), Corporal(cavallery)

Sergeant
Feuerwerker(artillery),

Fähnrich (officer cadet)

Vicefeldwebel
Vicewachtmeister(artillery, cavallery)

Degenfähnrich
senior officer cadet

Feldwebel
Oberfeuerwerker(artillery), Wachtmeister(cavallery), Schirrmeister(cavalery-depot), ... + 8 more

Offizierstellvertreter
Oberwachtmeister(cavalery)

Feldwebelleutnant (only in wartimes - mostly used in home units (landwehr, landsturm))

Officers like above but there is a rank missing:
Generaloberst im Range eines Generalfeldmarschalls
It´s a Generaloberst in the position of a Generalfeldmarschalt but not confirmed.

If a soldier changed from his branch to the airservice he retains the rank of branch.
Rittmeister Manfred Freiherr von Richthofen for example came from the Ulans at the infantry/artillery he would have been a Hauptmann.


Matthias

[itchy]

very interesting thanks for starting this thread

[Kaiser]

For understanding: Ulan = Lancer