World War II Armed Forces – Orders of Battle and Organizations

Last Updated 03.10.2008

German Luftwaffe Ranks

 

Grade	Abbreviation	German Luftwaffe	US Army Air Forces
General Ranks
-	RM	Reichsmarschall	(lit.: "Marshal of the Reich")[Note 1]
G5	Gen Feldm	Generalfeldmarschall	General of the Air Force
G4	Gen Ob	Generaloberst	General
G3	Gen d Fl Gen d Flak Gen d Fs Gen d Ln	General der Flieger General der Flakartillerie General der Fallschirmjäger General der Luftnachrichtentruppen	Lieutenant General (Aviation Troops) Lieutenant General (Antiaircraft Artillery Troops) Lieutenant General (Parachute Troops) Lieutenant General (Air Force Signal Troops)
G2	Gen Lt Fl Gen Stb Ing	Generalleutnant Flieger-Generalstabsingenieur	Major General Aviation Major General of the Technical Services
G1	Gen Maj Fl Gen Ing	Generalmajor Flieger-Generalingenieur	Brigadier General Aviation Brigadier General of the Technical Services
Officer Ranks
O7	Ob, Obst Fl Obst Ing	Oberst Flieger-Oberstingenieur	Colonel Aviation Colonel of the Technical Services
O6	Obstlt Fl Ob Stb Ing	Oberstleutnant Flieger-Oberstabsingenieur	Lieutenant Colonel Aviation Lieutenant Colonel of the Technical Services
O5	Maj Fl Stb Ing	Major Flieger-Stabsingenieur	Major Aviation Major of the Technical Services
O4	Hptm Hpt Ing	Hauptmann Hauptingenieur	Captain Captain of the Technical Services
O3	Oblt Fl Ob Ing	Oberleutnant Flieger-Oberingenieur	First Lieutenant Aviation First Lieutenant of the Technical Services
O2	Lt Fl Ing	Leutnant Flieger-Ingenieur	Second Lieutenant Aviation Second Lieutenant of the Technical Services
O1		Fahnenjunker/Fähnrich	Warrant Officer
NOTES: [1] The rank of "Reichsmarschall" was especially created for Göring , and was in reality a political rank. It had no real equivalent in other military forces. The US Army Air Forces general ranks indicated here should be seen more as an indication of hierarchy more than equivalency.