Mann (military rank)

For other uses, see Mann (disambiguation).

Mann (German for "man"), was a paramilitary rank used by several Nazi Party paramilitary organizations between 1925 and 1945. The rank is most often associated with the SS, 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 SS-Verfügungstruppe (later called the Waffen-SS), the SS changed the rank of SS-Mann to Schütze, although still retained the original SS rank of Mann for the Allgemeine-SS (general SS). The rank of Mann was junior to SS-Obermann.^{[citation needed]}

In most Nazi Party organizations, the rank of Mann held no distinctive insignia. Some groups, however, granted a minor form of rank insignia such as a blank collar patch or bare shoulder board to denote the rank of Mann.^{[citation needed]}

An even lower rank, known as Anwärter, was established in the mid-1930s as a recruit or candidate position, held by an individual seeking an appointment as a Mann in a Nazi Party paramilitary organization.^{[citation needed]}

Rank insignian of the Allgemeine SS and Waffen-SS

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  SS-Mann Allgemeine SS, shoulder strap

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  SS-Schütze Waffen-SS, shoulder strap

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  SS-Mann/ SS-Schütze, collar patch (1940-1945)

Candidate status SS-Bewerber SS-Anwärter	1st rank Allgemeine SS SS-Mann	2nd rank no equivalent	3rd rank SS-Sturmmann
Volunteer for joining the Waffen-SS	1st Rank Waffen-SS SS-Schütze	2nd rank SS-Oberschuetze	3rd rank SS-Sturmmann
Candidate status SA-Anwärter	1st SA rank SA-Sturmmann (SA-Mann before 1942)	2nd rank no equivalent	3rd rank SA-Obersturmmann (SA-Sturmmann before 1942)
person liable to military service Wehrmacht	1st Wehrmacht rank Soldat	2nd rank Ober..... (e.g. Oberschuetze)	3rd rank Gefreiter

External links

• SS Man killed in 1943