Ranks and insignia of the Ordnungspolizei

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

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

Ordnungspolizei

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

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

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

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]

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)

• Source:^[5]

Rank and pay

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

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. Reichsbesoldungsordnung 1943, RGBl I:38
7. Die Besoldung eines Soldaten der Wehrmacht Retrieved 2013-11-26