***UNDER CONSTRUCTION***
SILENT HUNTER III
SUBMARINE SIMULATOR
Kriegsmarine
Ranks and Rates
Kriegsmarine ranks were divided into three categories for officers, warrant officers (also known as chief petty officers), as well as enlisted sailors. Two additional categories existed for sailors who had become petty officers as well as officer candidates who had thier own series of ranks.
Naval Officer Ranks
The German Admiralty possessed five flag officer ranks ranging from Rear (Counter) Admiral to a supreme rank of Grand Admiral. A sixth rank, known as Commodore, existed in a grey zone of seniority between Captain and Rear Admiral. Commodores wore the shoulder boards of a Captain but the sleeve stripe, cap visor, and greatcoat lapels of an Admiral.
Below the Admiralty were six standard officer ranks, beginning with Lieutenant (the equivalent of a U.S. Navy Ensign) and extending upwards to Captain. Command officers were all known by the title "Captain", differentiated by type of vessel of level of command (Captain Lieutenant, Frigate Captain, Corvette Captain, and "full" Captain).
The line ranks of Lieutenant and full Captain also carried the prefix "of the sea" in written correspondence only (i.e. Leutenant zur See, Kapitan zur See). Staff officers of all ranks were indicated by a suffix in written correspondence, i.e. Kapitänleutnant (Ing), and wore a staff specific emblem above their rank stripes in the place of the line officer's gold star.
Officer ranks of the Kriegsmarine