This is a list of words, terms, concepts, and slogans that have been or are used by theGerman military. Ranks and translations of nicknames for vehicles are included. Also included are some general terms from theGerman language found frequently in military jargon. Some terms are from the general German cultural background, others are given to show a change that was made before or after theNazi era. Some factories that were the primary producers of military equipment, especiallytanks, are also given.
Abwehr – "defense"; as a shortening ofSpionage Abwehr (spy defense) the term referred to the counter-espionage service (German Secret Service) of the German High Command, headed byAdmiral Canaris. Also an element in such compounds asFliegerabwehr-Kanone "anti-aircraft gun."
Abzeichen – insignia;badge of rank, appointment or distinction.
Adlerangriff – "Eagle Attack"; term for projected "decisive attack" by theLuftwaffe onRAF Fighter Command under the direction ofHermann Göring, instituted to gain control of the skies from the Royal Air Force and soften Britain for the impending invasion forces planned in OperationSeelöwe (Sea Lion). These attacks ultimately failed and the air campaign is now known in the anglophone world as theBattle of Britain.
Afrika Korps – the German force commanded byErwin Rommel, known as the "Wüstenfuchs" (en: Desert Fox), which fought in Hitler's North African campaigns between 1941 and 1943. Allied efforts to defeat Rommel were high and many historians believe that had Rommel convincedHitler to provide him with three additional divisions of tanks, he very well could have gained command of theSuez Canal in early 1942 and cut off the vast supplies being sent from America to theSoviet Union via thePersian Gulf. In the end, theAfrika Korps was defeated by combined offensives by british and american forces.
Aggregat 4 (A4) – original name of the GermanV2 rocket.
AGRU-Front –Technische Ausbildungsgruppe für Front U-Boote – technical training group for front-lineU-boats.
AK –Alle Kraft (voraus), naval command forflank speed. Also "Äusserste Kraft!"
"Alarm!" –U-boat order to activate the alarm and begin acrash dive. Also "Fire!", "Air raid!" forLuftwaffe fighter pilots, etc.
Alarmtauchen – crash dive.
"Alle Maschinen stop!" – naval command: "Stop all engines".
"Alle Mann von Bord!" – naval command; "All hands, abandon ship!"
Allgemeine SS – "General SS", general main body of the Schutzstaffel made up of the full-time administrative, security, intelligence and police branches of the SS as well as the broader part-time membership that turned out for parades, rallies and "street actions" such asKristallnacht; also comprised reserve and honorary members.
Alte Hasen – "Old hares"; slang for military veterans who survived front-line hardships.
Amerikabomber – A spring 1942 aviation contract competition for a Luftwaffe trans-oceanic range strategic bomber, only resulting in a few completed prototype aircraft from two firms, and many advanced designs that mostly remained on paper.
Ärmelband –cuff title. Worn on the left sleeve, the title contains the name of the wearer's unit or a campaign they are part of. Cuff titles are still used in the German Army and Luftwaffe.
Amt – office, main office branch.
Amt Mil – German Army intelligence organization that succeeded the Abwehr.
Amtsgruppe Allgemeine Wehrmachtsangelegenheiten (Office of General Military Affairs) – Department of the OKW responsible for general military affairs. in 1938–39, this office was called theWehrwirtschaftsstab (Military Economics Staff).
Angriff – attack.
Angriffsmuster – attack pattern.
Angriffsziel – attack objective.
Ansatz (attack) – First World War military term, used in National Socialist vocabulary in the same ways as the wordEinsatz, though less frequently; one referred to bringing a piece of equipment, troops or a weapon "zum Ansatz" (into attack, or play).
Anschluss – unification of Austria and Germany
Armee – afield army, typically a numbered army. During WW1 the armies Prussia, Bavaria and Württemberg were calledArmeen. Cf. 'Heer'.
Armeeabteilung – command between acorps and anarmy, an enlarged corps headquarters.
Armeekorps – infantry corps.
Armee-Nachrichten-Führer – army signals officer, served on the staff HQ of an army.
Armeeoberkommando – field army command.
Armee-Pionier-Führer – senior field army engineer officer, served on the staff HQ of an army.
Armee-Sanitäts-Abteilung – field army medical battalion.
Aufbau Ost (Buildup East) – code name for the preparatory measures taken amid great secrecy for the attack on the Soviet Union, now known asOperation Barbarossa.
aufgelöst – "dissolved"; disbanded, written off theorder of battle.
Auftragstaktik –mission-type tactics, the central component of German warfare since the 19th century
Aus der Traum – "It's over!", "It's finished!", literally, "The dream is over"; a common German phrase for dashed hopes and a slogan painted by German soldiers near the end of the war expressing the inevitability of their situation.
Ausführung (Ausf.) – version, model, variant, batch, for non-aviation related vehicles and ordnance.
Ausführung!/Ausführen! – command to execute a given order
ausgefallen – statement that equipment is down, has failed, is out of action.
Balkenkreuz – equal-armed black cross flanked in white, the emblem used on German Empire and Third Reich military aircraft and vehicles from March/April 1918 untilV-E Day
Banditen – bandits,partisans in occupied territories in World War II;bewaffnete Banden – armed gangs;Soldaten in Zivilkleidung – soldiers in civilian dress; (seeFranktireure).
Bandengebiet – territory controlled by partisan squads in occupied territories during World War II.
Barbarossa (Red Beard) – code name for the massive Nazi attack against the Soviet Union (Operation Barbarossa) which began during June 1941 and failed miserably in the end despite early success. Operation Barbarossa is the English rendering of the German "Unternehmen Barbarossa." Barbarossa or `Redbeard' (Frederick I) lived from 1123 AD to 1190 and was both King of Germany and Holy Roman emperor from 1152–90. He made a sustained attempt to subdue Italy and the papacy, but was eventually defeated at the battle of Legnano in 1176. He was drowned in Asia Minor while on his way to the Third Crusade. Nonetheless, German superstition holds to this day and certainly was evoked by Hitler at the time, that Barbarossa rests in a mountain in Germany awaiting the moment to emerge and save Germany from certain defeat and to establish German ascendancy.
Baubelehrung – vessel familiarization; when a boat or ship crew studied the construction of a new vessel; see "KLA."
Baubeschreibung – general arrangement drawing sheet, giving basic dimensions and other measurement & physical parameters (materials, dihedral angles, etc.), of either German front line; orBeute/"captured" Allied aircraft, in World War I. The same term was used in the Third Reich era for more comprehensive, multi-page technical document works for factory proposals concerning combat aircraft designs to the RLM and Luftwaffe.[1]
Baupionier – army construction engineer.
B-Dienst –Beobachtungsdienst, literally, "observation service"; German Navycryptanalytical department.
Befehl (pl. Befehle) – order, command. "Zu Befehl!" was an affirmative phrase on par with "Jawohl".
Befehlshaber – commander-in-chief; lit. "one who has (the power to issue) commands." Sometimes also used to refer to the headquarters of a C-in-C as an alternative toHauptquartier.
Beobachtungswagen – observation or reconnaissance vehicle.
Bereitschaft – readiness. In the German civil defense and Allgemeine SS also a company size unit.
Bergepanzer – armoured recovery vehicle.
Berlin radar – most advanced airborne intercept radar of the WW IILuftwaffe in 1944–45, based on capturedcavity magnetron technology, operated onSHF-band 3.3 GHz frequency
Beschlagschmied – farrier; seeHufbeschlagschmied.
Betriebstoff – fuel.
Beutepanzer – captured tank or armoured vehicle.
Beutewaffen – captured enemy weapons and munitions. Germany catalogued them by a code number, followed by a single code letter to indicate the nation that produced and used it.
Bewährungseinheit – disciplinary unit.
BK –Bordkanone. heavy-calibre (usually over 30 mm) cannon for offensive use on aircraft.
Blasen – U-boat order; "Blow the tanks!"
Blechkoller – "tin fright"; inU-boats, a form of nervous tension that could be caused bydepth charge attacks and resulted in violence orhysteria.
Blechkrawatte – "tin necktie," slang for theKnight's Cross
Blitzkrieg – "lightning war"; not a widely used German military term, this word became popular in the Allied press and initially referred to fast-movingbattle tactics developed principally by German military theorists, most notablyErwin Rommel,Heinz Guderian, andErich von Manstein, using massedtanks and ground-attackbombers to speedily penetrate enemy lines at points and move to their rear, causing confusion and panic among enemy forces.
Blaukreuz – chemical warfare agent consisting of arsenic compounds, respiratory poison
Bola – contraction ofBodenlafette, a lightly armouredcasemate-style of bulged ventral defensive gunner's position, using only flexible (unturreted) weapon mounts, a common fitment on German bomber aircraft designs, usually under the nose.
Bomber B – the abortive World War II-era aviation contract competition meant to replace all previous Luftwaffe medium bombers with a single design, meant to be used for all but the longest-range missions, and function as a combination of medium andheavy bomber, and meant to be powered by a pair of high-output aviation piston engines such as theJunkers Jumo 222.
Brücke –bridge. Can mean either the road structure or a ship's command center, also the supporting framework that existed below the bird-like monoplane wings of the earlier examples of theEtrich Taube before World War I.
Brückenleger – bridgelayer.
Brummbär – "grumblingbear"; a children's word for "bear" in German. It was the nickname for a heavy mobile artillery piece.
Bundeswehr – "Federal Defense Force", name adopted for the West German armed forces after the fall of theThird Reich. (Between 1945 and 1955 there was no German army.) TheBundeswehr consists of theHeer (Army),Luftwaffe (Air Force) andMarine (Navy), as well as (since the late 1990s) theStreitkräftebasis (Joint Service Support Command) andZentraler Sanitätsdienst (Central Medical Service).
Condor Legion – volunteer forces of theWehrmacht andLuftwaffe (6000 or more strong) sent by Hitler to assist Franco during the Spanish Civil War (1936) on the stipulations that it remained exclusively under German command. The aerial branch of the Condor Legion gained notoriety for their comprehensive bombing of the Spanish rebel lines and the surrounding civilian centers, most notably the Spanish city of Guernica on 27 April 1937. After the successful utilization of the Condor Legion, a homecoming parade was held in Berlin on 6 June 1939 to honor the 300 Germans who died fighting in the campaign.
der Landwehr (d. L.) – "of the Landwehr". A non-commissioned or commissioned officer in theLandwehr. Example: Oberleutnant d. L. Johann Schmidt.
der Reserve (d. R.) – "of the Reserve". A non-commissioned or commissioned officer in the Army Reserve. Example: Oberleutnant d. R. Johann Schmidt.
Dachschaden – "roof damage"; a head wound, more commonly used in the sense of "gone bonkers", "Section 8"
Daimler-Benz (DB) – a producer of military vehicles, and engines to power both German aircraft and surface vehicles.
Deckung – Cover. "In Deckung!" means "Take cover!", and "In Deckung bleiben!" means "Stay under cover!" Compare Tarnung, meaning "concealment" or "camouflage".
Deutsches Afrikakorps (DAK) – German troops sent toNorth Africa under the command ofErwin Rommel to prevent the loss ofLibya to theBritish by theItalians. The term is properly used to refer to Rommel's original force of two divisions that landed in Libya on 14 February 1941 (which stayed as a distinct formation for the remainder of theNorth African Campaign), but often refers to all German forces that operated in North Africa, eventually consisting of several divisions and corps and formed into an entire Panzer Army.
Deutsche Ausrüstungswerke (DAW; German Armament Works) – an armaments organization established in 1939 under SS control.
Deutsche Minenräumleitung (DMRL) – German mine-sweeping group
Dienst – service.
Division – in the army and air force a military formation, in the navy either a sub-unit of a squadron or trainings units of battalion size.
Divisionsarzt – medical officer of a division.
Divisionskommandeur – commanding officer of a division, typically a General officer. In the imperial army this was the post of a Generalleutnant.
Dienstdolch – service dagger (uniform dagger).
Donnerbalken – "thunder beam"; latrine.
Drahtverhau – barbed-wire entanglement. Slang term used by German soldiers during World Wars I and II for a military-issue mixture of dried vegetables.
Drang nach Osten – "Push to the East", Germany's ambitions for territorial expansion into Eastern Europe.
Düppel – German code name forradar chaff, used by the Royal Air Force asWindow, possibly fromdüpieren (to dupe). or froma suburb of Berlin of the same name, where it was allegedly first found near.
Eagle's Nest – English name given to Hitler's mountain-top summerhouse atBerchtesgaden in theBavarianAlps, not far from theBerghof. In German, it is known as theKehlsteinhaus. Hitler, however, visited the property only ten times and each visit was under 30 minutes.
EG z.b. V. –Einsatzgruppe zur besonderen Verwendung – SS Special Purpose Operational Group.
Ehrendolch – literally, "honor dagger", apresentationdagger awarded for individual recognition, especially by the SS.
Eid –oath. The current oath when joining the Bundeswehr is "Ich gelobe, der Bundesrepublik Deutschland treu zu dienen, und das Recht und die Freiheit des deutschen Volkes tapfer zu verteidigen" ("I pledge to faithfully serve the Federal Republic of Germany and to bravely defend the right [law] and the freedom of the German people"). For soldiers joining for an extended period of time beyond the mandatory conscription of nine months, "so wahr mir Gott helfe" ("so help me God") is optionally added.
Einsatzbereit – statement meaning, "Ready for action."
Einsatzgruppen – "mission groups", or "task forces".Einsatzgruppen were battalion-sized, mobile killing units made up of SiPo, SD or SS Special Action Groups under the command of the RSHA. They followed the Wehrmacht into occupied territories ofEastern Europe and theSoviet Union. These units were supported by units of the uniformed German Order Police (Orpo) and auxiliaries of volunteers (Estonian,Latvian,Lithuanian, andUkrainian). Their victims, primarily Jews, were executed by shooting and were buried in mass graves from which they were later exhumed and burned. At least a million Jews were killed in this manner. There were fourEinsatzgruppen (A, B, C, D), which were subdivided into company-sizedEinsatzkommandos.
Einsatzkommando – company-sized subunits of theEinsatzgruppen that took care of the mobilization and killing of Jews, partisans, Communists and others during the German invasion into the Soviet Union.
Einsatz Reinhard (Mission/Action "Reinhard") – code name given on 4 June 1942 for the assignment to exterminate all Polish Jews in honor of SS Deputy ChiefReinhard Heydrich who had been assassinated by Czech nationalists during a covert operation.
Einsatztrupp (Troop Task Force) – smallest of theEinsatzgruppen units responsible for liquidations in the German-occupied territories.
Einwohner – resident, inhabitant.
Eisenbahn – "iron road"; railroad.
Eisernes Kreuz – "iron cross"; medal awarded for valorous service, and the German national military insignia from 1910 to the beginning of spring 1918, and once again from 1955 (with the establishment of theBundeswehr) to today.
El Alamein (October–November 1942) – crucial battle of WW2 pitting the British under General Montgomery's 8th Army (approximately 1200 tanks) against GeneralErwin Rommel'sAfrika Korps (500 tanks) and fought primarily in Egypt. Outnumbered and outgunned, the Germans never regained the operational initiative, forcing Rommel to withdraw the bulk of his forces into Libya, marking the final stages of the Nazis' North African campaign.
Elefant – "Elephant"; a heavyPanzerjäger (tank hunter or tank destroyer) built on the chassis of Porsche's unsuccessful prototypes for the Tiger tank, and mounting the 88mm L/71 PaK 43.
Elektra – a German radio-navigational system.
Endlösung or Endziel – the "Final Solution"; refers to thegenocide planned against the Jewish people.
Entwicklung series, more commonly known as the E-series, was a late-World War II attempt by Germany to produce a standardised series of tank designs.
Einsatzgruppen reports – Einsatzgruppen commanders' report delivered daily to theReich Security Main Office (RSHA) in Berlin which comprehensively listed secretly coded murder activities in the occupied territories along the Eastern Front.
Erobert – conquered.
Erkennungsmarke – identity tag; "dog tag".
Erprobungsstelle – test centre.
Ersatz – substitute, replacement, reserves; could refer to replacement troops or any substance used in place of another (e.g., ersatz coffee, ersatz rubber, etc.).
Ersatzbataillone or Marschbataillone – coherent military replacement groups.
Erschießungsaktion – Shooting action usually carried out by a member of a firing squad (Erschießungskommando).
Etappe – the rear to the front.
Etappendienst – German naval intelligence department.
Etappenschwein – (slang) "rear swine" (REMF), a soldier with a safe job away from danger. The "Etappenhengst" (stallion) was also commonly used. Compare with Frontschwein.
Exerzierpanzer – practice or exercise tank.
Exzellenz – honorary address for a General officer from the rank of Generalleutnant upwards in the Prussian and Imperial Army
Fähnlein (Squad) – unit of theDeutsches Jungvolk within the Hitler Youth.
Fähnrich – officer candidate rank equivalent to Feldwebel (Sergeant). A Fähnrich is an NCO, though, and will have commensurable tasks.
Fähnrich zur See – naval officer candidate rank equivalent to Bootsmann (Petty Officer 1st Class). A Fähnrich zur See is an NCO, though, and will have commensurable tasks.
Fall – "case." A name for a German operation. The most important German offensives were called "cases," as they were viewed as problems to be solved.
Feind –enemy. "Feindlich-" is used as an adjective, such as "feindliche Truppen" (enemy troops) or "feindliche Stellung" (enemy position).
Feindfahrt – "enemy trip"; in U-boat terminology, a war cruise or combat patrol against the enemy.
Feindbild – "enemy image"; prejudiced 'bogeyman' image of the enemy.
Feld – field.
Feldersatzbatallion – field replacement battalion, usually one per infantry division.
Feldflasche – canteen.
Feldflieger Abteilung – "field airmen's section", abbreviated as "FFA". The earliest form ofFliegertruppe German Army (Deutsches Heer) flying unit in World War I, first formed in 1914 with six two-seater observation aircraft per unit.
Feldgrau – "field gray"; the color of the ordinary German soldier's tunic – by extension the soldiers themselves.
Feldjäger –military police detachments formed late in the war to root out deserters; later the name was applied to all military police units of the postwarBundeswehr.
Feldpost, Feldpostbrief – mail to and from troops at the front.
Feldwebel – non-commissioned rank in the Heer and Luftwaffe, the most junior of the "Unteroffiziere mit Portepee" (senior NCO) ranks. Approximately equal to sergeant.
Fliegerschwert – airman's sword (part of an officer'sregalia).
Fliegertruppe – part of the official name (Die Fliegertruppen des Deutschen Kaiserreiches) of the Imperial German Army Air Service, existing under that name from 1910 to October 1916, when it was reorganized as theLuftstreitkräfte.
Fregattenkapitän – naval rank, literally meaning "frigate captain", in between Korvettenkapitän and Kapitän zur See. Commanded a light cruiser, or served as theexecutive officer on a capital ship, hence often translated ascommander
Freikorps – volunteer corps (seeFreiwillige). The Freikorps was an early volunteer paramilitary organizations formed in the wake of the German defeat in the First World War making up the German army in lieu of the restrictions mandated by theTreaty of Versailles; they consisted primarily of demobilized soldiers, disillusioned young men, and fanatical conservative nationalists who blamed Social Democrats, Jews, and communists for Germany's problems.
Fritz-X – The Luftwaffe's radio-controlled glide bomb, precursor to today's "smart weapons" or PGMs.
Fronterlebnis – front experience. Fronterlebnis was a literary genre which romanticized the war experience and the camaraderie of being 'brothers-in-arms'.
Frontgemeinschaft – front-line comradeship or community; group of front-line combat soldiers.
Frontkämpfer – front line soldier
Frontschwein – (slang) "front pig" soldier serving long at the front, often used as an ironic accolade for a soldier with the will to fight. Compare with Etappenschwein.
DerFührer – "The Leader"; title used byAdolf Hitler:Mein Führer,Der Führer.
Führerbunker – (literally meaning "shelter [for the] leader" or "[the] Führer's shelter") was located about 8.2 metres beneath the garden of the old Reich Chancellery building at Wilhelmstraße 77, and about 120 metres north of Hitler's NewReich Chancellery building in Berlin. This underground bunker was Hitler's last FHQ and where he and his wifeEva Braun ended their lives on 30 April 1945.
Führerhauptquartiere (FHQ) – a number of official headquarters especially constructed in order to be used by theFührer.
Führer – in the army a substitute commander of a unit or sub-unit in absence of the regular commander (see 'Chef'); in the navy a flag officer (e.g. Führer der Uboote)
SS-Führungshauptamt – SS Leadership Head Office, the administrative headquarters of the Waffen-SS.
Funke – 1)radio [die Funke, f., slang abbreviation forFunkgerät]; 2) spark [der Funke, m.]; the literal (pre-radio) meaning of the word.
Funker – radio operator (fromfunken [verb], to transmit by radio).
Füsilier – historic term often used to refer tolight infantry, originally named after thefusil, ormusket, such troops once carried. During World War II, a name given to infantry formations with somereconnaissance abilities that replaced an infantry division's reconnaissance battalion mid-war when the Germans reduced the number of standard infantry battalions in their divisions from 9 to 6.
Füsilierbataillon – in the Imperial army the 3rd battalion of a Grenadier-Regiment. Its designation was F, as in F/GR10 for Füsilierbataillon of the Genadier-Regiment 10.
Futtermeister – quartermaster responsible for fodder
Gefechtsverband – defensive aerial tactic employed againstUSAAF heavy bombers whenZerstörer twin-engined heavy fighters had proven too vulnerable to Allied single-engined fighters – used heavily armedFw 190As asbomber destroyers in place of the slowerZerstörer aircraft, with Bf 109Gs for escort.
Gefreiter – enlisted rank, senior to privates but not considered an NCO.
Geheime Feldpolizei (GFP) – Secret Field Police. It was Germany's secret military police that was organised by the German high command (OKW) in July 1939 to serve with theWehrmacht. It was mainly designed to carry out security work in the field, as the executive agent of theAbwehr.
Generalkommando – the headquarters of an army corps.
Generalstab des Heeres (Gen. St.d. H.) – German ArmyGeneral Staff.
gepanzert (gep.) – armoured.
Geschütz – cannon, gun.
Geschützführer – gun captain / commander / layer.
Geschwader – originally and literally a naval "squadron" and, therefore, equivalent to the Frenchescadre or Italiansquadriglia; in military aviation, the translation varies:
currentLuftwaffe: aGeschwader comprises a "technical group" (Technische Gruppe), a "flying group" (Fliegende Gruppe), along with two or three other flyingStaffeln;
Geschwaderkennung – the two-character alphanumeric identification code used by a non-day-fighterGeschwader for unit identification, that appeared to the left of the fuselageBalkenkreuz on most World War II Luftwaffe aircraft. It also included two letters to the right of the cross, the third letter designating the aircraft's individual identification, with the fourth letter designating the aircraft's assigned squadron(Staffel) within the unit.
Gestapo –Geheime Staatspolizei – Secret State Police. Originally the Prussia secret state police and later (as part of the SiPo then merged into the RSHA) the official secret police force of Nazi Germany. Gestapo was derived as follows:GeheimeStaatspolizei.
Gleichschaltung – "coordination", literally "parallel switching", coordination of everything into Nazi ideals.
Gliederung – table of organisation
Goldfasan (Golden pheasant) – derogatory slang term for high-ranking Nazi Party members. Derived from the brown-and-red uniforms similar to the colors of malepheasants and the perceived behaviour of high-ranking party officials living in peace and luxury at home.
Granate –grenade, used not only forhand grenades (Handgranate) but also for other explosive ordnance such as mortar (Werfergranate) and armor-piercing (Panzergranate) shells.
Grenadier – traditional term forheavy infantry, adopted during World War II from mid-war onward as amorale-buildinghonorific, replacing the terms "infantry" and "Schützen", often indicative of low-grade formations. See also Panzergrenadier.
Greuelerzählungen – atrocity stories, term meant to counter Allied propaganda regarding German atrocities.
Gröfaz[de] – German soldiers' derogatory acronym forGrößter Feldherr aller Zeiten, a title initially publicized by Nazipropaganda to refer to Adolf Hitler during the early war years; literally, the "Greatest Field Commander of all Time".
Grundausbildung (abbr. Grundi)[3] – basic training
Gruppe (Luftwaffe) – agruppe usually consisted of threeStaffeln of nine to twelve aircraft. An equivalent would be a US or Frenchgroup. In Commonwealth air forces the equivalent would be awing.
Gruppe (Heer) – in the army agruppe is the equivalent to asquad
Hafthohlladung – German magnetically-adhered, shaped charge anti-tank grenade munition, ironically the type of ordnance that if the Allies also possessed them,Zimmerit was meant to prevent the use of.
Hakenkreuz – (literally, "hooked cross") theswastika symbol used by the Nazi Party.
"Halbe Fahrt!" – naval command calling for half-speed. "Halbe Fahrt voraus" is "half-speed ahead" and "Halbe Fahrt zurück" is "half-speed reverse".
Halsschmerzen – "sore throat" or "itchy neck"; used to describe a reckless or glory-seeking commander, implying an obsession with winning theKnight's Cross.
Heimatkurs – the way home. Literally "homeland course".
Heimatschuß – "homeland shot"; a wound not severe enough to be permanently disabling, but of sufficient severity to require evacuation from the battlefront. The German soldier's equivalent of the American G.I.'s "million-dollar wound" or the British soldier's "Blighty wound".
Heldenklau – "stealing" or "snatching of heroes"; slang term used to denote the practice of commandeering rear-echelon personnel for front-line service. The term is alluding to a Nazi propaganda figure "Kohlenklau", meant to promote energy frugality.
Henschel – railroad locomotive and rolling stock manufacturer, and a firm responsible for many German World War II weapons systems for both theWehrmacht Heer and theLuftwaffe, especially the heavyTiger I andTiger II tanks and theHenschel Hs 293 guided anti-ship missile.
"Herr..." – In past and modern German military protocol, "Herr" ("mister") is said before ranks when someone is addressing a person of higher rank. For example, a lieutenant ("Leutnant") would address his captain as "Herr Hauptmann" ("Mr. Captain"). Superior officer address subordinates with "Herr" and their last name or simply their rank, but not adding "Herr" to the rank. This practice was forbidden in theWaffen-SS, as it offendedHimmler's egalitarian principles.
Hetzer – agitators; also ahunting dog ("baiter") and as such the unofficial name of a certain mid-war model ofGerman tank destroyer.
Hilfswillige (Hiwis) – German Army volunteer forces usually made up of Soviet volunteers serving in non-combat capacities.
Himmelfahrtskommando – literally, "trip to heaven mission", a suicide mission.
Hinterhalt – ambush.
Hitler-Jugend (HJ) –Hitler Youth. The German youth organization founded by the Nazi Party (NSDAP). Made up of theHitlerjugend proper, for male youth ages 14–18; the younger boys' section "Deutsches Jungvolk" for ages 10–14; and the girls' section "Bund Deutscher Mädel" (BDM).
Hitlersäge – "Hitler saw", nickname of theMG42 machine gun. Also named "Singende Säge" (singing saw), "Knochensäge" (bone saw) or "Hitlersense" (Hitler scythe)
HJ-Fahrtenmesser (Hitler Youth knife) – commonknife specially designed for theHitler Jugend.[4]
HJ-Spätlese – nickname for theVolkssturm. "Spätlese" being the term for late season harvest grapes, for more mature wines.
Höckerhindernisse – anti-tank obstacles often referred to as "Dragon's Teeth".
Hoheitsabzeichen – national insignia e.g. on a tank or aircraft.
Jagd-Kommando – "hunting commando"; generally refers to acommando outfit that remained behind enemy lines when an area was overrun and would carry outsabotage and otherguerrilla actions. These units did not generally operate as such and were later taken over by the SS and used as frontline combat troops in 1944–1945.
Jäger – [1]light infantry; used alone or as part of a specialty such asGebirgsjäger orFallschirmjäger. [2] Fighter Airplane. The rootJagd- is also used in its literal meaning of "hunter" for weapon systems suchJagdtiger.
jawohl – simply the word "yes" with the emphatic "wohl", which one might translate as "Yes, indeed!", "Aye, aye, sir!" or "Absolutely yes!" Widely used in World War II.
Kameradschaft – small military unit, or phrase for "comrade support amongst soldiers" (seeVolkgemeinschaft).
Kampf – struggle, fight or conflict.
Kampfeinsitzer Kommando (KEK), the first specialist, single-seat armed scout/fighter units of theFliegertruppe predecessor of theLuftstreitkräfte, first formed by Inspektor-Major Friedrich Stempel in February 1916, and the direct predecessor units to theJagdstaffeln fighter squadron units first formed in the late summer of 1916.
Kampfgruppe – 1. an Armybattlegroup or task force; formal designation of anad hoc task force, or informal term for a combat unit at greatly reduced strength. 2. In theLuftwaffe, a bomber unit equivalent to a US/Frenchgroup or a British Commonwealthwing.
Kapitän – naval rank ofcaptain; in full Kapitän zur See (KzS or Kpt.z.S.) ;literally, sea captain. Commanded any capital ship.
Kapitänleutnant (Kptlt.) – naval rank oflieutenant commander or (literally)captain lieutenant. Officers of this rank generally command small vessels such asU-boats and minesweepers. The rank is often shortened to "Kaleun", with junior officers addressing people of this rank as "Herr Kaleun".
KdE – abbreviation for theKommandeur der Erprobungsstellen, the commander of all German military aviation test facilities in World War II, an office held by Colonel(Oberst)Edgar Petersen late in the war.
Kesselschlacht – lit. "cauldron battle"encirclement often shortened to Kessel e.g. "Kessel vonStalingrad"
Kette – chain, in the air force a sub-unit of 3–6 aircraft
Korvettenkapitän (K.Kpt) – naval rank of (literally) "corvette captain". The grade senior to Kapitänleutnant; frequently translated as eitherlieutenant commander orcommander. Typically commanded adestroyer.
Krad (Kraft-Radfahrzeug) –motorcycle (dated in civil use, but still common in the Bundeswehr).
Kraftei – literally "power-egg", used both for the unitized aviation engine installation system that combined all major engine ancillary components (radiator, oil cooler, etc.) with the engine itself, into a single interchangeable unit for ease of field maintenance and rapid replacement, or as a slang term for the short-fuselagedMesserschmitt Me 163Komet rocket fighter.
Kriegsstärkenachweisungen (KStN) – the German equivalent of the Americantable of organization and equipment (TO&E) or the British war establishment.
Kriegstagebuch – war diary.
Kriminalpolizei (Kripo) – "Criminal Police" – in Nazi Germany, it became the national Criminal (investigative) Police Department for the entire Reich in July 1936. It was merged, along with theGestapo, into the Sicherheitspolizei (SiPo). Later, in 1939, it was folded into the RSHA.
Krupp (Kp) – famous German steel producer, manufactured most of the tanks, howitzers and heavy mortars, as well as armour plates for battleships (most famously theBismarck).
Krupp-Daimler (KD) – see Krupp.
Kübel – literally, "bucket" or "tub", short forKübelwagen, open-topped military utility cars with bucket seats.
Lafette – literally "gun mount", used for many differing artillery carriages and for manned and remotely controlledgun turret installations on German military vehicles, especially on aircraft.
Landratsamt – civil administration office.
Landsturm – historically, infantry of non-professional soldiers; a kind ofmilitia.
Landser – historical term for a Germaninfantryman; slang: "Schütze Arsch".
leicht – "light", usually to refer a lighter type, such as light tank:leichter Panzer. Several classes of divisions were also classified as "light".
Leopard – the name originally used for the Porsche-producedVK 30.01(P) prototype tank hull design and the PlannedVK 16.02 Reconnaissance Vehicle, and later used by theFederal German Republic for theLeopard 1 andLeopard 2Bundeswehr main battle tanks in service from the 1960s into the 21st century.
Luftstreitkräfte – originally (October 1916) the name for the Imperial German Army Air Service of World War I, later part of the name for the East German dedicated air arm.
Maschine – "machine". Commonly used asairplane orengine.
Maskenball – German slang for fighting with NBC-protective gear, or at least with gas mask
Maultier –Sd.Kfz. 4 half-track truck, German formule
Maus – "mouse"; nickname for a large, Porsche-designed super-heavy tank, the heaviest tank ever actually built and tested, that never passed beyond prototype stage.
Maybach (M) – a German automotive and engineering company.
Nacht und Nebel – "night and fog"; code for some prisoners that were to be disposed of, leaving no traces;bei Nacht und Nebel (idiom) – secretly and surprisingly, at dead of night.
NSDAP ~ NA tionalso ZI ali ST ische DEUTSCHE ARBEITERPARTEI - NA ZI ST - National Socialist Germany Workers' Party
Naxos radar detector – the FuG 350 radar detector set; "Naxos Z" was developed fornight fighters, "Naxos U", was provided toU-boats, to locate AlliedH2S microwave-band radar transmissions, not able to detect AmericanH2X radar gear.
Nebelwerfer (Nb. W) – "fog thrower";rocket artillery, multi-barrel rocket launchers that could be used for smoke or high-explosive projectiles.
Neptun radar – Low-to-mid VHF band (125 to 187 MHz) airborne intercept radar for night fighter aircraft, to take the place of the Lichtenstein SN-2 unit, which had been compromised by July–August 1944.
NSFK – theNationalsozialistisches Fliegerkorps, or National Socialist Flyers Corps.
NSKK – theNationalsozialistisches Kraftfahrerkorps, or National Socialist Motor Corps.
Nummer (Nr.) – "number"; some divisional organizations with a unit number but no combat assets, often converted to ordinary divisions later on. (E.g.,Division Nr. 157.)
Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (OKW) – "High Command of the Armed Forces". The OKW replaced the War Ministry and was part of the command structure of the armed forces of Nazi Germany.
Panjewagen – one-horse carriage in Eastern Europe.
Panzer – "armour"; German word is derived fromOld Frenchpancier, meaning "armour for the belly". It can refer to a tank (seePanzerkampfwagen below) or to an armoured formation. (Panzer Division is literally "Tank Division"; the adjective for "armoured" isgepanzert.)
Panzerabwehrkanone (PaK) –anti-tank gun; literally, "tank defence cannon", also used for the main armament for a typicalcasemate style turretless Germantank destroyer.
Panzerbefehlswagen (Pz. Bef.Wg) – the commanding tank of any panzer detachment; also used of purpose-built command tanks with extra radio gear.
Panzerführer – tank commander, literally "tank leader".
Panzerkommandant – tank commander
Panzerschreck – literally "armour terror," officiallyRaketenpanzerbüchse "rocket armour rifle;" a heavy re-usable infantry anti-tank weapon firing a rocket-propelled 88mmshaped charge grenade. Also calledOfenrohr ("stovepipe") for its appearance.
Panzerjäger – "tank hunter(s)", anti-tank troops; also used by extension for their self-propelled tank destroyers (e.g., theElefant) until superseded by theJagdpanzer ("hunting tank") term.
Porsche (P) – company that designed and produced tanks and other military vehicles. They now produce cars.
Protze –limber, a horse-drawn two-wheel chariot that was hitched before a gun and usually transported munitions and crew. The term derives from the Italian "birazzo", a two-wheeled cart.
Putsch –coup d'état; the sudden overthrow of a government by a small group, usually the military.
Reichssicherheitshauptamt (RSHA) – "Reich Security Main Office or Reich Security Head Office"; created by Himmler in September 1939 to combine all German security and plainclothes police departments, including theGestapo,Kripo andSD (Sicherheitsdienst der SS) into one umbrella organization with seven departments.
Ritterkreuz – "knight's cross", usual abbreviated name for the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (see next entry)
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes – Knight's Cross (of the Iron Cross); award for valorous service for those who had already received the Iron Cross. Highest award class for bravery under fire or military leadership. 7318 of these were awarded during the war. Previous recipients of the Ritterkreuz would be awarded a higher degree of the same award, and then successively higher ones. The higher degrees are, in ascending order:
Ritterkreuz mit Eichenlaub – "knight's cross with oak leaves". 890 recipients during the war.
Ritterkreuz mit Eichenlaub und Schwerten – "knight's cross with oak leaves and swords". 159 recipients total, plus one honorary recipient (Japanese admiralIsoroku Yamamoto)
Ritterkreuz mit Eichenlaub, Schwerten und Brillanten – "knight's cross with oak leaves, swords, and diamonds": 27 recipients total.
Ritterkreuz mit Goldenem Eichenlaub, Schwertern und Brillanten: "knight's cross with golden oak leaves, swords, and diamonds": only one recipient.
Ritterkreuzauftrag, "Knight's Cross job" – soldiers' slang for a suicidal mission.
Ritterkreuzträger – a holder of the Knight's Cross.
Rittmeister – Captain, used instead ofHauptmann in the cavalry, reconnaissance, and horse-transportwaffen.
Rollkommando – small motorized (rolling) task force (nonmilitary: band for hit-and-run crime)
Rommelspargel – "Rommel's asparagus"; slanted and barb-wired poles placed in key places behind theAtlantic Wall with the intention of preventing paratroop and glider landings.
Rottmeister – first in a file of soldiers. Originally, soldiers would file 10 – 25 deep, but in the 19th century two files were standard, thus a 'rotte' described two of a kind. Also a (non-commissioned) officer in charge of a detachment of 50 cavalry.
Schachtellaufwerk – name for the system of overlapped and interleaved road wheels used on German military half-track and armored fighting vehicles before and during World War II.
Schatten – "shadow"; division headquarters that controlled just a few combat assets, usually for the purpose of misleading enemy intelligence.
Scheisskommando – latrine detail as referred to by survivors of the Konzentrationslager.
Scheuch-schlepper – the adapted three-wheel agricultural tractor (named from the maker of the original agri-version) used to tow the Luftwaffe'sKomet rocket fighter on the ground.
Schirmmütze – officer's and senior NCO's peaked cap
Schirrmeister – Supply Technician for vehicles, equipment andhorse tack
Schlacht – battle. "Von" is used for a general location and "um" is used for what exactly was being fought over; for example, theBattle of Midway is referred to as the "Schlacht um Midway" while theBattle of Trafalgar is called the "Schlacht von Trafalgar".
Schnelle Truppen – lit. "fast troops" mechanized troops (whether armour or infantry).
Schräge Musik – "slanted music", obliquely upward/forward-firing offensive German night fighter armament.
Schutzpolizei – "protection police", the urban police; largest component of the uniformed police orOrdnungspolizei.
Schutzstaffel (SS) – "Protection Squadron", a major Nazi organization that grew from a small paramilitary unit that served as Hitler's personal body guard into an all-encompassing security, police and combat force. "SS" is formed from (S)chutz(s)taffel. Had a tri-force structure:Allgemeine-SS or "General SS", general main body of the Schutzstaffel;SS-Totenkopfverbände responsible for the concentration camps;SS-Verfügungstruppe made up of military "dispositional" troops which, in 1940, officially became part of theWaffen-SS.
Schürze – "skirting", armour skirting added to tanks to give additional protection.
Schütze – lit. shooter; member of the infantry. From 1920 to 1945 also the lowest military rank. see alsoScharfschütze.
Schützenpanzerwagen (SPW) – armouredhalf-track or self-propelled weapon.
Schutzhaft – "protective custody"; a euphemism for the power to imprison people without judicial proceedings, typically in concentration camps.
Schutzhaftbefehl – "protective custody order"; document declaring that a detained person desired to be imprisoned; normally this signature was forced by torture.
Schwadron (plural: Schwadrone) – "squadron"; used in thecavalry, a squadron was basically company-sized.
Schwadronchef – company commander in the cavalry
Schwadronführer – acting company commander in the cavalry
Schwadrontruppführer – company HQ section leader in the cavalry
Schwarze Kapelle – "Black Orchestra"; a group of conspirators within the German Army who plotted to overthrow Hitler and came near to successfullyassassinating him on 20 July 1944.
Schweinereien – "scandalous acts" (lit.: "acts of a pig"); (in a military context) crimes against civilians.
schwer – (1) adjective meaning "heavy", the word "gross" (large) can mean the same; (2) hard/difficult.
Selbstschutz – lit. "self protection"; ethnic German civilianmilitia in occupied Eastern Europe. V column ~ Fifth column ~ FREIKORPS EBBINGHAUS.
Sicherheitsdienst (SD) – "security service"; the SS and Nazi Party security service. Later, the main intelligence-gathering, and counter-espionage sections of the RSHA; originally headed byReinhard Heydrich.
Sicherheitspolizei (SiPo) – "security police", the combined forces of theGestapo andKriPo, made up of the Reich's criminal investigators and secret state police.
"sichern und laden" – "lock and load".
Sicherungsflottillen – (1) escort ships, (2)paramilitary organization of unemployed ex-soldiers, who were recruited to protect Nazi speakers, and because of their clothing were called "Brown Shirts".
Sippenhaft – the practice of arresting members of a person's family for political crimes ortreason committed by that person.
SMS – abbreviation forSeiner Majestät Schiff, the German Empire's equivalent of the BritishRoyal Navy's "HMS" (His/Her Majesty's Ship) naval vessel naming prefix before 1918.
Soldat – military personnel in contrast to Beamte, Angesteller, Arbeiter.
Soldbuch – pay book carried by every member of the German armed forces. Unit information, a record of all equipment issued, and other details were entered into this book.
Sollstärke – authorized strength
Sonderbehandlung – "special treatment"; a Nazi euphemism meaning torture or killing of people in detention.
Sonderfahndungslisten – special wanted-persons list.
Sonderkommando – "special unit"; during WWII, an official term that applied to certain German and foreign SS units that operated in German-occupied areas, who were responsible for the liquidation of persons not desirable to the Nazi government; ALSO: Jewish inmates ofextermination camps, assigned to cleargas chambers of corpses, etc. During WWI, the term was used to refer to special fleet groups, i.e. the coastal defense force tasked with maintaining control over Dardanelles.
Sonderkraftfahrzeug (Sd. Kfz.) – "special-purpose motor vehicle", usually abbreviated and referring to an Ordnance Inventory Number.
Spieß – "pike"; colloquial name for the mustering and administrative non-commissioned officer of a company, theHauptfeldwebel. Typically held the rank ofOberfeldwebel orStabsfeldwebel. He exercised more authority than his American counterpart (First Sergeant), but his duties did not ordinarily include combat leadership.
Stabsfeldwebel – lit. "Staff Sergeant", the highest NCO rank in the Wehrmacht but subordinate to the Spieß; the second highest NCO rank in the Bundeswehr.
Stammkennzeichen – four-letter radio identification code applied to factory-fresh Luftwaffe aircraft, also used for prototype identification, not used on non-day-fighter aircraft assigned to a particularLuftwaffe wing, where aGeschwaderkennung code would be used instead.
Stellungskrieg – static warfare, contrary to Blitzkrieg, if neither of the conflict parties is able to overcome the defense with offensive operations, the result is anAbnützungskrieg.
Stielhandgranate – stick hand grenade: the "potato masher"Model 24 grenade.
"stopfen" – a command to stop firing, probably derived from "stop your vents"
Stoßtrupp – small unit as shock or attack troops.
Stoß-[unit] – Stoßbataillon, Stoßregiment, Stoßdivision, a temporary designation for units, battalions, regiments or divisions that were held as mobile reserve and thus could be used to push (stoßen) an attacking force back in a counterattack. This term was first used in trench warfare in WWI, when in 1917 the defensive tactic of the German Army changed to in depth defense. The rationale was that frontline units in the trenches suffered so many casualties and material losses as not to be able to mount an effective counterstroke.
Stuka – acronym forSturzkampfflugzeug, literally: "downfall combat aircraft" figuratively: *dive-bombing aircraft". Particularly associated with the GermanJu 87dive bomber, although the German term refers to any dive bomber.
Stukageschwader – a dive bomberwing/group, laterSchlachtgeschwader in a ground support role (SG).
Sturm – assault, also a SS/SA unit size, comparable to a platoon.
Sturmabteilung (SA) – "assault detachment," party militia, not part of the army. In the beginning the Nazi Party's "Brown Shirt" bully-boys and street brawlers that grew by 1934 into a paramilitary force of nearly a half-million men; after the purge of its leadership by theSchutzstaffel (SS) and Gestapo during theNight of the Long Knives rapidly decreased in numbers and influence.
Sturmbann [plural: Sturmbanne] – lit. "storm banner," a battalion; used by SA and SS units until 1940.
Sturmtrupp – assault troop, a specially drilled group of soldiers, usually a squad or a platoon, that was used for assaults on fixed positions in trenchwarfare. Later usage in WWII was for combat patrols with orders to infiltrate
Sturmbattaillon – assault battalion, specially trained and equipped battalions of the German Army in WWI, specifically created in 1917 and 1918 from the experience in trench warfare.
StuK –Sturmkanone, prefix for the main armament of any Germanself-propelled artillery, also "StuH" forSturmhaubitze, when ahowitzer was used instead on a tracked chassis.
Todesmärsche – "Death marches" – at the end of the war when it became obvious that the German army was trapped between theSoviets to the east and the advancingAllied troops from the west, the Nazis, in an attempt to prevent the liberation of concentration camp inmates, forced them to march westward toward Germany proper. Thousands died in these marches.
Tommy – German slang for a British soldier (similar to "Jerry" or "Kraut", the British and American slang terms for Germans).
Totenkopf – "death's head", skull and crossbones, also the nickname for theKampfgeschwader 54 bomber wing of the World War II era Luftwaffe.
Totaler Krieg – "Total war" – In a total war, there is less differentiation between combatants and civilians than in other conflicts, and sometimes no such differentiation at all, as nearly every human resource, civilians and soldiers alike, can be considered to be part of the belligerent effort
Totenkopfwachsturmbanne – Death's Head Guard battalions; units of the SS that guarded concentration camps during the war.
Treffer – hit. Mostly in past tense. "Torpedo getroffen!" = "Torpedo hit!" or "Torpedo impact!"
Trommelfeuer – High frequency artillery fire (Barage) causing sound of shell-explosions to merge into a rumble.
Tropenhelm –pith helmet; a wide-rimmed fabric-covered cork helmet used in tropical areas, most notably by theAfrika Korps.
Trupp (pl. Trupps) – Smallest tactical unit of 2 to 8 men, best comparing toFireteam but also used in non-combat tasks as logistics.
Truppe (pl. Truppen) – summarising term for armed forces, in some context it stands for the enlisted personnel.
U-Fahrausbildungslehrgang – where submarine personnel learned to operate U-boats.
U-Lehrdivision (ULD) – U-boat Training Division (seeKommandanten-Schießlehrgang).
unabkömmlich (uk) – not available for military service
Uk (Schnellladekanone in Uboot-Lafette) – quick-firing gun with submarine mounting
Untermenschen – those peoples the Nazis derided as "subhuman" (seeEntmenscht).
Unteroffizier – (1) a non-commissioned officer; (2) the lowest NCO rank, typical for e.g. infantry squad leaders and functionally equivalent to US Sergeant or UK Corporal.
Unterführer – summarized term for all non-commissioned officers; literally: "subleaders".
Unterseeboot (U-Boot) – literally, "undersea boat";submarine. In the English-speaking world, there is a distinction between "U-boat" and "submarine": "U-boat" refers to a German submarine, particularly the ones used during the world wars. In German, there is no distinction as "U-boat" is used for any submarine, such as "Deutsches U-Boot" or "Amerikanisches U-Boot".
Ural bomber – Luftwaffe GeneralWalter Wever's initiative to build Germany's first four enginedstrategic bomber at the dawn of the Third Reich, with prototypes coming fromDornier andJunkers. After Wever's death in 1936, the program was shelved.
V1 – the first of the operational German "weapons of vengeance", orVergeltungswaffen, theV1 was a pilotless, pioneeringcruise missile powered by apulse-jet engine and carried an 850 kg (1875 lb) high-explosivewarhead. They had a range of up to 200 km. Nicknamed "buzz bombs" by Allied troops ("doodlebug" by Australians) due to the sound they made.
V2 Rocket – Also known as the A4, the successor to the V1 was the pioneering supersonicSRBM powered by liquid oxygen and alcohol, it had a 975 kg (2150 lb) high-explosive warhead and a range of 320 km.
V3 – long-range, smooth-bore multiple-chamberlarge-calibre gun nicknamed theHochdruckpumpe (high-pressure pump), designed to fire shells carrying up to a 10 kg (22 lb) high-explosive warhead at a range of 93 km. It was never very successful as most installations were destroyed by bombing before they could be used.
Verband – formation (from a battalion to a brigade).
Versuchs – experimental. Hence the "V" designation for any military aircraft prototype for the World War II era Luftwaffe. Originated by the Fokker Flugzeugbau in 1916, solely for its own experimental designs.
Vichy France – French regime set up in the city ofVichy underMarshal Philippe Petain in collaboration with the Germans following the fall of France in 1940. It governed the southern half of France until its dissolution in 1944.
Vierling – German for "quadruple", referring to any weapons mount that used four machine guns or autocannon of the same make and model, in a single traversable and elevatible mount, used as part of the name for theFlakvierling quadmount 20mm anti-aircraft cannon system, and the experimental HL 131V (Hecklafette 131-Vierling) tail turret, mounting fourMG 131 12.7mm machine guns in an enclosed, powered defensive position for advanced German late-war bomber aircraft designs.
völkisch – popular, in the sense of "of the (German) populace." An adjective derived from "Volk" meaning "people," coming from the racist, nationalistideology that divided people into "pure"Aryans and inferiorUntermenschen.
Volksgemeinschaft – national community or civilian population; public support (seeKameradschaft).
Volksgrenadier – "People's Infantryman", amorale-buildinghonorific given to low-grade infantry divisions raised or reconstituted in the last months of the war.
Volkskrieg – "People's War".
Volkssturm – people's semi-military defense force, made up mostly of boys and older men.
Vorpostenboote (VP-boot) – coastal escort vessels and motor launches withanti-submarine andminesweeping gear. Also calledKüstenfischkutter (KFK), as they were patrol vessels constructed to a fishing-vessel design.
Wehrmacht – German armed forces under theThird Reich consisting of three branches: theHeer (Army), theLuftwaffe (Air Force), and theKriegsmarine (Navy). TheWaffen-SS was a separate organization, although SS combat units were usually placed under the operational control of Army High Command (OKH) or Wehrmacht High Command (OKW).
Wehrmachtbericht – a daily radio broadcast that described the military situation on all fronts duringWorld War II.
Wehrmachtgefolge – Armed Forces Auxiliaries. These include those organizations that were not a part of the armed forces but that served such an important support role that they were given protection under theGeneva Convention and/or militarized. The armed forces auxiliaries consisted in part of theReichsarbeitsdienst,NSKK,Organisation Todt, and theVolkssturm.
Wehrmachtskanister – Robust tank used to carry fuel. Called a "Jerrycan" by the Allies.
Wehrpass – German military individual service record booklet.
Wehrpflichtiger – “Draftee”. A conscript soldier.
Werkschutz – "factory guard" industrial plant protection service and security police.
Werwolf – Germanguerrilla fighters dedicated to harass Allied rear areas. Initially conceived as an adjunct to theJagd-Kommando units and placed under the command ofOtto Skorzeny, the idea was later appropriated byJoseph Goebbels to represent the general rising up of the German people to defend against foreign invasion. It was not well organized or widely effective, and there were only a few known instances of involvement, mainly after the war ended and mostly in the eastern regions.
Wespe – "wasp", a self-propelled 105mm howitzer onPzKpfw II chassis.
Wolf – the military designation name for aMercedes-Benz G-Class in the German Bundeswehr.
Wolfsrudel –wolf pack, an anti-convoy tactic developed by Admiral Dönitz prior to the war.
Wolfsschanze "Wolf's lair" lit. "Wolf's entrenchment" – Hitler's first World War II Eastern Front military headquarters, one of several Führer Headquarters or FHQs located in various parts of Europe. The complex buildings and shelters, built forOperation Barbarossa (the 1941 German invasion of the Soviet Union) was located in the Masurian woods, about 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) fromRastenburg,East Prussia (N/K/AKętrzyn,Poland).
Y-Beam – German aircraft navigational system that utilized a single station that radiated a directional beam plus a ranging signal that thebomber picked up and re-transmitted to enable the ground controllers to compute the range and know when to order the bombs to be dropped.
Z-Plan (or Plan-Z) was the name given to the re-equipment and expansion of theKriegsmarine (Nazi German Navy) as ordered by Adolf Hitler on 27 January 1939. The plan called for 10 battleships, four aircraft carriers, three battlecruisers, eight heavy cruisers, 44 light cruisers, 68 destroyers and 249 U-boats by 1944 that was meant to challenge the naval power of the United Kingdom. The outbreak of World War II in September 1939 came far too early to implement the plan.
Z3 – pioneeringcomputer developed byKonrad Zuse in 1941, it was destroyed by bombardment in 1944.
Zeltbahn – a triangular or squareshelter quarter made of closely woven, water-repellentcotton duck. It could be used on its own as aponcho or put together with others to create shelters and tents. Also calledZeltplane.
Zentralstelle II P – Central Office II P (Poland).
Zimmerit – an anti-magnetic mine paste applied on the armour of German tanks to prevent magneticmines from being attached. It was similar to cement, and was applied on the tanks with a rake, giving the vehicle a rough appearance. From the summer of the 1943 to mid-1944Zimmerit became a standard characteristic on many German panzers.
Zossen – The underground bunker complex that was headquarters for both theWehrmacht (OKW) and (Heer) Army High Command (OKH) located approximately 20 miles west of Berlin in Zossen, Germany.
Zur besonderen Verwendung (z.b.V.) – for special employment. Sometimes a killing squad/unit, but also used for divisions raised for special reasons (e.g., theDivision zbV Afrika).
Fähnrich/Oberfähnrich – no perfect equivalent. Senior officer cadet with something like warrant officer status, used in functions likeensign, passed midshipman or 2nd lieutenant but not commissioned.
Fahnenjunker – no perfect equivalent. Most junior officer cadet with sergeant (US) or corporal (UK) status.
Oberstabsgefreiter – (enlisted personnel); not used prior to the Bundeswehr.
Stabsgefreiter – (enlisted personnel)
Hauptgefreiter – (enlisted personnel); not used prior to the Bundeswehr.
Obergefreiter – lance corporal (enlisted personnel). Historically, and up until 1945, the rank ofObergefreiter was considered in English the equivalent to a British Army lance corporal with seniority, therefore named "senior lance corporal", or rathersecond corporal in the artillery.
Gefreiter – private first class (enlisted personnel). Historically, and up until 1945, the rank ofGefreiter was considered in English the equivalent to a British Army lance corporal rank.
Oberschütze – Senior Rifleman. Historical rank used up until 1945, not in use in the Bundeswehr.[6]
Gemeiner –private (enlisted personnel). Historically, and up until 1918, the rank ofGemeiner was ordinarily used for an enlisted soldier of private rank.
Adlertag –Eagle Day; day one of intense raiding against RAF 13 August 1940 known as Operation Eagle Attack (postponed from 10 August).
Anton – occupation of Vichy France, November 1942; later known asAtilla.
Atilla – occupation of Vichy France, November 1942 (previously,Anton).
Aufbau Ost –Eastern Buildup; build-up of arms prior to the invasion of the Soviet Union.
Barbarossa – invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941.Barbarossa, or "Red Beard" was the nickname for Emperor Frederick I, who attempted to unify Germanic states in the 12th century.
Bernhard – scheme to counterfeit British bank notes and put them into circulation; begun in 1942.
Bodenplatte –Base Plate; air offensive against Allied airfields in north-western Europe, New Year's Day 1945.
Eisenhammer –Iron Hammer, planned strategic bombing raid on Soviet electric power generation water turbines, potentially knocking out three-quarters of all western Soviet electrical generation capacity, never carried out
Fall Blau –Case Blue; summer offensive in Southern Russia.
Nordwind –North Wind; counteroffensive in Alsace and Lorraine in January 1945.
Panzerfaust –Armored Fist; the October 1944 mission to kidnap Miklós Horthy Jr, son of Hungarian Regent Admiral Miklós Horthy.
Paukenschlag –Drumroll orDrumbeat; offensive against Allied shipping in US andCaribbean waters in the first half of 1942.
Pastorius – U-boat operation involving U-202 and U-548 setting 8 agents ashore in the US in June 1942.
Reinhard – covername for the entire process of building extermination camps, deportation of Jews first toghettos, then to the concentration camps for extermination and incineration. Named for SD chiefReinhard Heydrich.
Seelöwe –Sea Lion; projected amphibious assault on Great Britain in 1940/41. It never took place.
Steinbock – the GermanLuftwaffe bomber offensive against England from late January through the end of May 1944
Stösser – parachute drop on evening of 16 December 1944; purpose was to seize a crossroads for Kampfgruppe Peiper during the Germans' Ardennes Offensive.
Taifun –Typhoon; push towardsMoscow in September 1941.
Tannenbaum – "fir-tree"; projected invasion ofSwitzerland in 1940. Never carried out.
Tiger – advance through theMaginot Line on the French border in June 1940.
Wacht am Rhein – "Guard on the Rhine"; the December 1944 Ardennes offensive, known by Americans as the Battle of the Bulge.
Walküre –Valkyrie Officially a Reserve Army contingency plan to restore law and order in the event a disruption caused by the Allied bombing of German cities caused a breakdown in law and order, or a rising by the millions of forced laborers German factories. Was, in fact, a major part of the failedJuly 20 Plot to arrestSS and otherNazi officials and seize control of the German government.
Weserübung –Weser Exercise (commonly,Water Exercise); invasion of Denmark and Norway, 9 April 1940
Wintergewitter –Winter Gale; unsuccessful attempt to relieve the 6th Army atStalingrad in December 1942.
Zitadelle –Citadel; attack on Soviet salient atKursk, July 1943.
^In the contexts of German language military aviation, aStaffel is between an Englishflight (with a normal strength of four to six aircraft) and asquadron (normally at least 12 aircraft and, historically, sometimes more than 18).
^Poulsen, Henning (1 January 1991)."Die Deutschen Besatzungspolitik in Dänemark". In Bohn, Robert; Elvert, Jürgen; Rebas, Hain; Salewski, Michael (eds.).Neutralität und Totalitäre Aggression (in German). Stuttgart: Franz Steiner Verlag. p. 379.ISBN978-3-515-05887-2. Retrieved20 April 2016.
Andrew, Stephen; Thomas, Nigel;The German Army 1939–45: Blitzkrieg. Osprey Publishing Lt., 1999.
Bidermann, Gottlob Herbert.In Deadly Combat: A German Soldier's Memoir of the Eastern Front. Kansas, University Press of Kansas. (2001):ISBN0-7006-1122-3.
