The rank was first created in 1928
as an SA rank and was bestowed upon those SA officers
who were company commanders of SA units. The rank translates
as “Storm Head Leader” and can trace its
origins to the German Shock Troops of the First
World War, who were typically organized into Storm Trooper
Companies under an officer ranked Lieutenant or Captain.
As an SS rank, Sturmhauptführer
was established in 1930 as a senior rank to that of
Sturmführer. Sturmhauptführer was initially
considered as more of a senior Lieutenant, but after 1932 the rank was rated above that of Obersturmführer
and became the equivalent of a Captain. The insignia
for the rank was also modifed to denote the higher status.
In 1934, after the Night
of the Long Knives, the SS changed the name of Sturmhauptführer
to Hauptsturmführer. This was due in large part
to separate the SS rank system from the SA, now considered
two completely separate organizations. Sturmhauptführer
remained an SA rank until 1945.
