Hauptfeldwebel (rank)

''Hauptfeldwebel '' (HptFw or HF; ) is the third highest Non-commissioned officer (NCO) grade in German Army and German Air Force. It is grouped as OR-7 / OR-8 in Ranks and insignia of NATO armies enlisted, NATO, equivalent to US Army Sergeant 1st Class and Master sergeant#U.S. Army, Master Sergeant. In army/ air force context NCOs of this rank were formally addressed as ''Herr Hauptfeldwebel'' also informally / short ''Hauptfeld''.

History

The ''Hauptfeldwebel'' introduced by the German ''Wehrmacht'' in 1938, was not as a military rank but an assignment to "company sergeant" (german: Kompaniefeldwebel or ). Most experienced Portepée-NCO with the rank Stabsfeldwebel or Oberfeldwebel (more seldom Feldwebel) have been assigned to that distinguished position. The equivalent assignment in the Waffen-SS was the SS-''SS-Stabsscharführer, Stabsscharführer''.

The assignment was also used in the GDR National People's Army from 1956 until 1990.

In 1957, the rank was introduced in the West German Armed Forces.

Rank sequence

The sequence of ranks (top-down approach) in that particular group (''Unteroffiziere mit Portepee, Senior NCOs with portepee'') is as follows:
*OR-9: /
*OR-8: /
*OR-7: /
*OR-6: /
*OR-6: /

References

Sources

*BROCKHAUS, Die Enzyklopädie in 24 Bänden (1796–2001), Band 5: 3-7653-3665-3, S. 487, Definition: ''Hauptfeldwebel/Oberfähnrich''
*BROCKHAUS, Die Enzyklopädie in 24 Bänden (1796–2001), Band 7: 3-7653-3676-9, S. 185, ''Hauptfeldwebel''

{{German military ranks

Military ranks of Germany