''Oberstabsbootsmann''BROCKHAUS, Die Enzyklopädie in 24 Bänden (1796–2001), Band 16: 3-7653-3676-9, S. 102 (OStBtsm or OSB) is the highest

Non-commissioned officer A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is a military officer who has not pursued a commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority by promotion through the enlisted ranks. (Non-officers, which includes most or all enli ...

(NCO) rank in the

German Navy The German Navy (, ) is the navy of Germany and part of the unified ''Bundeswehr'' (Federal Defense), the German Armed Forces. The German Navy was originally known as the ''Bundesmarine'' (Federal Navy) from 1956 to 1995, when ''Deutsche Mari ...

. It is grouped as OR9 in

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two N ...

, equivalent to a

Master Chief Petty Officer U.S. Coast Guardmaster chief petty officercollar device U.S. Coast Guardmaster chief petty officersleeve rating insignia United States Navymaster chief petty officer collar insignia United States Navymaster chief petty officer shoulder ...

in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

, and a

Warrant Officer Class 1 Warrant may refer to: * Warrant (law), a form of specific authorization ** Arrest warrant, authorizing the arrest and detention of an individual ** Search warrant, a court order issued that authorizes law enforcement to conduct a search for eviden ...

in the

British Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against Fra ...

. In Navy context, NCOs of this rank were formally addressed as ''Herr/ Frau Oberstabsbootsmann'' also informally/ short ''Oberstaber''. The rank was introduced in the ''German Navy'' equivalent to the ''German Heer'' and ''German Luftwaffe'' grad Oberstabsfeldwebel in 1995, and belongs to the grad group Unteroffiziere mit Portepee. The sequence of ranks (top-down approach) in that particular group is as follows:
'' Unteroffiziere mit Portepee''
*OR-9: Oberstabsbootsmann / Oberstabsfeldwebel *OR-8:

Stabsbootsmann '' Stabsbootsmann '' (StBtsm or SB) is the second highest Non-commissioned officer (NCO) rank in the German Navy. It is grouped as OR8 in NATO, equivalent to First Sergeant, Master Sergeant, or Senior Chief Petty Officer in the US Armed forc ...

Stabsfeldwebel ''Stabsfeldwebel '' (StFw or SF; ) is the second highest Non-commissioned officer (NCO) rank in German Army and German Air Force. It is grouped as OR-8 in NATO, equivalent to a First Sergeant in the United States Army, and to Warrant Officer C ...

*OR-7:

Hauptbootsmann '' Hauptbootsmann '' (HptBtsm or in lists HB) designates in the German Navy of the Bundeswehr a military person or member of the armed forces. It belongs to the particular rank group Senior NCOs with port épée. According to the salary class ...

Hauptfeldwebel In the German Wehrmacht, Hauptfeldwebel (short: HptFw; address: ''Herr Hauptfeldwebel'') was not a rank but a position title, assignment or appointment, equivalent to the Commonwealth company sergeant major or U.S. company-level first serge ...

*OR-6a:

Oberbootsmann ''Oberbootsmann'' (OBtsm or in lists OB) designates in the German Navy of the Bundeswehr a military person or member of the armed forces. It belongs to the particular rank group Senior NCOs with port epée. According to the salary class it is eq ...

Oberfeldwebel (OFw or OF) is the fourth-lowest non-commissioned officer (NCO) rank in German Army and German Air Force. History The rank was introduced first by the German Reichswehr in 1920. Preferable most experienced Protégée-NCO of the old arm ...

*OR-6b:

Bootsmann () is a naval rank used in some navies. Finland Germany The German term ''Bootsmann'' translates to Boatswain, i.e. the senior crewman of the deck department. In a military context, '' Bootsmann '' (Btsm or B) is the lowest Portepeeunterof ...

Feldwebel ''Feldwebel '' (Fw or F, ) is a non-commissioned officer (NCO) rank in several countries. The rank originated in Germany, and is also used in Switzerland, Finland, Sweden, and Estonia. The rank has also been used in Russia, Austria-Hungary, occupi ...

;Remark: The abbreviation "OR" stands for ''"Other Ranks / fr: sous-officiers et militaires du rang / ru:другие ранги, кроме офицероф"''! ;See also:

Equivalent in other NATO countries

– Maître principal-Chef (Oppermeester-Chef) and Maître-principal (Oppermeester) * Flag of Canada

– Chief Petty Officer of the Navy, Canadian Forces Chief Warrant Officer, and Chief Petty Officer 1st Class * Flag of Croatia

– Časnički namjesnik * Flag of Denmark

– Chefsergent * Flag of France

– Major and Maître principal * Flag of Greece

– Ανθυπασπιστής/ Anthypaspistis * Flag of Iceland

– Petty officer/ specialist * Flag of Italy

– capo di prima classe * Flag of Netherlands

– Adjudant-onderofficer * Flag of Norway

– No Equivalent * Flag of Poland

– Starszy chorąży sztabowy marynarki, Starszy chorąży marynarki * Flag of Portugal

– Sargento-mor * Flag of Spain

– Suboficial mayor, Subteniente * Flag of the United Kingdom

– Warrant Officer Class 1 * Flag of the United States

– Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy, Command master chief petty officer, and Master chief petty officer ;See also:

History

Germany

The rank has never been used before by the

Reichsmarine The ''Reichsmarine'' ( en, Realm Navy) was the name of the German Navy during the Weimar Republic and first two years of Nazi Germany. It was the naval branch of the '' Reichswehr'', existing from 1919 to 1935. In 1935, it became known as the ...

, the

Kriegsmarine The (, ) was the navy of Germany from 1935 to 1945. It superseded the Imperial German Navy of the German Empire (1871–1918) and the inter-war (1919–1935) of the Weimar Republic. The was one of three official branches, along with the a ...

as well as in the GDR Volksmarine.

Austria-Hungary

Oberstabsbootsmann was the highest senior NCO-rank in the k.u.k.

Austro-Hungarian Navy The Austro-Hungarian Navy or Imperial and Royal War Navy (german: kaiserliche und königliche Kriegsmarine, in short ''k.u.k. Kriegsmarine'', hu, Császári és Királyi Haditengerészet) was the naval force of Austria-Hungary. Ships of the A ...

(1786 until 1918). It was equivalent to the ranks

(Törzsörmester) / Stabswachtmeister / Stabsfeuerwerker / Stabsoberjäger of the k.u.k.

Common Army The Common Army (german: Gemeinsame Armee, hu, Közös Hadsereg) as it was officially designated by the Imperial and Royal Military Administration, was the largest part of the Austro-Hungarian land forces from 1867 to 1914, the other two eleme ...

. The sequence of ranks (top-down approach) in that particular group was as follows: *Oberstgabsbootsmann *

* Unterbootsmann ; See also:

Sources/ references

{{German military ranks Naval ranks of Germany