, also Portepeeunteroffizier(e) (), is the designation for German senior

non-commissioned officers A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is an enlisted rank, enlisted leader, petty officer, or in some cases warrant officer, who does not hold a Commission (document), commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority b ...

in the armed forces of Germany. The title derives from the French ''porte-épée'' ("sword bearer"), as senior enlisted men would historically carry a sword into battle.

History

Coloured sidearm tassels were introduced in the Prussian army in 1808. They were used as a decorative equipment and to differentiate companies within a regiment. Ranks below were issued either the or depending on their unit. The was used by infantry, artillery, pioneer, signal, anti-tank and supply troops, while the was worn by cavalry and rifle troops. Some units would wear honorary tassels of Russian red leather, to indicate their relation to the 1st Regiment of (Prussian) Grenadier Guards. would wear tassels independently of their company relations. The top-down sequence of ranks in that group is: *OR-9: Oberstabsfeldwebel / Oberstabsbootsmann this rank was introduced by the

Bundeswehr The (, ''Federal Defence'') are the armed forces of the Germany, Federal Republic of Germany. The is divided into a military part (armed forces or ''Streitkräfte'') and a civil part, the military part consists of the four armed forces: Germ ...

in 1983 *OR-8: Stabsfeldwebel / ''Stabsbootsmann'' (in the

Kriegsmarine The (, ) was the navy of Nazi 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 It superseded the Imperial German Navy of the German Empire (1871–1918) and the inter-war (1919–1935) of the Weimar Republic.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 military branch, branche ...

''Stabsoberbootsmann'', ''Stabsobersteuermann'', and ''Stabsobermaschinist'') *OR-7: Hauptfeldwebel ( Oberfähnrich)/ ''Hauptbootsmann'' ( Oberfähnrich zur See), this rank was introduced by the

after an assignment/position of service (informally ''Spieß'' and officially now Kompaniefeldwebel in the

Reichswehr ''Reichswehr'' (; ) was the official name of the German armed forces during the Weimar Republic and the first two years of Nazi Germany. After Germany was defeated in World War I, the Imperial German Army () was dissolved in order to be reshaped ...

Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the German Army (1935–1945), ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmac ...

, and

National People's Army The National People's Army (, ; NVA ) were the armed forces of the East Germany, German Democratic Republic (DDR) from 1956 until 1990. The NVA was organized into four branches: the (Ground Forces), the (Navy), the (Air Force) and the (Bord ...

) *OR-6a: Oberfeldwebel / ''Oberbootsmann'' *OR-6b: Feldwebel / Bootsmann Naval equivalents—replacing ''Feldwebel'' with ''Bootsmann''—and, historically, the Cavalry and Artillery (replacing with ''Wachtmeister''). The latter is not to be confused with the Navy's "Kompaniefeldwebel" of today which are also called ''Wachtmeister''. German NCOs were identified by the use of metallic lace (called ''Tresse'') on the collar of the uniform jacket, as well as the edges of the shoulder straps. Senior non-commissioned officers in the

also used silver "stars" on the shoulder strap to differentiate between ranks; one star for a Feldwebel, two for an Oberfeldwebel, and three for a Stabsfeldwebel.

Table of Portepee-ranks

References

* {{cite book , last1=Davis , first1=Brian L. , title=German Army: Uniforms and Insignia 1933-1945 , date=1998 , publisher=Brockhampton Press , location=London , isbn=1-86019-869-4 Military ranks of Germany

History

Table of Portepee-ranks

See also

References