Unteroffiziere mit Portepee
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Unteroffiziere mit Portepee, literally "petty officers with swordknot", is the designation for German senior non-commissioned officers in the German Army. The name derives from earlier traditions in which senior enlisted men would carry a sword into battle. The word portepee derives from French port(e)-épée. Unteroffiziere mit portepee of the former Prussian Army were entitled to wear a sword-knot to their sabre, which was originally restricted to officers.
Ranks in this category include:
- Feldwebel / Wachtmeister
- Oberfeldwebel / Oberwachtmeister
- Hauptfeldwebel, this rank was introduced by the Bundeswehr after being an appointment in the Reichswehr and Wehrmacht
- Stabsfeldwebel / Stabswachtmeister
- Oberstabsfeldwebel, this rank was introduced by the Bundeswehr in 1983.
and equivalents of the Waffen SS.
German non-commissioned officers were identified by the use of golden 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 Wehrmacht 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.
