Hauptfeldwebel (rank)

Not to be confused with the Hauptfeldwebel as appointment/assignment in the German Wehrmacht (1938 -1945) , and the East German National People's Army (1956 -1990), equivalent to company sergeant major in anglo-phonic armed forces.

Hauptfeldwebel (Heer / Luftwaffe)
Rank insignia	German NCO rank
Introduction	1957
Rank group	Non-commissioned officers
Army / Air Force	Hauptfeldwebel
Navy	Hauptbootsmann
NATO equivalent	OR-7
US	Army: Sergeant First Class Air Force: Master Sergeant
UK	Army: Staff Sergeant Air Force: Flight Sergeant

Hauptfeldwebel (HptFw or HF) is the third highest Non-commissioned officer (NCO) rank in German Army and German Air Force.

It is grouped as OR7 in NATO, equivalent to a US Army Sergeant 1st Class, US Marine Gunnery Sergeant, or US Air Force Master Sergeant, and to Warrant Officer Class 2 in the British Army and Royal Navy.

In army/ air force context NCOs of this rank were formally addressed as Herr Hauptfeldwebel also informally / short Hauptfeld.

The sequence of ranks (top-down approach) in that particular group (Senior NCOs with portepee) is as follows:

• OR-9: Oberstabsfeldwebel / Oberstabsbootsmann
• OR-8: Hauptfeldwebel / Hauptbootsmann and Stabsfeldwebel / Stabsbootsmann
• OR-7: Hauptfeldwebel / Hauptbootsmann
• OR-6a: Oberfeldwebel / Oberbootsmann
• OR-6b: Feldwebel / Bootsmann

Remark

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

junior Rank Oberfeldwebel	(German NCO rank) Hauptfeldwebel	senior Rank Stabsfeldwebel
	Oberfähnrich

History

The Hauptfeldwebel was introduced by the German Wehrmacht in 1938 not as a military rank but as the assignment to “company sergeant (de: Kompaniefeldwebel or Spiess). Most experienced Protégée-NCO with the rank Stabsfeldwebel or Oberfeldwebel (more seldom Feldwebel) have been assigned to that distinguished position.

The assignment Spiess/Hauptfeldwebel, equivalent to the company sergeant major in Anglo-phonic armed forces, has been used before in the GDR National People's Army from 1956 until 1990 as well.

The equivalent assignment to the company sergeant major in the Waffen-SS was the SS-Stabsscharführer from 1938 until 1945 .

Equivalent in other NATO countries Army/Air Force

• – Rreshter/no equivalent
• – 1er sergeant-major; 1ste sergeant-majoor
• – Старши сержант (en: Strshi sershant)
• – Warrant Officer; Adjudant
• – Nadnarednik
• – praporčík/
• – Oversergent
• – Vanemveebel/
• – no equivalent
• – Επιλοχίας; Epilochias/N.N.
• – Főtörzsőrmester/N.N.
• – no equivalent
• – Sergente maggiore capo
• – Štāba virsseržants/N.N.
• – Štabo seržantas/N.N.
• – N.N.
• – Sergeant-majoor; Opperwachtmeester/Sergeant-majoor
• – no equivalent
• – Szef kompanii
• – Sargento-ajudante
• – Maistru Militar clasa III
• – rotmajster
• – štabni vodnik
• – Sargento primero
• – Astsubay Kıdemli Üstçavuş and Astsubay Üstçavuş/
• – Старшина (en: Starshina)
• – Staff Sergeant and Colour Sergeant/Flight sergeant, Flight sergeant aircrew and Chief sergeant
• – Master Sergeant/Sergeant First Class