Hauptfeldwebel (HptFw or HF; lit.'Head Field Bailiff') is the third highest Non-commissioned officer (NCO) grade in German Army and German Air Force.[1] It is grouped as OR-7 / OR-8 in NATO, equivalent to US Army Sergeant 1st Class and Master Sergeant.[2] In army/ air force context NCOs of this rank were formally addressed as Herr Hauptfeldwebel also informally / short Hauptfeld.

Hauptfeldwebel
Heer and Luftwaffe shoulder insignia
Country Germany
Service branch German Army
 German Air Force
AbbreviationHptFw
RankUnteroffiziere mit Portepee grade
NATO rank codeOR-7 / OR-8
Non-NATO rankE-7
Formation1957
Next higher rankStabsfeldwebel
Next lower rankOberfeldwebel
Equivalent ranksHauptbootsmann

History

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The Hauptfeldwebel introduced by the German Wehrmacht in 1938, was not as a military rank but an assignment to "company sergeant" (German: Kompaniefeldwebel or Spiess). 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-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

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

References

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  1. ^ "§ 18 SLV - Einzelnorm". Archived from the original on 2019-03-30. Retrieved 2020-05-06.
  2. ^ "STANAG 2116 NATO code of ranks" (PDF). Hungarian University of Public Service, Ludovika. 1996-03-13.

Sources

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  • 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