What is "hauptfeldwebel"

This page relates to the World War Two German appointment/ assignment Hauptfeldwebel equivalent to the Company sergeant major in anglo-phonic armed forces. For information on the German Bundeswehr grad/ rank, see Hauptfeldwebel (rank).

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bgcolor="#efefef" colspan=2 align="center"|Hauptfeldwebel
(Heer / Luftwaffe) |-----

align="center" colspan=2 style="border-bottom:2px solid gray;font-size:smaller" |

HD H 33 Hauptfeldwebel ABCAbw.svg

LD B 33 Hauptfeldwebel.svg

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Rank insignia

German NCO rank |-----

Introduction

1957 |-----

Rank group

Non-commissioned officers |-----

Army / Air Force

Hauptfeldwebel |-----

Navy

Hauptbootsmann |-----

NATOequivalent

OR-7 |-----

US

• Army: Sergeant First Class
• Air Force: Master Sergeant

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UK

• Army: Staff Sergeant
• Air Force: Flight Sergeant

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'''Hauptfeldwebel '' (HptFw' or HF) is the third highest Non-commissioned officer (NCO) rank in German Heer and Luftwaffe.

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