Oberfeldwebel

Oberfeldwebel;
	Heer and Luftwaffe shoulder insignia
Country	Germany
Service branch	Army ; AF
Abbreviation	OFw
Rank	Unteroffiziere mit Portepee grade
NATO rank	OR-6
Non-NATO rank	E-6
Formation	1957
Next higher rank	Hauptfeldwebel
Next lower rank	Feldwebel
Equivalent ranks	Oberbootsmann

Oberfeldwebel (OFw or OF) is the fourth-lowest non-commissioned officer (NCO) rank in German Army and German Air Force[1].

History

The rank was introduced first by the German Reichswehr in 1920. Preferable most experienced Protégée-NCO of the old army have been promoted.

The Reichswehr Oberfeldwebel (OR-7) was taken over as second-highest Protégée-NCO rank by the German Wehrmacht in 1935. In the military branch cavalry, artillery and anti-aircraft artillery it was called Oberwachtmeister.

The equivalent rank to the Oberfeldwebel in the Waffen-SS was the SS-Hauptscharführer from 1938 until 1945.

The rank has been used in the GDR National People's Army from 1956 until 1990 as well.

Rank information

It is grouped as OR6 in NATO, equivalent in the US Army to Staff Sergeant, or in British Army / RAF to Sergeant.

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

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

OR-9: Oberstabsfeldwebel / Oberstabsbootsmann
OR-8: 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 Feldwebel	(German NCO rank) Oberfeldwebel	senior Rank Hauptfeldwebel
		Oberfähnrich

Equivalent in other NATO countries Army/Air Force

– Tetar / no equivalent
– 1er sergeant-chef and 1er sergeant
– Сержант (en: Sershant)
– Sergeant
– Narednik
– Nadrotmistr/
– no equivalent
– Veebel/
– Sergent-chef; Maréchal-des-logis-chef
– Επιλοχίας; Epilochias
– Törzsőrmester
– Flokkstjóri 1.
– Sergente maggiore
– Virsseržants
– Vyresnysis seržantas
– N.N.
– Sergeant der 1e klasse; Wachtmeester der 1e klasse
– no equivalent
– Starszy sierżant
– Primeiro-sargento
–
– Rotný
– Višji vodnik
– Sargento
– Astsubay Kıdemli Çavuş
– Старшина (en: Starshina)
– Sergeant (British Army/Royal Air Force)
– Staff Sergeant(US Army)/Technical Sergeant (USAF)

References

https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/slv_2002/__18.html

Sources

BROCKHAUS, Die Enzyklopädie in 24 Bänden (1796–2001), Band 5: 3-7653-3665-3, S. 487, Definition: Oberfeldwebel
BROCKHAUS, Die Enzyklopädie in 24 Bänden (1796–2001), Band 7: 3-7653-3676-9, S. 185, Oberfeldwebel

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[1] ttps://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/slv_2002/__18.html