Unteroffiziere mit Portepee

Fähnrich with Portepee

Unteroffizier(e) mit Portepee, also Portepeeunteroffizier(e) (en: NCO(s) with sword knot" also "Sword knot NCO(s)"), is the designation for German senior NCO in the Armed forces of Germany. 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.

Any Portepeeunteroffizier of the former Prussian Army was entitled to wear (in addition to the dress uniform - to go with a ...) a "sword knot" to its personal sabre, which was originally restricted to officers only.^[1]

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

• OR-9: Oberstabsfeldwebel / Oberstabsbootsmann this rank was introduced by the Bundeswehr in 1983
• OR-8: Stabsfeldwebel / Stabsbootsmann (in the Kriegsmarine Stabsoberbootsmann, Stabsobersteuermann, and Stabsobermaschinist)
• OR-7: Hauptfeldwebel (Oberfähnrich)/ Hauptbootsmann (Oberfähnrich zur See), this rank was introduced by the Bundeswehr after being an assignment/ position of service (informally Spieß and officially now Kompaniefeldwebel in the Reichswehr, Wehrmacht, and National People's Army)
• 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"!

See also

⇒ Article: NCOs without portepee
⇒ Article: Ranks of the German Bundeswehr
⇒ Article: Rank insignia of the German Bundeswehr
⇒ Article: Ranks and insignia of NATO navies enlisted

And equivalents of the Navy—replacing Feldwebel with Bootsmann—and, historically, the Cavalry and Artillery (with Wachtmeister). The latter is not to be confused with the Navy's "Kompaniefeldwebel" of today which are also called Wachtmeister.

German non-commissioned officers were identified by the use of 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.

Table of Portepee-ranks

Rank insignia to Portepee-NCOs of Heer, Luftwaffe and Marine
German payment level	A9Z	A9	A8Z	A7mZ	A7
Shoulder straps service uniform/ field uniform
rank	Oberstabsfeldwebel	Stabsfeldwebel	Hauptfeldwebel (Oberfähnrich)	Oberfeldwebel	Feldwebel (Fähnrich)
Shoulder straps cuff insignias field uniform
rank	Oberstabsbootsmann	Stabsbootsmann	Hauptbootsmann (Oberfähnrich zur See)	Oberbootsmann	Bootsmann (Fähnrich zur See)
NATO-Rangcode	OR-9	OR-8	OR-7	OR-6

Sources/ references

1. ↑ BROCKHAUS, Die Enzyklopädie in 24 Bänden (1796–2001), Band 5: 3-7653-3665-3, S. 488