Oberstabsbootsmann Explained

Rank insignia	German NCO rank
Introduction	1955
Rank group	Non-commissioned officers
Navy
Army / Air Force	Oberstabsfeldwebel
	OR-9
Army	Sergeant Major
Air Force	Chief Master Sergeant
Navy	Sergeant Major Master Gunnery Sergeant

^[1] (OStBtsm or OSB) is the highest Non-commissioned officer (NCO) rank in the German Navy. It is grouped as OR9 in NATO, equivalent to a Master Chief Petty Officer in the United States Navy, and a Warrant Officer Class 1 in the British Royal Navy.

In Navy context, NCOs of this rank were formally addressed as Herr/ Frau Oberstabsbootsmann also informally/ short Oberstaber.

The rank was introduced in the German Navy equivalent to the German Heer and German Luftwaffe grad Oberstabsfeldwebel in 1995, and belongs to the grad group Unteroffiziere mit Portepee.

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

• OR-9:

/ Oberstabsfeldwebel

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

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

See also:

See main article: Ranks of the German Bundeswehr and Rank insignia of the German Bundeswehr.

Equivalent in other NATO countries

• – Maître principal-Chef (Oppermeester-Chef) and Maître-principal (Oppermeester)
• – Chief Petty Officer of the Navy, Canadian Forces Chief Warrant Officer, and Chief Petty Officer 1st Class
• – Časnički namjesnik
• – Chefsergent
• – Major and Maître principal
• – Ανθυπασπιστής/ Anthypaspistis
• – Petty officer/ specialist
• – capo di prima classe
• – Adjudant-onderofficer
• – No Equivalent
• – Starszy chorąży sztabowy marynarki, Starszy chorąży marynarki
• – Sargento-mor
• – Suboficial mayor, Subteniente
• – Warrant Officer Class 1
• – Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy, Command master chief petty officer, and Master chief petty officer

See also:

See main article: Ranks and insignia of NATO navies enlisted.

History

Germany

The rank has never been used before by the Reichsmarine, the Kriegsmarine as well as in the GDR Volksmarine.

Austria-Hungary

Oberstabsbootsmann was the highest senior NCO-rank in the k.u.k. Austro-Hungarian Navy (1786 until 1918). It was equivalent to the ranks Stabsfeldwebel (Törzsörmester) / Stabswachtmeister / Stabsfeuerwerker / Stabsoberjäger of the k.u.k. Common Army.

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

Oberstgabsbootsmann

• Stabsbootsmann
• Unterbootsmann

See also:

See main article: Ranks in the Austro-Hungarian Navy.

Junior rank Stabsbootsmann

(k.u.k. Kriegsmarine rank) Oberstgabsbootsmann

Senior rank Seekadett

Sources/ references

1. BROCKHAUS, Die Enzyklopädie in 24 Bänden (1796–2001), Band 16: 3-7653-3676-9, S. 102