View source for Hauptfeldwebel (assignment)

{{Unreferenced|date=August 2020}}
{{distinguish|text= the German Bundeswehr senior NCO '''rank''' [[Hauptfeldwebel (rank)|Hauptfeldwebel]]}}
{{Infobox military rank
| name           = ''Hauptfeldwebel'' (Wehrmacht)<br><small><span style="color:#FF0000;"><big>(position title or appointment)</big></span></small>
| image          = Statuszeichen HptFw WMacht, NVA und Stascha SS.svg
| caption        = appointment insignia, ("double piston rings")
| country        = {{flagcountry|Nazi Germany}}
| service branch = {{army|Nazi Germany}}
| abbreviation   = HptFw
| rank           = 
senior NCOs, e.g.
* Oberfeldwebel or 
*Feldwebel
| NATO rank      = 
| Non-NATO rank  = 
| formation      = 1938
| abolished      = 1945
| higher rank    = 
| lower rank     = 
| equivalents    = [[SS-Stabsscharführer|SS-''Stabsscharführer'']]
| history        =
}}

{{multiple image
| align   = right
| caption_align = center
| header_align = center
| header    =  '''<span style="color:white;"><big>Company sergeant major</big><br>(Wehrmacht / Waffen-SS)</span>'''
 | header_background = red
| footer  = 
| footer_background =red<span style="color:#FF0000;">'''tiefrot'''</span>
| footer_align = center
| image1  = Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-219-0597-10, Josef Niemitz.jpg
| caption1 = <big>Heer, Luftwaffe</big> <br> <big><span style="color:#060;">''Hauptfeldwebel''</span></big>
| width1   = 130
| image2  = SS Stabsscharfuehrer Insignia.png
| caption2 = <big>Waffen-SS</big> <br><big><span style="color:#060;">''SS-Stabsscharführer''</span></big>
| width2   = 140
}}

In the German [[Wehrmacht]], '''Hauptfeldwebel''' ({{IPA|de|ˈhaʊ̯ptˌfɛltveːbl̩|lang|De-Hauptfeldwebel.ogg}}, short: '''HptFw'''; address: ''Herr Hauptfeldwebel'') was not a rank but a position title, assignment or appointment, equivalent to the Commonwealth [[company sergeant major]] or U.S. company-level [[first sergeant]]. There was one such [[non-commissioned officer]] (NCO) in every infantry company, artillery battery, cavalry squadron, etc. He was the senior NCO of his subunit, but his duties were largely administrative and he was not expected to accompany his unit into an assault or a firefight.

The Hauptfeldwebel had many nicknames, including ''Spieß'' ("Spear") and ''Mutter der Kompanie'' ("mother of the company"). He wore two 10mm broad rings of NCO braid around the cuff of his sleeves, nicknamed ''Kolbenringe'' ("[[Piston ring|piston rings]]"), and carried a ''Meldetasche'' (reporting pouch) tucked into the tunic front, in which he carried blank report forms, rosters and other papers related to his duties. The German Army had no equivalent of the Commonwealth [[Regimental Sergeant Major]].

The appointment could be held by a senior non-commissioned officer ([[Unteroffiziere mit Portepee|Unteroffizier mit Portepee]]), normally [[Oberfeldwebel]] or [[Feldwebel]]. If the billet was filled out of necessity by an [[Unteroffiziere ohne Portepee|Unteroffizier ohne Portepee]], he was termed a ''Hauptfeldwebeldiensttuer'', or "one serving as Hauptfeldwebel." The equivalent appointment in anglophone armed forces might have been ''company sergeant major'' or U.S. ''company-level first sergeant''.

== Other armed forces ==
=== Waffen-SS ===
In the [[Waffen-SS]] the equivalent to the appointment ''Hauptfeldwebel'' in Heer and Luftwaffe, was the [[SS-Stabsscharführer]] until 1945. The traditional nicknames "spear" and "company mother" were used as well. He also wore two rings of NCO braid around the cuff of his sleeves, similar to the Wehrmacht.

=== National People's Army ===
In the [[National People's Army]] (1956-1990) ''Hauptfeldwebel'' was also an appointment, held by a senior non-commissioned officer ranks, e.g. Oberfeldwebel or Stabsfeldwebel later [[Fähnrich (East Germany)|Fähnrich]]. It was used in
* [[file:Emblem of the Ground Forces of NVA (East Germany).svg|15px]] [[Land Forces of the National People's Army|''Landstreitkräfte'']]
* [[file:Emblem of aircraft of NVA (East Germany).svg|15px]] [[Air Forces of the National People's Army|''Luftstreitkräfte'']]
* [[file:Bestenabzeichen DDR Grenztruppen.png|15px]] [[Border Troops of the German Democratic Republic|''Grenztruppen'']]

The appointment insignia on the uniform jacket and the overcoat, were almost identical to those used in the Wehrmacht until 1945, but constisted of one "piston ring" around each cuff only. The nicknames were analogue to the Wehrmacht "spear" and "company mother".
{{clear}}

=== Bundeswehr ===
[[File:KpFwSchnur.jpg|thumb|''Kompaniefeldwebel'' insignia in Bundeswehr; a golden [[lanyard]].]]
{{main article|Hauptfeldwebel (rank)}}
Today, the former billet ''Hauptfeldwebel'' as a company's Senior NCO has become a regular [[Hauptfeldwebel|rank]] between ''Oberfeldwebel'' and ''Stabsfeldwebel''. The position previously known as Hauptfeldwebel is now called ''[[Company sergeant major|Kompaniefeldwebel]]'', while the nicknames - and, in their general outlines, the duties - have remained. ''Kompaniefeldwebel'' often have the ''rank'' of [[ Oberstabsfeldwebel]] now, though.

{|align=center class=wikitable width=40%
|-
! colspan="2" | [[File:Bundeswehr Logo Heer with lettering.svg|30px]] (Army)
! colspan="2" | [[File:Bundeswehr Logo Luftwaffe with lettering.svg|65px]] (Air Force)
|-align=center
| [[File:HD H 33 Hauptfeldwebel ABCAbw.svg|60px]]
| [[File:HA OS5 33 Hauptfeldwebel PzGren.svg|60px]]
| [[File:LD B 33 Hauptfeldwebel.svg|60px]]
| [[File:LA OS5 33 Hauptfeldwebel.svg|60px]]
|-align=center
| service dress
| field uniform
| service dress
| field uniform
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Military ranks of Germany]]
[[Category:Wehrmacht appointments]]

{{Germany-mil-stub}}