Unterfeldwebel – what is wrong with this rank?

[Generalmajor]

Hello,
when I was searching information on WAF forum about rank of Unterweldwebel, I noticed that in many NCO Soldbuch from war period this rank didn’t exist. Unteroffizier was promoted to Feldwebel rank exceting Unterfeldwebel. Also I didn’t saw NCO in this rank on period pictures. Why this happened? Was this rank didn’t use during the war?

Examples of three Soldbuch which I mentioned:
http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...oldbuch&page=2

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...t=NCO+Soldbuch

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...oldbuch&page=2

Thanks in advanced
Best regards
Hindus

[christof]

Nothing wrong with this rank. Here you have 2 ! Is not a very courant rank because most ot the time a Unteroffizier go stait to Feldwebel. A Unterfeldwebel is under the Unteroffizier rangklasse without Portepee ( Unteroffizier, Unterfeldwebel and Fähnrich).

[Generalmajor]

Christof,
tank you very much for your answer.

most ot the time a Unteroffizier go stait to Feldwebel.

That is the clue – why did it happened?

Best regards
Hindus

[christof]

Because Unterfeldwebel is like a Sergeant-chef and not very use by Wehrmacht ! Feldwebel is an adjudant !

[Generalmajor]

Ok – now I understand!
Thank you very much!

Best regards
Hindus

[Frontalschaden]

Also I didn’t saw NCO in this rank on period pictures. Why this happened? Was this rank didn’t use during the war?

Hello

You answered your own question....



Best regards, Fronti

[Simon O.]

There are 3 rank groups within the non-comissioned ranks. Mannschaften (private ranks), unteroffizier ohne portepee (junior NCOs) and unteroffizier mitt portepee (senior NCOs)

Each rank class had an extra rank based on time served and was for those soldiers who would not progress up to the next rank group.

so, stabsgefreiter, unterfeldwebel and stabsfeldwebel.

[walter1010de]

Unterfeldwebel was really not a very common rank.

Most of all NCOs went straight from Unteroffizier to Feldwebel, as the others said - that is true.

In the Wehrmacht they had a huge need for senior NCOs like Feldwebel and Oberfeldwebel. So they promoted an Unteroffizier directly to Feldwebel.

An Unteroffizier normally was a squad leader. A Feldwebel was a platoon leader. An Unterfeldwebel was only a squad leader too - no one had any advantage from this rank. And - an Unteroffizier had to be a long time Unteroffizier to earn the "honorable" rank of Unterfeldwebel, but he could become very soon Feldwebel if he was promoted on a platoon-leader-function or similar. I think a german soldier had to be several years Unteroffizier (= squad leader) to become Unterfeldwebel, but he has only to be one year or so Unteroffizier to become Feldwebel, if he got a "job" as a platoon-leader. The promotion to Unterfeldwebel depended on time, the promotion to Feldwebel was conditioned to the "job".

I only saw elder men in the rank of Unterfeldwebel (WWI - Veterans; the NCO-ranks in the WWI-Wehrmacht were Unteroffizier, Sergeant, Vize-Feldwebel, Feldwebel, Offizier-Stellvertreter, Feldwebelleutnant; Unteroffizier and Sergeant were junior NCOs) or NCOs who were not good enough to become Feldwebel.