Cavalry/Reconnaissance Ranks

[gdfuseddie]

I've recently been asked about some of the differences or ranks in cavalry/reconnaissance units as compared to the usual infantry ranks. The guy who asked me said he'd heard that in cavalry units the rank of Unteroffizier was not used and that an Unteroffizier was called Unterwachtmeister and that Unterfeldwebel and Feldwebel were both titled as Wachtmeister.

This is news to me as I always believed that in the cavalry the rank of Unteroffizier was used and the next two ranks were Unterwachtmeister and Wachtmeister. I've tried to look into his question and immediately came up with this on the internet, which may be where he heard this.
http://www.alternatewars.com/BBOW/Ra...listed_WW2.htm

As I'm sceptical of many things written on the internet which do not reference where the information has come from, I'm struggling to find an original source to either prove or discount this suggestion.

Can anyone help by providing an original source which shows the comparison of equivalent ranks between infantry and cavalry units?

[Eelst]

Wachtmeister = Feldwebel
Oberwachtmeister = Oberfeldwebel

The Wachtmeister rank was given to NCO's that belonged to an Artillery unit, included Flak-Artillerie,Sturmgeschütz and Werfer units.
But it was also given to NCO's that belonged to Aufklärungs units that came from a Cavarly, such as Radfahr and Füsilier Bataillon; the same was for the Rittmeister rank, that's equivalent to Hauptmann.

Unterwachtmeister was used in the Poliziei,and was the lowest rank, equivalent to Schütze.

[gdfuseddie]

Thanks for the reply, but that information can be found easily. What I'm after is an original source, such as a manual showing comparison ranks between infantry and cavalry/reconnaissance unit. Or maybe a unit breakdown showing list of men and ranks in an actual cavalry/reconnaissance unit. The question that was made to me was specific to the rank of Unteroffizier and claimed that it was not used in cavalry/reconnaissance units.

[Admiraal]

I don't remember that i have seen another name for Unteroffizer during the war.

Unterfeldwebel, just like the Fähnrich rank, wasn't used much.
Its in this order: Unteroffizier/Unterfeldwebel/Fähnrich/Feldwebel...

I do not believe that both Unterfeldwebel and Feldwebel are named Wachtmeister in cavalry units.
That is not possible because there is a specific line between those ranks.
And that is that Unterfeldwebel is a sergeant rank without Portepee (junior NCO) and Feldwebel is a sergeant rank with Portepee (senior NCO).


I will look if i got original documents with a rank chart or something.

[Aiceman]

Hi

This maybe help

http://niehorster.orbat.com/011_germ..._discussed.htm

[Simon O.]

I don't remember that i have seen another name for Unteroffizer during the war.

Oberjäger


Unterwachtmeister was certainly used within the Heer, but it was the equivilant of unterfeldwebel

[Simon O.]

Here's some examples from an award list from the 7 Gebirgs Division dated Feb.45

[Simon O.]

and the use of unterwachtmeister, in this case within Gebirgs Artillerie regiment 82

[pauke]

rank

Oberjaeger is equal to Oberschuetze, is it not? Numbers 31, 37 and 44 on the last page above list Uffz.

[Eelst]

Oberjäger is equal for Unteroffizier,but only used in mountain troops.

[peterm]

Oberjäger is equal for Unteroffizier,but only used in mountain troops.

Wrong. Oberjäger was also used in the Fallschirmtruppe and als meant the rank "Unteroffizier".

Kind regards, Peter

[Simon O.]

Pauke and eelst

Oberjäger is the term for unteroffizier within the jäger, gebirgsjäger and skijäger units, but not non-infantry gebirgs units, as you can see above for example with gebirgs artillerie regiment 82

[gdfuseddie]

This information is great thanks guys. Simon, the images of the listings is perfect as is shows Unteroffiziers in Aufklarung units.

Rick, your point on the suggestion of Cavalry/Reconnaissance equivalents of Unterfeldwebel and Feldwebel both being called Wachtmeister is a good one, which I'd not considered. I agree that it is unlikely due to the two ranks having the same title due to them crossing the divide between ohne Portapee and mit Portapee.

This is definately starting to look like that website is a case of mis-information on the internet once again.

Thanks for you help guys, much appreciated.