Fähnrich
| Fähnrich | |
|---|---|
  Heer and Luftwaffe shoulder insignia | |
| Country |  Germany |
| Service branch |  German Army German Air Force |
| Abbreviation | Fähnr |
| Rank | German NCO rank |
| NATO rank code | OR-6 |
| Non-NATO rank | E-6 |
| Formation | 1956 |
| Next higher rank | Oberfähnrich |
| Next lower rank | Fahnenjunker |
| Equivalent ranks | Fähnrich zur See |
Fähnrich (German pronunciation: [ˈfɛːnʁɪç]) is an officer candidate rank in the Austrian Bundesheer and German Bundeswehr. The word Fähnrich comes from an older German military title, Fahnenträger (flag bearer), and first became a distinct military rank in Germany on 1 January 1899. However, Fähnrich ranks are often incorrectly compared with the rank of ensign,[citation needed] which shares a similar etymology but is a full-fledged (albeit junior) commissioned officer rank.
In the German Landsknecht armies, recorded from ca. 1480, the equivalent rank of a Cornet existed. The cornet carried the troop standard, known as a "cornet".
The rank also exists in a few other European military organizations, often with historical ties to the German system. Examples are the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland (see Fänrik). The French Army has a similar position called an Aspirant.
In the Finnish landforces and airforce, Vänrikki (Fänrik) is the lowest commissioned officer rank, which is granted to the soldiers in the national service on the day they are released from their 347-day service. Finnish Vänrikki are thus of equal rank to the German lieutenant (also a platoon leader).
Germany[]
Bundeswehr[]
A Fähnrich of the Bundeswehr is a soldier who serves in the ranks, first as Fahnenjunker (OR-5, comparable to the junior non-commissioned officer rank Unteroffizier), then in subsequent grades: Fähnrich (OR-6, equivalent to Feldwebel), and Oberfähnrich (OR-7 equivalent to Hauptfeldwebel).
In the German Bundeswehr, an officer candidate (German: Offiziersanwärter) can reach the rank of Fähnrich after 21 months of service. The German Navy equivalent is Ensign at sea" (German: Fähnrich zur See).
An officer candidate's career is indicated by the enlisted rank with a thin silver cord on the shoulder strap.
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| Distinction | Oberfähnrich (Senior cadet sergeant) |
Fähnrich (Cadet sergeant) |
Fahnenjunker (Officer cadet senior grade) |
Oberfähnrich (Senior aviation cadet) |
Fähnrich (Aviation cadet) |
Fahnenjunker (Officer cadet senior grade) |
Oberfähnrich zur See (Senior midshipman) |
Fähnrich zur See (Midshipman) |
Seekadett[1]
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| Rangcode | (OR-7) | (OR-6) | (OR-5) | (OR-7) | (OR-6) | (OR-5) | (OR-7) | (OR-6) | (OR-5) | ||
| NATO | Cadet sergeant | Midshipman | |||||||||
| USAF | Aviation cadet auch Warrant Officer | ||||||||||
| RAF | Acting pilot officer | ||||||||||
National People's Army[]
The rank name Fähnrich was in use in East Germany NPA as a direct counterpart from the Soviet Praporshchik rank.
Fahnenjunker until 1945[]
The status of an officer aspirant career (de: Offizier-Anwärter - OA) in the Wehrmacht (Heer and Luftwaffe), as well as Waffen-SS, was indicated by additional two parallel silver braids as on the appropriate rank shoulder board.
- Wehrmacht (Heer, Luftwaffe)
In Heer and Luftwaffe there were five appropriate officer dedicated ranks:
- Fahnenjunker-Unteroffizier, equivalent to Unteroffizier (OR5b), additionally with two parallel braids
- Fahnenjunker-Unterfeldwebel, equivalent to Unterfeldwebel (OR5a), additionally with two parallel braids
- Fahnenjunker-Feldwebel, equivalent to Feldwebel (OR6), additionally with two parallel braids
- Fahnenjunker-Oberfedwebel, equivalent to Oberfeldwebel (OR7), additionally with two parallel braids
- Fahnenjunker-Strabsfedwebel, equivalent to Stabsfeldwebel (OR8), additionally with two parallel braids
- Wehrmacht (Kriegsmarine)
Until 1945 in the Kriegsmarine there were two appropriate officer dedicated ranks:
- Fähnrich zur See, equivalent to Bootsmann (OR6), without the Bootsmann star
- Oberfähnrich zur See, equivalent to Oberbootsmann (OR7), with two golden officer stars
Both officer aspirant ranks wore additionally on the lower end of the sleeves of the uniform jacket the golden five-pointed naval star, typically to navy officers.
- Waffen-SS
Officer aspirant of the Waffen-SS were called Führer-Anwärter (short: FA). There were four appropriate ranks.
- SS-Junker, equivalent to SS-Unterscharführer (OR5b), additionally with two parallel braids
- SS-Oberjunker, equivalent to SS-Scharführer (OR5a), additionally with two parallel braids
- SS-Standartenjunker, equivalent to SS-Oberscharführer (OR6), additionally with two parallel braids
- SS-Oberstandartenjunker, equivalent to SS-Hauptscharführer (OR7), additionally with two parallel braids
Table[]
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| Distinction | Fahnenjunker- Stabsfeldwebel (Cadet Stabsfeldwebel) |
Fahnenjunker- Oberfeldwebel (Cadet Oberfeldwebel) |
Fahnenjunker- Feldwebel (Cadet Feldwebel) |
Fahnenjunker- Unterfeldwebel (Cadet Unterfeldwebel) |
Fahnenjunker- Unteroffizier (Cadet Unteroffizier) |
Sleeve insignia Oberfähnrich zur See Fähnrich zur See |
Oberfähnrich zur See (Senior midshipman) |
Fähnrich zur See (Midshipman) |
collar insignia to all FA ranks |
SS-Standarten- oberjunker |
SS-Standarten- junker |
SS-Oberjunker | SS-Junker |
Austria[]
Austrian Bundesheer[]
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| Rank insignia | Austrian Bundesheer | ||
| Introduction | ca. 1955 | ||
| Rank group | Officers | ||
| Army / Air Force | Fähnrich | ||
| Navy | no equivalent | ||
| Lower: Higher: |
Vizeleutnant | ||
| Leutnant | |||
| NATO equivalent |
OF-1c[2] | ||
Fähnrich, short Fhr, is the lowest rank of the commissioned officers CO rank group (also rank group: Officers) in the Austrian Bundesheer.
Austria-Hungaria (until 1918)[]
Fähnrich was the lowest officer rank in the k.u.k. Common Army. In 1838 it was renamed to Unterleutnant 2. Gebürnisklasse, from 1849 to Unterleutnant 2. Klasse, since 1868 to Unterleutnant, and finally approximately from 1868 to Leutnant. In 1908 Fähnrich was re-introduced as lowest cadet-officer rank in order to replace the 1869 rank designation Kadett-Offiziersstellvertreter. Fähnrich, Kadett-Offiziersstellvertreter respectively completed training and education on the less famous so-called k.u.k. Kadettenschule. As the Kadett-Offiziersstellvertreter was the highest NCO-rank, became Fähnrich a separate rank-class. However, graduates from the much more famous Militärakademie became the officer patent for Leutnant.
In the k.u. Royal Hungarian Honvéd army Zászlós was the equivalent to the Fähnrich rank. It accounted immediately to the officer corps.
| Designation | Cadet officer-deputy until 1908 | Fähnrich 1908-1918 | ||
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| Rank description | Kadett-Offizierstellvertreter | Fähnrich | ||
| (Hungarian) | (Hadapród-Tiszthelyettes) | (Zászlós) | ||
References[]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to SVG military rank insignia of the Bundeswehr (Fähnrich). |
- Military ranks of Austria
- Military ranks of Germany