Bootsmann

The German term Bootsmann translates to Boatswain, i.e. the senior crewman of the deck department.

Bootsmann
shoulder board / cuff title / mounting loop
Rank insignia	German NCO rank
Introduction	1955
Rank group	Non-commissioned officers
Navy	Bootsmann
Army / Air Force	Feldwebel
NATO equivalent	OR-6
Navy	Petty Officer First Class Petty Officer

In a military context, Bootsmann (Btsm or B) is the lowest Portepeeunteroffizier (NCO with portepeé) rank in the German Navy. It belongs to the particular rank group Senior NCOs with port épée. It is grouped as OR6 in NATO, equivalent to Petty Officer First Class in the US Navy, and to Petty Officer in the British Royal Navy.

In navy context NCOs of this rank were formally addressed as Herr Bootsmann also informally / short Bootsmann.

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

• OR-9: Oberstabsbootsmann / Oberstabsfeldwebel
• OR-8: Stabsbootsmann / Stabsfeldwebel
• OR-7: Hauptbootsmann / Hauptfeldwebel
• OR-6a: Oberbootsmann / Oberfeldwebel
• OR-6b: Bootsmann / Feldwebel

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

junior Rank Obermaat	(German NCO rank) Bootsmann	senior Rank Oberbootsmann

See also

Main articles: Ranks of the German Bundeswehr and Rank insignia of the German Bundeswehr

Main article: Ranks and insignia of NATO navies enlisted

Equivalent in other NATO countries

• – Maître
• – Petty Officer 2nd Class
• – Narednik
• – no equivalent
• – Maître
• – Κελευστής Kelefstis
• – no equivalent
• – secondo capo
• – Sergeant (Navy)
• – no equivalent
• – Starszy bosman
• – Segundo-sargento
• – Sargento
• – RN: Petty Officer; RMC: Sergeant
• – USN: Petty Officer First Class; USMC: Staff Sergeant

Other countries

These names were adopted for the Russian Navy as боцман and боцманмат by Peter the Great, among many other Prussian and Holland military ranks; they were initially treated as positions rather than ranks.

References

• Schult, J. Segler-Lexikon. (in German). p. 61.
• "Oekonomische Encyklopädie von J. G. Krünitz (1773 bis 1858)" (in German). University of Trier.