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, 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.

from 1956



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] (Naval cadet)
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

Fähnrich (NPA)

The rank name Fähnrich was in use in East Germany NPA as a direct counterpart from the Soviet Praporshchik rank.

Fahnenjunker until 1945

Fähnrich with Portepee

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

to 1945	Heer and Luftwaffe					Kriegsmarine			Waffen-SS

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

Fähnrich in Austria

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

Paroli

Rank description	Kadett-Offizierstellvertreter	Fähnrich
(Hungarian)	(Hadapród-Tiszthelyettes)	(Zászlós)

References

Langenscheidt´s Encyclopaedic Dictionary of the English and German language: „Der Große Muret-Sander“, Part II German-English, Second Volume L–Z, 8th edition 1999, ISBN 3-468-01126-1; p. 1.381
The abbreviation "OF" stands for de: "Offizier / en: officer / fr: officier / ru: офицер"

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[1] Langenscheidt´s Encyclopaedic Dictionary of the English and German language: „Der Große Muret-Sander“, Part II German-English, Second Volume L–Z, 8th edition 1999, ISBN 3-468-01126-1; p. 1.381

[NATO1-2] The abbreviation "OF" stands for de: "Offizier / en: officer / fr: officier / ru: офицер"