Deck officer

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The deck officer is a rank of naval rank immediately behind the naval officers (Kriegsmarine) or ship officers (merchant navy). The vice deck officer was a specialty : he was a candidate reserve officer in the Imperial Navy in Germany . Since 1916, the deck officer, as an officer without a patent, was the equivalent of the sergeant-major .

Often emerging from the simple career of sailors, he advises the captain or the other officers entrusted with the management of the ship as a specialist in his field. Typical positions include the position of helmsman , boatswain , fireworker (ship artilleryman), machinist , mechanic , material manager or torpedo ( torpedo expert).

The post of deck officer was already known in the Middle Ages. In Germany , the deck officers formed their own class from the mid-19th century to 1938, which internationally corresponded to the rank group of warrant officers . Today's German Navy does not know the deck officer.

history

Prussian Navy and Imperial Navy

In the Prussian Navy , the deck officers were grouped together in their own rank class in 1860, which, like the Warrant Officers of the Royal Navy , stood between the NCOs ( mates and sergeants ) and the naval officers . The deck officers of the Imperial Navy were divided into deck officers and upper deck officers. By skipping the rank of Portepee NCOs (sergeant, sergeant), suitable upper mates could immediately move up to deck officers. The prerequisite was attending the deck officers' school in Berlin; Fireworkers received their training at the Oberfeuerwerkerschule in Berlin. The address of the deck and upper deck officers followed their career (e.g. "Mr. Machinist", "Mr. Obersteuermann").

In a few careers, the upper deck officers were able to become professional officers. The fireworks, equipment and torpedo officers complemented each other from the chief fireworks, Oberzeugfeldwebeln and upper torpedoes. The ranks of fireworks and armaments captain, premier lieutenant and lieutenant or Torpeder captain lieutenant, lieutenant and sub-lieutenant (since 1899: captain, lieutenant, lieutenant) could be reached. In individual cases, a special distinction was the dismissal as a characterized fireworks captain, etc. (= Corvette captain retired, but without his pension entitlement).

The machine and torpedo engineer corps was complemented by the chief machinists and upper torpedo mechanics until 1903. The former had z. B. to complete at least 2 years of seafaring time as a senior watch machinist, including 10 months on an ironclad, and to pass the officers' examination before a possible promotion. The officers were then elected ( co-optation ) by the naval officer and mechanical engineer corps on site. Achievable ranks were mechanical (or Torpeder) senior engineer, engineer and sub-engineer (since 1899: staff engineer, senior engineer and engineer).

Since 1903, however, the career of mechanical and Torpeder engineers was reserved for graduates of the marine engineering school founded in 1901; Upper deck officers were now denied further career advancement. At the same time, the name of the machine engineer corps was changed to the marine engineer corps.

With the establishment of sea aviation departments in the First World War , a separate sea aviation career was established. Teams were able to advance to flight mate and chief flight mate and further to the deck officer ranks of flight master and chief flight master through their career as a sailor. (A separate naval officer corps was not established, so flying naval officers traded as officers of the sea or officers of the naval artillery.)

A special feature presented the Vice-cover officers . Up 1893 Vice midshipmen called (after passing the exam officer UMG. Also Vice-Saber Cadet ), they were cadets of the reserve. They ranked between the sergeants and the deck officers (as vice-sea cadets, however, until 1893 before the vice-sergeants / vice-sergeants, but behind the regular sergeants / sergeants and the saber cadets / since 1899: saber ensigns ). A reserve officer career was possible in the seafaring service (vice helmsman), in the naval artillery (vice fireworker) and as a marine engineer (vice machinist). Since November 1, 1915, appointments to the position of vice-flight master have been possible in the seaplane departments. Since there was no naval officer corps, promotion to flying reserve officer took place via a different career path, i.e. H. from deputy pilot to lieutenant d. R. of the naval artillery.

Badge of rank Imperial Navy

  • Deck officer

  • Upper deck officer

  • Deck officers as
    deputy officers

Reichsmarine and Kriegsmarine

In 1920 the Reichsmarine (renamed the Kriegsmarine in 1935 ) took over the establishment of the deck officers (like the officers with a minimum period of service of 25 years), but failed to add to the staff. They continued to form an independent class of rank, but were subject to the provisions relating to NCOs with portepee in military criminal law. By 1935, the majority of the deck and upper deck officers should have left the service.

By order of July 13, 1938, the deck officers who had passed were to be led with the rank of Oberfeldwebels or Oberwachtmeisters . The classification as a staff sergeant (rank introduced on October 1, 1938) or as a senior officer (renaming of the rank of staff sergeant with a ruling of February 16, 1939) may be considered likely. At the beginning of the Second World War , the former deck officers, if they were still fit for duty, were called up again as lieutenants of the relevant officer career.

Federal Navy and People's Navy

The GDR's Federal Navy and People's Navy did not take over the rank of deck officers. In the German Navy, the “boatswain” could be used as a general rank designation for the Portepee NCOs of all careers, in the People's Navy the “master” replaced the common name in the Reichsmarine and Kriegsmarine as “Sergeant”. In today's German Navy, the regulations on the careers of the former German Navy are continued.

Dress code

In the Imperial Navy , the uniform of the deck officers corresponded to the officers' pattern, but without their shoulder pieces and sleeve strips. In addition, they differed from those of the crew overcoats and the flatter peaked cap (exception: vice deck officers: officer's overcoat and officer's cap). The large gala uniform with a two-pointed hat ( two-masted ) was reserved for the officers, as were the epaulettes and the silver sash, instead of which the deck officers put on the buckle made of black moiré ribbon with a circular metal clasp.

The armpit flaps were made from the basic cloth of the uniform, on which the career badge (e.g. unclear anchor for boatmen, cogwheel for machinists), depending on the career path, in gold or silver metal, with the upper deck officer additionally with an imperial crown placed over it. The armpit flaps of the vice-deck officer were edged with gold braid, plus the career badge without an imperial crown. Deck officers as deputy officers marked gold braids on both sides of the armpit tabs. The deck officer lieutenants and deck officer engineers introduced in January 1916 could be identified with the deck officer career badge on the silver, black and red interwoven armpits, except for the naval officer or naval engineer cap; On the sides of the collar they carried a small gilded imperial crown with crown ribbons.

Up until 1919, departed deck officers were required to wear a silver, black-and-red cord on the lower end of the armpit flaps. It was then replaced by a 1 cm wide gold braid across the armpit flaps.

On the cuffs were three buttons with anchor embossing in a horizontal arrangement. The officer's cockade was worn on the peaked cap, but instead of the oak leaf wreath with an imperial crown placed over it.

In the Reichsmarine 4 cm shoulder pieces made of blue-silver plaited cord were in use. The inner mesh consisted of two dark blue edged cords with a silver cord between them; the border formed a double-laid dark blue edging cord, occasionally blue-silver edging cords were also used here. The pad was made of navy blue cloth or field gray for the field gray uniform. In the middle of the shoulder pieces, the deck officer wore the gold-plated career badge of the Portepee NCOs, and underneath a gold-plated star of rank. The upper deck officer also wore a second star at the top of the shoulder boards.

The blue peaked cap (with a black peak and leather chinstrap) belonged to the blue on-board uniform of the deck officers and was worn uniformly by all ranks, including the admirals, from the Portepee NCOs upwards. From July 1, 1936 on, the deck officers took over the new officer's cap, which was introduced in the Navy on that date , the brim of which was now bordered with gold embroidery .

In addition to the field gray (country) uniform, the deck officers had already been granted officer's headgear on July 1, 1933 at the same time as the introduction of the silver cap cord (instead of the black storm strap). The deck officers put on the embroidered collar flaps and the officers' brown leather gear to go with the field gray uniform.

The 4 cm shoulder pieces had been made of blue-silver plaited cord since 1933. The inner mesh consisted of two dark blue edged cords with a silver cord between them; the border formed a double-laid dark blue edging cord, occasionally blue-silver edging cords were also used here. The pad was made of navy blue cloth or field gray for the field gray uniform. The deck officer wore a star on his shoulder pieces and a career badge above it; the upper deck officer had two gold-plated stars with the also gold-plated career badge of the portepee sergeants in between.

On the sleeves one or two narrow stripes made of gold or silver braid, above the sewn-on career badge in metal embroidery. The large uniform, epaulettes and sash remained the privilege of the officers.

See also

German naval history , ranks of the Imperial Navy

literature

  • Karl Schlawe: The German Navy in its current uniform. Moritz Ruhl Verlag, Leipzig 1913.
  • Adolf Schlicht, John R. Angolia: The German Wehrmacht. Uniforms and equipment 1933-1945. Stuttgart 1995. ISBN 3-613-01656-7 .

Web links

Wiktionary: Deck officer  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations