Maat (rank)


Maat is a naval rank of the German Navy equivalent to the army/ air force rank of Unteroffizier. It is grouped as OR5 in NATO, equivalent to Petty officer, second class in the US Navy.
However, Maate is also the collective name to all junior NCO-ranks in the modern day's German Navy.
In navy context NCOs of this rank were formally addressed as Herr/ Frau Maat also informally / short Maat. The sequence of ranks in that particular group is as follows:

Unteroffizier ohne Portepee
The term is derived from the low German māt. Via the Dutch language, the word became a nautical term and described the assistant to a deck officer. Since the second half of the 17th century Maate were the lowest class of non-commissioned officers aboard a warship. In the Prussian Navy and the Kaiserliche Marine Maate were Unteroffiziere ohne Portepee. According to their specialization, Maate would be known as e.g. Steuermannsmaat, Feuerwerksmaat, Bootsmannsmaat or Maschinistenmaat.
Maate were recruited among conscripts who volunteered to serve for a minimum of six years. After approximately four years they could expect to become Maat. Re-enlistment was common but in most specialities the career options would end with achieving the rank of Obermaat; only after 18 years in service was a promotion as supernumary Vizefeldwebel possible, and only if there was a billet open. The 1914/15 naval budget included 7857 billets for Maate and 5237 for Obermaate.

Maat Nazi-Kriegsmarine until 1945

junior rank
Matrosenoberstabsgefreiter

Maat		senior rank
Obermaat

Equivalent in other NATO countries