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Originally Posted by frau kaleun
Edit: not to be confused with the designation "Nummer Eins," often used to refer to the ship's Bootsmann, a (relatively high-ranking) non-commissioned officer who had responsibility over the enlisted men in matters of day-to-day operations and discipline.
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And that can be confusing because in the Royal Navy 'Number One' refers to the First Lieutenant, or First Mate, also the equivalent of the American 'XO'.
In the US Navy some quirk of etymology eliminated the 'Boatswain' (pronounce "Bosun" - the German 'Bootsmann') from the picture altogether. There are 'Boatswain's Mates', but the senior of them is the 'Chief Boatwain's Mate', never a Bosun himself. But what makes it confusing to an American is that the Chief Of the Boat, or COB, is called "Chief", the translation given to the LI in
Das Boot. And the 1WO is translated as "Number One" in the movie, whereas in the book that title was appropriately given to the senior enlisted man.
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Originally Posted by ETR3(SS)
Just like to point out that those aren't US Navy ranks but more of a translation. They look like British ranks to me.
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Yes, those are without question RN ranks, not US. Funny thing is that when I was in (1970) we did have Warrant Officers, since to a Chief Petty Officer the rank of Ensign could hardly be considered a step up.