Minifigure – Artilleristen-Obermaat Naval Artillery Petty Officer German Kriegsmarine (Navy) World War II (LEGO Compatible)

This minifigure represents an Artilleristen-Obermaat, a rank and specialty that translates to a Naval Artillery Petty Officer, serving in the German Kriegsmarine (Navy) during the World War II era. His identity is explicitly confirmed by the text at the bottom of the image.

He is a generic character representing an experienced non-commissioned officer (NCO) with a crucial combat specialty. Naval gunners (Artilleristen) were responsible for operating the wide array of weapons on a warship, from the main cannons on a battleship to the vital anti-aircraft guns. They also manned the large coastal defense batteries.

The items in the picture consist of the detailed minifigure and his rifle:

• The toy minifigure is wearing the dark blue service uniform of a Kriegsmarine sailor but is equipped for a combat station with a Stahlhelm (steel helmet).
• His specialty as an artilleryman is indicated by the “flaming bomb” trade badge printed on his upper left sleeve.
• His rank of Obermaat (equivalent to a Petty Officer First Class) would be displayed on his shoulder boards.
• His weapon accessory is a Karabiner 98k (Kar98k) rifle. While his main duty would be to operate a larger cannon as part of a gun crew, he would also have been trained with and issued a personal rifle.