Adjutant vs. Executive Officer

What was the difference between these 2 position within a battalion or regiment of the German (or American) army? What were the typical wartime duties of each? Officers filling these positions usually held what rank?

Thank you in advance for your consideration and for your replies.

 

So whats the difference between Adjutant and an Aid or batman?

 

An Adjutant was normally an assistant to a Commanding officer. An Executive Officer in the US model was normally the second-in-command. The Adjutant was generally there to assist the Co or XO/2inC as required. Aides I think you would only find with General officers in both the German and US structures.

Batman was the Other Ranks chap to help the officer (sometimes referred to as the officer's servant) and technically every British commissioned officer was entitled to such. While the term doesn't exist in US and German formats for those higher up the food chain there was someone who undertook similar duties. British and Commonwealth batman duties also included being runners or working the No.38 set in Rifle Platoons, and latterly many multi-tasked as drivers.

Gary

 

Executive officer pretty much as explained above. The Adjutant was more like a personal assistant or personal manager. Kept the senior officer on task and on schedule plus handled any transportation or event details. The higher up the senior officer is in rank, the more staff the adjutant had. A batman was more like a valet. Responsible for the officer's personal effects and lodgings.

 

A British battalion or regimental commander could call on the second in command, adjutant, quartermaster and Intelligence officers as battalion staff There might be other officers at battalion HQ to help keep watch.

In the field the Adjutant issued the orders. That is the same was with the German Army

The battalion staff mirrored the staff functions in higher formations.

Besides being the space CO, the 2IC also functioned as an operations staff officer (G3), but in battle his job was to be nowhere close to the CO.

The Adjutant was head of administration (G1), but in battle would be the G3 Ops - control station on the battalion command net The Intelligence officer - int and security (G2) and the Quartermaster Logistics (G4)

 

At the battalion and regiment level the executive officer supervises the staff and the headquarters, but in practice can have wider responsibilities such as taking command of a portion of the battalion or regiment for operations. On a ship the XO will have more operational involvement throughout the ship.

 

Executive officer is the 2nd in command
Adjutant is the commanding officer's secretary (administrative assistant). Does all the paperwork for the commanding officer.
Batman, a British position, is the enlisted soldier who tends to the needs of the officer. This includes cleaning the clothes, digging his foxhole and other menial chores that would draw the officer away from his duty of commanding. Crack! and Thump is by an American officer who was detailed to the British Army. He learned the advantage of having a batman from them.