Fähnlein The Fähnlein ( in Swedish : Fänika ) was a military unit approximately equivalent to the company or battalion which was used in parts of Europe during the Middle Ages . The size of the unit varied , originally a Fähnlein could consist of as many as 1 , 000 soldiers , but numbers were generally less , around 500 . It was sub - divided into sections or " Rotten " ( singular : " Rotte " ) of between 6 and 12 men . Origin and usage . The " Fähnlein " , meaning " small banner " , consisted of small number of soldiers that were organized under a single banner , hence the unit ' s name . " Rotte " comes from the Middle Latin word " rupta " which means " dispersed troop " . The word " company " , which was used throughout Europe , superseded " Fähnlein " in the 17th century , even in German - speaking regions . It was later used by the scouts and Wandervögel as well as by the Deutsches Jungvolk during the Nazi era . " Rotte " was later also used in the organisational structure of the SS and has survived into the Bundeswehr . History . By the Middle Ages , the " Fähnlein " was already the administrative unit with military forces , especially in the infantry . It initially had 400 to 600 men , sometimes up to 1 , 000 . In France it usually consisted of 300 men . Georg von Frundsberg had 380 " Landsknechte " . However , these numbers were target strengths , which were almost never attained . Thus , the actual strength of the French " Fähnlein " for a long time was no more than 100 to 200 men . The regiment s of different armies had very different numbers of " Fähnlein " : The " Fähnlein " consisted of a mix of archers , pikemen and halberdier s . In the 17th century , some " Fähnleins " or " fänikor " would have a strength of only 100 to 200 men , and it was at this time that the designation " company " came into widespread use . Germany . In Germany , a " Fähnlein " was the subordinate formation within a " Landsknecht " regiment . Each " Fähnlein " consisted of several " Rotten " ( singular : " Rotte " ) . As a formed unit , a " Fähnlein " consisted of around 400 " Landsknecht e " , commanded by a captain ( " Feldhauptmann " , " Hauptmann " or " Kapitän " ) . A " Rotte " consisted of eight to twelve " Landsknechten " or six " Doppelsöldner " and was led by a " Rottmeister " . It equates roughly to the modern section or fireteam . At the beginning of the 17th century , i . e . before the Thirty Years ' War a " Fähnlein " in Germany was supposed to have the following strength : Under Charles V the staff of a German " Fähnlein " was as follows : This structure was also called the " prima plana " ( Latin for " first sheet " ) because these appointments were on the first page of the muster list s . Sweden . Roughly the same organization was used in Sweden , where each province raised a number of " fänikor " , which were organized into a provincial regiment . Many of the regiments of the Swedish Army of today trace their origins back to the " fänikor " of the 16th century . The " fänika " was led by a " Kapten " , the equivalent of a Captain . Ensigns . The military rank of " Fähnrich " ( Germany ) or " Fänrik " ( Sweden ) was held by the ensigns or low ranking officer who carried the banner ( German " Fahne " , Swedish " Fana " ) of the " Fähnlein " or " fänika " . The Spanish army has a similar formation called a " Bandera " ( flag , banner ) .