From the 18th century, Gefreiters were the first line members of a military company, and every Gefreiter lead and commanded a section or squad of Ge­mei­ne (Ordinary-rank soldiers), the rank existed in the Cavalry, Infantry, Pioneer, and Artillery where the Gefreiter rank received a greater rank-class status. Gefreiter was the only enlisted rank up until 1918 within the Royal Prussian Army and respectively the imperial army of the German Empire to which an exceptional enlisted soldier could be promoted on the recommendation of the Hauptmann (Captain) or Rittmeister (Cavalry-Master otherwise Captain) and ultimately endorsed by the Regiments-Commandeur (Regimental Colonel), with exception of the rank Obergefreiter (since 1859) in the foot artillery which later replaced the artillery Bombardi