Generalarzt (short: GenArzt or GA) is the designation of a military rank as well as the official title in German speaking armed forces. It is equivalent to the Admiralarzt / Generalapotheker and Brigadegeneral / Flottillenadmiral .
Generalarzt | |||
Rank insignia | German medical service ranks | ||
Introduction | 1956 | ||
Rank group | Commissioned officers | ||
Army / Air Force | *Generalarzt *Generalapotheker | ||
Navy | * Admiralarzt * Admiralapotheker | ||
Abbreviation | * GenArzt (GA) * GenAp (GAP) * AdmArzt (AA) * AdmAp (AAP) | ||
NATO equivalent | OF-6 | ||
Generalarzt, Admiralarzt and Generalapotheker are the lowest general ranks of the Joint Medical Service or the military medical area of the Bundeswehr .
Promoted to that senior rank might be assignments or appointments as follows:
Equivalent to this one-star rank (NATO-Rangcode OF-6) are Brigadegeneral (en: Brigadier general) of the Heer or Luftwaffe, and the Flottillenadmiral (en: Flotilla admiral) of the Marine.
The manner of formal addressing of military surgeons with the rank Generalarzt (OF6, one-star), Generalstabsarzt (OF7, two stars) or Generaloberstabsarzt is, „Herr/Frau Generalarzt“. At the other hand, military surgeons with the rank Admiralarzt (OF6, one-star), Admiralstabsarzt (OF7, two stars) or Admiraloberstabsarzt is, „Herr/Frau Admiralarzt“. Military persons with the rank Generalapotheker (OF6, one-star), will be addressed „Herr/Frau Generalapotheker“.
On the shoulder straps (Heer, Luftwaffe) there is one golden star in golden oak leaves and the career insignia (de: Laufbahnabzeichen) as symbol of the medical standing, or course of studies. Regarding the Marine, the career insignia is in the middle of both sleeves, tree cm above the cuff strips, and on the shoulder straps between strips and button.
Heer | Luftwaffe | Marine |
---|---|---|
|
|
|
junior rank: Oberstarzt Flottenarzt | German medical officer rank Generalarzt Admiralarzt | senior rank: Generalstabsarzt Admiralstabsarzt |
Generalarzt of the Wehrmacht was comparable to the Generalmajor (OF-6, one star), as well as to the Brigadeführer and Generalmajor of the Waffen-SS.
In line to the so-called Reichsbesoldungsordnung (en: Reich's salary order), appendixes to the Salary law of the German Empire (de: Besoldungsgesetz des Deutschen Reiches) of 1927 [2] (changes 1937 – 1940), the comparative ranks were as follows: C 3
Ranks Wehrmacht until 1945 [3] | Ranks | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Medical service | en translation | Equivalent Heer | en equivalent | |
Generaloberstabsarzt | Senior Staff-Surgeon General | General der Waffengattung | three star rank | OF-8 |
Generalstabsarzt | Staff-Surgeon General | Generalleutnant | two star rank | OF-7 |
Generalarzt | Surgeon General | Generalmajor | one star rank | OF-6 |
Oberstarzt | Colonel (Dr.) | Oberst | Colonel | OF-5 |
Oberfeldarzt | Lieutenant colonel (Dr.) | Oberstleutnant | Lieutenant colonel | OF-4 |
Oberstabsarzt | Major (Dr.) | Major | OF-3 | |
Stabsarzt | Captain (Dr.) | Hauptmann | Captain (army) | OF-2 |
Oberarzt | First lieutenant (Dr.) | Oberleutnant | First lieutenant | OF-1a |
Assistenzarzt | Second lieutenant (Dr.) | Leutnant | Second lieutenant | OF-1b |
Unterarzt | Sergeant 1st Class (Dr.) | Fahnenjunker-Oberfeldwebel | Officer Aspirant | OR-7 [4] |
Feldunterarzt (since 1940) |
Rank designations of the Kriegsmarine as to Match 30, 1934, are contained in the table below.
Ranks Kriegsmarine (medical service) | Ranks | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Medical service | en translation | Equivalent Kriegsmarine | en equivalent | |
Admiraloberstabsarzt | Surgeon general | Admiral (Germany) | three star rank | OF-8 |
Admiralstabsarzt | Rear admiral upper half (Dr.) | Vizeadmiral | two star rank | OF-7 |
Admiralarzt | Rear admiral lower half (Dr.) | Konteradmiral | one star rank | OF-6 |
Flottenarzt | Captain naval (Dr.) | Kapitän zur See | Captain (naval) | OF-5 |
Geschwaderarzt | Commander (Dr.) | Fregattenkapitän | Commander | OF-4 |
Marineoberstabsarzt | Lieutenant commander (Dr.) | Korvettenkapitän | Lieutenant commander | OF-3 |
Marinestabsarzt | Lieutenant naval (Dr.) | Kapitänleutnant | Lieutenant (naval) | OF-2 |
Marineoberarzt | Lieutenant junior grade (Dr.) | Oberleutnant zur See | Lieutenant (junior grade) | OF-1a |
Marineassistenzarzt | Ensign (Dr.) | Leutnant zur See | Ensign | OF-1b |
In Germany before 1933 Generalstabsarzt was normally the chief of the medical service of an Army corps (Corps surgeon, de: Korpsarzt), and in some cases of a Division (Division surgeon, de: Divisionsarzt).
In Prussian Army Generalarzt, in sense of general surgeon as a staff position, was a senior military official (de: oberer Militärbeamter) with a definite rank, in the first instance Major (OF3). Since 1856 he could rise to Oberstleutnant (OF4) or even to Oberst (OF5). Senior Generalstabsärzte were often promoted to Generalmajor. [5]
Equivalent authority, mandate and competence were with the Admiralarzt of the Imperial German Navy. Regular assignments to that staff position were the Medical Offices on Baltic Sea and North Sea, e.g. Kiel and Wilhelmshaven. An Admiralarzt of the Navy's Medical corps could normally be promoted up to the OF5-rank Kapitän zur See.
Konteradmiral is a senior naval flag officer rank in several German-speaking countries, equivalent to counter or rear admiral.
Vizeadmiral is a senior naval flag officer rank in several German-speaking countries, equivalent to Vice admiral.
Flotilla admiral is the lowest flag rank, a rank above captain, in the modern navies of Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Sweden and Lithuania. It corresponds to the rank of commodore in the navies of the United Kingdom and certain other countries or rear admiral in the navy of the United States.
Brigadegeneral is the Germanic variant of Brigadier general.
Kommodore was the highest senior officer rank in the German Kriegsmarine, comparable to commodore in anglophone naval forces. There was no counterpart in the German Heer and Luftwaffe, but Kommodore would have been comparable to Oberführer in the Waffen-SS.
Korvettenkapitän is the lowest ranking senior officer in a number of Germanic-speaking navies.
Fregattenkapitän is the middle ranking senior officer in a number of Germanic-speaking navies.
Admiral, short Adm, is the most senior flag officer rank in the German Navy. It is equivalent to general in the German Army or German Air Force. In the Central Medical Services there is no equivalent. In the German Navy Admiral is, as in many navies, a four-star rank with a NATO code of OF-9. The most recent officer of the German Navy to hold the rank is Admiral Joachim Rühle, who serves as Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) in Mons, Belgium since 2020.
General is the highest rank of the German Army and German Air Force. As a four-star rank it is the equivalent to the rank of admiral in the German Navy.
Generalstabsarzt and Admiralstabsarzt are in the German armed forces the rank designations of the second highest grade of the generals rank group.
Oberstarzt (OTA) is a military rank in German speaking armed forces. It denotes a medical staff officer surgeon or medical staff officer dentist and is comparable to Colonel (de: Oberst) or Captain (naval) (de: Kapitän zur See) NATO-Rangcode OF5 in anglophone armed forces.
The rank insignia of the federal armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany indicate rank and branch of service in the German Army, German Air Force, or the German Navy.
Oberstabsarzt is a military rank in German speaking armed force. It describes a medical staff officer surgeon or medical staff officer dentist comparable to major or lieutenant commander NATO-Rangcode OF3 in anglophone armed forces.
Generaloberstabsarzt and Admiraloberstabsarzt are the top Joint Medical Service OF8-ranks of the German Bundeswehr. The equivalent to this ranks in the Heer is Generalleutnant and in the German Navy the Vizeadmiral.
Oberfeldarzt is a military rank in German speaking armed forces. It denotes a medical staff officer surgeon or medical staff officer dentist and is comparable in rank to lieutenant colonel or (naval) commander NATO-Rangcode OF4 in anglophone armed forces.
Stabsarzt, in English Staff Surgeon, is a military commissioned officer rank in German speaking armed forces. In the German Bundeswehr and the former Wehrmacht and Reichswehr, it describes a qualified or licensed surgeon or dentist who practises military medicine, with a rank equal to captain in the army and the air force or lieutenant in the navy. In the Austrian and Swiss armies, the rank is Hauptmann.
Oberarzt, literally meaning "senior physician," in English known as first lieutenant (Dr.), was a military commissioned officer rank in the Austro-Hungarian Common Army until 1918, and in the German Reichswehr and Wehrmacht until 1945.
Assitenzarzt was a military rank in the Austrian-Hungary Common Army until 1918 and in German Reichswehr and Wehrmacht until 1945.
Unterarzt was a military rank in the German Reichswehr and Wehrmacht until 1945.
Feldunterarzt was a military rank in the German Wehrmacht until 1945. It was established additional to the Unterarzt July 25, 1940. Uniform and shoulder board were identical to the Fahnenjunker-Oberfeldwebel (Oberfähnrich), however without the double unterofficer galloons. The Gothic letter A between the two silver felwebel stars indicated the membership to the Military Medical Academy in Berlin. The Feldunterarzt was an officer aspirant in the Military Health Service.