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Generalstabsarzt and Admiralstabsarzt are "two-star" ranks and the second highest ranks in the medical service of the German Bundeswehr. Equivalent ranks in the Heer are Generalmajor and in the MarineKonteradmiral.
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Rank insignia | German medical service ranks | ||
Introduction | |||
Rank group | Commissioned officers | ||
Navy | AdmStArzt(ASA) | ||
Army / Air Force | GenStArzt(GSA) | ||
NATO equivalent | OF-7 | ||
US Army/Air Force | Assistant Surgeon General | ||
US Navy | Deputy Surgeon General | ||
Generalstabsarzt and Admiralstabsarzt are the second highest ranks of the Joint Medical Service of the Bundeswehr. Normally the deputy inspector of the medical service (Stellvertretender Inspekteur des Sanitätsdienstes) is assigned this rank, as is the commander of the Bundeswehr Medical Academy.
Military surgeons with the rank Generalstabsarzt are addressed "Herr Generalarzt" if male, or "Frau Generalarzt" if female. Naval military surgeons with the rank Admiralstabsarzt are addressed "Herr Admiralarzt" or "Frau Admiralarzt", depending on the gender of the person addressed.
Rank insignia are modified forms of the shoulder straps for major generals, two golden stars surrounded by golden oak leaves, with the addition of a rod of Asclepius. This career insignia (Laufbahnabzeichen), as symbol of medical status or course of studies, is placed above the stars. In the navy, the career insignia is placed three centimeters above the cuff stripes on both sleeves and on the shoulder straps between the stripes of the rank and the button.
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Junior rank Generalarzt Admiralarzt | ![]() German medical officer rank Generalstabsarzt Admiralstabsarzt | Senior rank Generaloberstabsarzt Admiraloberstabsarzt |
Generalstabsarzt of the Wehrmacht was comparable to the Generalleutnant, as well as to the Gruppenführer and Generalleutnant of the Waffen-SS.
In line with the Reich's salary order (Reichsbesoldungsordnung) and appendices to the salary law of the Reich (Besoldungsgesetz des Deutschen Reiches) of 1927 [2] (with changes 1937–1940), the comparative ranks were as follows:
Wehrmacht ranks [3] | ![]() Ranks | |||
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Medical service | English translation | Equivalent Heer | English 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 on 30 March 1934 are contained in the table below.
Kriegsmarine ranks | ![]() Ranks | |||
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Medical service | English translation | Equivalent Kriegsmarine | English 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 Prussia and Bavaria surgeon general of the army (Generalstabsarzt der Armee) was an appointment and the official title of the head of the entire military medical service. Officers assigned to this staff position could rise in rank up to Generalleutnant (OF-7).
Until 1856 the Generalstabsarzt of the Prussian Army could be promoted to colonel (Oberst). From then on he could rise to Generalmajor, and from 1873 to Generalleutnant. At the same time the Generalstabsarzt was chief of the medical department of the Prussian Ministry of War and chief of the medical corps. He was also superior to a Generalarzt.
Equivalent authority, mandate and competence was with the Generalstabsarzt of the Imperial German Navy. He was chief of the medical division in the German Imperial Naval Office and chief of the navy's medical corps as well.
In the Common Army there were two regular Generalstabsarzt staff positions established. One was chief of the medical division of the Reichskriegsministerium and chief of the military surgeon officer corps. The second was Praeses of the military medical committee. This rank was comparable to the Generalmajor of the Common Army.
In some cases a surgeon general of a corps (Generalkommando) could be promoted to the rank of Generalstabsarzt.
Ranks of the Common Army | ![]() Ranks | |||
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Medical service | English translation | Equivalent Heer | English translation | |
Generalstabsarzt | Staff-Surgeon General | Generalmajor | Major general | OF-6 |
Oberstabsarzt I. Klasse | Colonel (Dr. 1st class) | Oberst | Colonel | OF-5 |
Oberstabsarzt II. Klasse | Lieutenant colonel (Dr. 2nd class) | Oberstleutnant | Lieutenant colonel | OF-4 |
Stabsarzt | Major (Dr.) | Major | OF-3 | |
Regimentsarzt I. Klasse | Captain (Dr. 1st class) | Hauptmann | Captain | OF-2 |
Regimentsarzt II. Klasse | Captain (Dr. 2nd class) | |||
Oberarzt | First lieutenant (Dr.) | Oberleutnant | First lieutenant | OF-1a |
Assistenzarzt | Second lieutenant (Dr.) | Leutnant | Second lieutenant | OF-1b |
Konteradmiral is a senior naval flag officer rank in several German-speaking countries, equivalent to counter or rear admiral.
Generalmajor is the Germanic variant of major general, used in a number of Central and Northern European countries.
Generalleutnant is the German-language variant of lieutenant general, used in some German speaking countries.
Unteroffizier is a junior non-commissioned officer rank used by the Bundeswehr. It is also the collective name for all non-commissioned officers in Austria and Germany. It was formerly a rank in the Imperial Russian Army.
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.
Korvettenkapitän is the lowest ranking senior officer in a number of Germanic-speaking navies.
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.
In the German military, Waffenfarbe is a visual method that the armed forces use to distinguish between different corps or troop functions in its armed services. The Waffenfarbe itself can take the form of the color of the collar patch, of the piping (embellishment) around the shoulder boards or shoulder marks, or—for enlisted ranks—of the piping around the collar and the garrison cap (Schiffchen).
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 Heer as the German army and part of the Wehrmacht inherited its uniforms and rank structure from the Reichsheer of the Weimar Republic (1921–1935). There were few alterations and adjustments made as the army grew from a limited peacetime defense force of 100,000 men to a war-fighting force of several million men.
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.
Generalarzt 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.
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.