Generaloberstabsarzt

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.

This article is about the German Generaloberstabsarzt OF-8. For the equivalent US rank, see Surgeon General of the United States Army.

Generaloberstabsarzt Admiraloberstabsarzt
Navy and Army insignia
Country	Germany
Service branch	German Army  German Navy  German Air Force
Abbreviation	GenOStArzt (Army & Air force) AdmOStArzt (Navy)
Rank	German medical service rank
NATO rank	OF-8
Next higher rank	None
Next lower rank	Generalstabsarzt Admiralstabsarzt

Bundeswehr

In accordance with traditions in German armed forces, both ranks might be used in Bundeswehr medical service. Normally the Bundeswehr Surgeon General of the medical service (de: Inspekteur des Sanitätsdienstes), or the Chief of Medical Operation´s Command (de: Kommandeur Sanitätsführungskommando) might be assigned. However, in future the Chief position might remain vacant, because the Deputy Surgeon General is mandated to command the Medical Operation´s Command.

Equivalent to that three-star ranks (NATO-Rangcode OF-8) are Generalleutnant (en: Lieutenant general) of the Heer or Luftwaffe, and the Vizeadmiral (en: Vice admiral) of the Marine.

Address

The manner of formal addressing of military surgeons with the rank Generalarzt (OF-6, one-star rank), Generalstabsarzt (OF-7, two-star rank) or Generaloberstabsarzt is, „Herr/Frau Generalarzt“. At the other hand, military surgeons with the rank Admiralarzt (OF-6, one-star rank), Admiralstabsarzt (OF-7, two-star rank) or Admiraloberstabsarzt is, „Herr/Frau Admiralarzt“.

Rank insignias

On the shoulder straps (Heer, Luftwaffe) there are three golden stars 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, three centimeters above the cuff strips, and on the shoulder straps between strips and button.

junior Rank Generalstabsarzt Admiralstabsarzt	German medical officer rank Generaoberstabsarzt Admiraloberstabsarzt	senior Rank no

Generalober­stabsarzt (Human medicine) Generalober­stabsarzt (Dental medicine)	Generalober­stabsarzt (Human medicine) Generalober­stabsarzt (field uniform)	Admiralober­stabsarzt (Human medicine) Mounting loop

Wehrmacht

Senior Staff-Surgeon General Generaloberstabsarzt (GenOStArzt)
Arabesque (until 1944)[1] shoulder board
Country	Nazi Germany
Service branch	German Army
Rank	Three-star
NATO rank	OF-8
Next higher rank	None
Next lower rank	Generalstabsarzt
Equivalent ranks	See list

The General of the branch grade Generaloberstabsarzt was the most senior ranks of the medical service of the German Wehrmacht 1933 to 1945.

Siegfried Handloser was assigned to Generaloberstabsarzt of the German Wehrmacht. He was simultaneous "Chief of the Wehrmacht´s Medical Service in Supreme Command of the Wehrmacht" (de: Chef des Wehrmachtsanitätswesens im Oberkommando der Wehrmacht) as to July 28,. 1942. Curt Schulze was Generaloberstabveterinär of the Wehrmacht.

Comparative ranks

Generaloberstabsarzt of the Wehrmacht was comparable to the General of the branch (OF8, tree stars), as well as to the Obergruppenführer and General 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 1

• General of the branch (Heer and Luftwaffe)
• Admiral (Kriegsmarine)
• Generaloberstabsarzt, from 1934 (medical service of the Wehrmacht)
• Generaloberstabsveterinär, from 1934 (veterinarian service of the Wehrmacht)

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 (Oberfähnrich)	Officer Aspirant	OR-7[4]
Feldunterarzt (from 1940)

See also main article

Ranks and insignia of the German Army (1935–1945)

Kriegsmarine

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

Other armed forces

Stars, shoulder strap, and cuff stripes of a US Surgeon General

• Surgeon General of the United States
• Surgeon General (Canada)
• Surgeon-General (United Kingdom)
• Chief Medical Officer (Ireland)
• Chief Medical Officer (United Kingdom)

Relevant literature

• Neumann, Alexander: Arzttum ist immer Kämpfertum - Die Heeressanitätsinspektion und das Amt "Chef des Wehrmachtsanitätswesens" im Zweiten Weltkrieg (1939-1945), 2005. ISBN 3-7700-1618-1
• Süß, Winfried: Der "Völkskörper" im Krieg: Gesundheitspolitik, Gesundheitsverhältnisse und Krankenmord im nationalsozialistischen Deutschland 1939–1945, 2003. ISBN 3-486-56719-5

References

1. Afterwards specialist general officers wore branch-specific colours; the background being cornflower blue for medical and crimson for veterinary services.
2. Besoldungsgesetz vom 16. Dezember 1927 (RGBl. I …, C Soldaten S. 391), changes 1937 to 1940
3. F. Altrichter: “The reserve officer”, fourteenth checked addition, Berlin 1941, pages 158-159. (Original title: F. Altrichter: „Der Reserveoffizier“, vierzehnte durchgesehene Auflage, Berlin 1941, Seiten 158-159.)
4. The abbreviation "OR" stands for "Other Ranks / fr: sous-officiers et militaires du rang / ru:другие ранги, кроме офицероф"