Oberstabsarzt

Oberstabsarzt (short: OStArzt or OSA) is a military rank in German speaking armed force. It describes a medical staff officer surgeon or medical staff officer dentist comparable to major (de: Major) or lieutenant commander (de: Korvettenkapitän) NATO-Rangcode OF3 in anglophone armed forces.

Oberstabsarzt
Rank insignia	German medical service ranks
Introduction
Rank group	Commissioned officers
Heer / Luftwaffe	*Oberstabsarzt *Oberstabsapotheker *Oberstabsveterinär
Marine	*Oberstabsarzt *Oberstabsapotheker *Oberstabsveterinär
short (in lists)	*OStArz (OSA) *OStApotheker (OSAP) *OStVeterinär (OSV)
NATO equivalent	OF-3

Germany

Bundeswehr

In the Joint Medical Service of the German Bundeswehr Oberstabsarzt, Oberstabsapotheker, and Oberstabsveterinär comparable in NATO to the OF-3 ranks Major, and to Korvettenkapitän.

Address

The manner of formal addressing of military surgeons/dentists with the rank Oberstabsarzt is "Herr/Frau Oberstabsarzt", with the rank Oberstabsapotheker, "Herr/Frau Oberstabsapotheker", and veterinaries with the rank Oberstabsveterinär "Herr/Frau Oberstabsveterinär".

Rank insignias

On the shoulder straps (Heer, Luftwaffe) there is one silver star in silver oak leaves and the career insignia (de: Laufbahnabzeichen) as symbol of the medical standing, or course of studies. The piping on shoulder straps shows the Waffenfarbe (en: corps- or troop-function colour), corresponding to the appropriate military service, branch, or special force. The corps colour of the "Bundeswehr Joint Medical Service" is dark blue.

In the Marines, the career insignia is in the middle of both sleeves, 3 cm above the cuff strips, and on the shoulder straps between strips and button.

Oberstabs­arzt i.G. Oberstabs­arzt (hum. medicine) Oberstabs­arzt (dent. medicine) Oberstabs­apotheker Oberstabs­veterinär	Oberstabsarzt (hum.) ... Mounting loop Oberstabsarzt (dent.) Oberstabs­apotheker ... Mounting loop

Human medicine Oberstabs­arzt (hum.) Mounting loop Sleeve	Dentistry Oberstabs­arzt (dent.) Mounting loop Sleeve	Pharmacy Oberstabs­apotheker Mounting loop Sleeve

junior Rank Stabsarzt	German medical officer rank Oberstabsarzt	senior Rank Oberfeldarzt Flottillenarzt

Wehrmacht

Rank insignia

Collar patches

Shoulder strap with Rod of Asclepius

... Rod of Asclepius modified

Oberstabsarzt of the German Wehrmacht was comparable to the Major / Korvettenkapitän (OF-3), as well as to the Sturmbannführer and Major 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[1] (changes 1937 – 1940), the comparative ranks were as follows: C 6

• Major (Heer and Luftwaffe)
• Korvettenkapitän (Kriegsmarine)
• Oberstabsarzt (medical service of the Wehrmacht)
• Marineoberstabsarzt, introduced June 26, 1935 (medical service of the Kriegsmarine)
• Oberstabsveterinär (veterinarian service of the Wehrmacht)

During wartime, regular assignments of Oberstabsarzt were commander of a medical company, or chief of a, field-, evacuation-, or war hospital (de. Feldlazarett / Kreislazarett). However, a field hospital could be managed by an Oberfeldarzt (OF4) as well. An Oberstabsarzt was assisted by first lieutenants (Dr.), second lieutenants (Dr.), and help surgeons (de: Ober-, Assistenz-, and Hilfsärzte).

The corps colour of the military Health Service Support (HSS) in German armed forces was traditional  dark bluedark blue, and of the veterinarian service  carmine red.[2] This tradition was continued by the medical service corps in Heer and Luftwaffe of the Reichswehr and Wehrmacht. However, the corps colour of the Waffen-SS and Kriegsmarine HSS was  cornflower blue.

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 (since 1940)

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

Austria-Hungary

In the Austria-Hungarian Common Army (de: Gemeinsame Armee or k.u.k. Armee) there was the OF3-rank Stabsarzt (en: Staff surgeon) until 1918, equivalent to the OF3-rank Oberstabsarzt in Germany. That particular rank was comparable to the Major OF3-rank as well.

Ranks k.u.k. Army until 1918				Ranks
Medical service	en	Equivalent Heer	en
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-1
Assistenzarzt	Second lieutenant (Dr.)	Leutnant	Second lieutenant

References

1. Besoldungsgesetz vom 16. Dezember 1927 (RGBl. I …, C Soldaten S. 391), changes 1937 to 1940
2. “War and victory 1870-71”, culture history, published by Julius von Pflugk-Harttung. (Original title: Krieg und Sieg 1870-71, Kulturgeschichte, Herausgeber Julius von Pflugk-Harttung.)
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"