Oberstarzt

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.

Oberstarzt (Joint Medical Service)
Rank insigniaGerman medical service ranks
Introduction
Rank groupCommissioned officers
Army / Air ForceOberstarzt (equivalent Oberst)
NavyFlottenarzt (equivalent KzS)
NATO
equivalent		OF-5

Germany

Bundeswehr

In the Joint Medical Service of the German Bundeswehr Oberstarzt, Oberstapotheker, and Oberstveterinär are comparable in NATO to the OF-5 rank Oberst; Flottenarzt, and Flottenapotheker are equivalent to Kapitän zur See, OF-5 as well.

Address

The manner of formal addressing of military surgeons/dentists with the rank Oberstarzt is "Herr/Frau Oberstarzt"; with the rank Oberstapotheker, "Herr/Frau Oberstapotheker". Military surgeons/dentists with the rank Flottenarzt are addressed "Herr/Frau Flottenarzt"; with the rank Flottenapotheker, "Herr/Frau Flottenapotheker".

The "Inspector of veterinary medicine of the Bundeswehr" (de: Inspizient Veterinärmedizin der Bundeswehr) holds the rank Oberstveterinär.

Rank insignias

On the shoulder straps (Heer, Luftwaffe) there are three silver stars 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.

  • Oberst­arzt i.G.
  • hum.
    (field uniform)
  • Oberst­arzt
    (dent. medicine)
  • Oberst­apotheker
  • Oberst­veterinär
  • OTA i.G.
    (hum.)
  • hum.
    (dress uniform)
  • hum.
    (field uniform)
  • Oberst­apotheker
  • pharm.
    (field uniform)
  • Human medicine
  • Flotten­arzt
  • Mounting loop
  • Sleeve
  • Dentistry
  • Flotten­arzt
  • Mounting loop
  • Sleeve
  • Pharmacy
  • Flotten­apotheker
  • ... R
  • Sleeve
  • Mounting loop
junior Rank
Oberfeldarzt
Flottillenarzt
German medical officer rank
Oberstarzt
Flottenarzt		 senior Rank
Generalarzt
Admiralarzt

Wehrmacht

Oberstarzt of the German Wehrmacht was comparable to the Oberst (OF-5), as well as to the Standartenführer and Oberst 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 4

  • Oberst (Heer and Luftwaffe)
  • Kapitän zur See (Kriegsmarine)
  • Oberstarzt from 1934 (medical service of the Wehrmacht)
  • Flottenarzt, introduced June 26, 1935 (medical service of the Kriegsmarine)
  • Oberstveterinär from 1934 (veterinarian service of the Wehrmacht)

During wartime, regular assignments of Oberstarzt was Division surgeon – IVb (de: Divisionsarzt – IVb).

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.

Rank insignias
description
Heer
Heer
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Kriegsmarine
Kriegsmarine
Waffen-SS
Waffen-SS
rank
insignia
corps colour dark blue dark blue cornflower blue cornflower blue
gorget patch shoulder strap gorget patch
(im Generalstab)		 shoulder strap shoulder strap sleeve insigia gorget patches shoulder strap
rank Oberstarzt Oberstarzt Flottenarzt Standartenführer (Oberstarzt Waffen-SS)

Address

The manner of formal addressing of military surgeons/dentists with the rank Oberstarzt was, "Herr Oberstarzt"; with the rank Flottenarz - "Herr Flottenarzt".

Ranks Wehrmacht until 1945[3]
Ranks
Medical serviceen translation Equivalent Heeren equivalent
Generaloberstabsarzt Senior Staff-Surgeon GeneralGeneral der Waffengattungthree star rankOF-8
GeneralstabsarztStaff-Surgeon GeneralGeneralleutnanttwo star rankOF-7
GeneralarztSurgeon GeneralGeneralmajorone star rankOF-6
OberstarztColonel (Dr.)OberstColonelOF-5
OberfeldarztLieutenant colonel (Dr.)OberstleutnantLieutenant colonelOF-4
OberstabsarztMajor (Dr.)
Major
OF-3
StabsarztCaptain (Dr.)HauptmannCaptain (army)OF-2
OberarztFirst lieutenant (Dr.)OberleutnantFirst lieutenantOF-1a
AssistenzarztSecond lieutenant (Dr.)LeutnantSecond lieutenantOF-1b
Unterarzt Sergeant 1st Class (Dr.) Fahnenjunker-Oberfeldwebel
(Oberfähnrich)		 Officer Aspirant OR-7[4]
Feldunterarzt (since 1940)
Ranks Kriegsmarine (medical service)
Ranks
Medical serviceen translation Equivalent Kriegsmarineen equivalent
AdmiraloberstabsarztSurgeon generalAdmiral (Germany)three star rankOF-8
AdmiralstabsarztRear admiral upper half (Dr.)Vizeadmiraltwo star rankOF-7
AdmiralarztRear admiral lower half (Dr.)Konteradmiralone star rankOF-6
FlottenarztCaptain naval (Dr.)Kapitän zur SeeCaptain (naval)OF-5
GeschwaderarztCommander (Dr.)FregattenkapitänCommanderOF-4
MarineoberstabsarztLieutenant commander (Dr.)KorvettenkapitänLieutenant commanderOF-3
MarinestabsarztLieutenant naval (Dr.)KapitänleutnantLieutenant (naval)OF-2
Marineoberarzt Lieutenant junior grade (Dr.)Oberleutnant zur SeeLieutenant (junior grade)OF-1a
MarineassistenzarztEnsign (Dr.)Leutnant zur SeeEnsignOF-1b

Austria-Hungary
D.M. Andreas Mollat Roth, here as k. k. Oberstabsarzt, about 1863

In the Imperial & Royal Common Army of Austria-Hungary (de: Gemeinsame Armee or k.u.k. Armee) there was the rank Oberstabsarzt 1. Klasse (en: Senior staff surgeon 1st class) until 1918, equivalent to Oberstarzt in Germany. That particular rank was comparable to the Oberst OF5-rank (en: colonel) as well. There was also a rank Oberstabsarzt 2. Klasse (or másodosztályú fõtörzsorvos in Hungarian).

Officers with that rank
  • Andreas Mollat (1802-1891) k. k. Oberststabsarzt
Ranks k.u.k. Army until 1918
Ranks
Medical serviceen Equivalent Heeren
GeneralstabsarztStaff-Surgeon GeneralGeneralmajorMajor generalOF-6
Oberstabsarzt I. KlasseColonel (Dr. 1st class)OberstColonelOF-5
Oberstabsarzt II. KlasseLieutenant colonel (Dr. 2nd class)OberstleutnantLieutenant colonelOF-4
StabsarztMajor (Dr.)
Major
OF-3
Regimentsarzt I. KlasseCaptain (Dr. 1st class)HauptmannCaptainOF-2
Regimentsarzt II. KlasseCaptain (Dr. 2nd class)
OberarztFirst lieutenant (Dr.) OberleutnantFirst lieutenantOF-1a
AssistrnzarztSecond lieutenant (Dr.)LeutnantSecond lieutenantOF-1b
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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"
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