Generalarzt

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

Bundeswehr

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:

  • Chief surgeon of the Federal Armed Forces Hospital Berlin, – Hamburg, – Koblenz, and – Ulm
  • Inspector dental medicine of the Bundeswehr (de: Inspizient Zahnmedizin der Bundeswehr)
  • Inspector military pharmaceutics of the Bundeswehr – Generalapotheker (de: Inspizient Wehrpharmazie der Bundeswehr)
  • Surgeon General of the Heer (de: Generalarzt des Heeres)
  • Surgeon General of the Luftwaffe (de: Generalarzt der Luftwaffe)
  • Surgeon Admiral of the Marine (de: Admiralarzt des Heeres)

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.

Address

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“.

Rank insignias

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
  • Generalarzt (human medicine)
    Generalarzt
    (human medicine)
  • ... Field uniform
    ... Field uniform
  • Generalarzt (dental medicine)
    Generalarzt
    (dental medicine)
  • ... field uniform
    ... field uniform
  • ... field uniform
    ... field uniform
  • Generalarzt (hum.)
    Generalarzt
    (hum.)
  • Generalarzt (dent.)
    Generalarzt
    (dent.)
  • Admiralarzt (hum.)
    Admiralarzt
    (hum.)
  • Admiralarzt (dent.)
    Admiralarzt
    (dent.)
  • Admiral­apotheker (pharm.)
    Admiral­apotheker
    (pharm.)
Sequence of ranks ascenting
junior rank:
Oberstarzt
Flottenarzt
German medical officer rank
Generalarzt
Admiralarzt 		senior rank:
Generalstabsarzt
Admiralstabsarzt

Wehrmacht 1933 – 1945

Arabesque (until 1944)[1]

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

  • Generalmajor (Heer and Luftwaffe)
  • Konteradmiral (Kriegsmarine)
  • Generalarzt from 1934 (medical service of the Wehrmacht)
  • Admiralarzt, introduced June 26, 1935 (medical service of the Kriegsmarine)
  • Generalveterinär from 1934 (veterinarian service of the Wehrmacht)

Comparative military ranks

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)

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

Germany before 1933

Generalarzt Dr. med. Wilhelm August Roth, here as Generalmajor of the Medical Corps, ca. 1885.

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.

Officers with that rank

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"
  5. ^ Krieg und Sieg 1870-71, Kulturgeschichte, Herausgeber Julius von Pflugk-Harttung.

Further reading

  • 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