Oberfeldarzt (short: OFArzt or OFA) 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 (de: Oberstleutnant) or (naval) commander (de: Fregattenkapitän) NATO-Rangcode OF4 in anglophone armed forces.

+ Oberfeldarzt Rank insignia German medical service ranks Introduction Rank group Commissioned officers Army / Air Force Oberfeldarzt (equiv. Oberstleutnant) Navy Flottillenarzt (equiv. Fregattenkapitän) Short OFArzt (OFA) NATOequivalent OF-4

Germany Bundeswehr In the Joint Medical Service of the German Bundeswehr Oberfeldarzt, Oberfeldapotheker, and Oberfeldveterinär are comparable in NATO to the OF-4 rank Oberstleutnant; Flottillenarzt, and Flottillenapotheker are equivalent in to the rank Fregattenkapitän, OF-4 as well.

Address The manner of formal addressing of military surgeons/dentists with the rank Oberfeldarzt is "Herr/Frau Oberfeldarzt"; with the rank Oberfeldapotheker, "Herr/Frau Oberfeldapotheker". A Flottillenenarzt will be addressed "Herr/Frau Flottillenarzt"; and the Flottillenapotheker, "Herr/Frau Flottillenapotheker".

Rank insignias On the shoulder straps (Heer, Luftwaffe) there are two 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 Navy, 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.

junior RankOberstabsarztGerman medical officer rankOberfeldarztFlottillenarztsenior RankOberstarztFlottenarzt

Wehrmacht

Oberfeldarzt of the German Wehrmacht was comparable to the Oberstleutnant / Fregattenkapitän (OF-4), as well as to the Obersturmbannführer and Oberstleutnant 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 1927Besoldungsgesetz vom 16. Dezember 1927 (RGBl. I …, C Soldaten S. 391), changes 1937 to 1940 (changes 1937 – 1940), the comparative ranks were as follows: C 5

Oberstleutnant (Heer and Luftwaffe) Fregattenkapitän (Kriegsmarine) Oberfeldarzt (medical service of the Wehrmacht) Geschwaderarzt, introduced June 26, 1935 (medical service of the Kriegsmarine) Oberfeldveterinär from 1934 (veterinarian service of the Wehrmacht)

During wartime, regular assignments of Oberfeldarzt was chief of a, field-, evacuation-, or war hospital (de. Feldlazarett / Krieslazarett). However, a field hospital could be managed by an Oberstabsarzt (OF3) as well.

The corps colour of the military Health Service Support (HSS) in German armed forces was traditional dark blue, and of the veterinarian service .“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.) 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 .

Ranks Wehrmacht until 1945F. 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.) 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-OberfeldwebelOfficer Aspirant OR-7The abbreviation "OR" stands for "Other Ranks / fr: sous-officiers et militaires du rang / ru:другие ранги, кроме офицероф" Feldunterarzt (since 1940)

Kriegsmarine

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 rank Oberstabsarzt 2. Klasse (en: Senior staff surgeon 2nd class) until 1918 equivalent to Oberfeldarzt in Germany. That particular rank was comparable to the Oberstleutnant OF4-rank (en: colonel) 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

Switzerland In the Swiss Armed Forces the Oberfeldarzt of the Army is the most senior representative of the medical service of the Heer. However, the Swiss Oberfeldarzt of the Army might be promoted up to Divisionär (en: Divisional general). This equates to the NATO code of OF-7, or a "two-star rank".

References