(English: Senior Staff-Surgeon General) and its navy equivalant (English: Senior Staff-Surgeon Admiral) are the highest ranks of the Joint Medical Service of the German . The equivalent OF-8 rank in the Heer and Luftwaffe is Generalleutnant and in the German Navy the Vizeadmiral.

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 ("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 (OF-6, one-star rank), (OF-7, two-star rank) or is, "Herr/Frau Generalarzt". At the other hand, military surgeons with the rank (OF-6, one-star rank), (OF-7, two-star rank) or is, "Herr/Frau Admiralarzt". Although the grammatically female form of Arzt is Ärztin, the military does not have separate gendered ranks, so the correct form of address for a female doctor is "Frau Stabsarzt".

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 RankGeneralstabsarzt AdmiralstabsarztGerman medical officer ranksenior Rankno

Wehrmacht

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 Wehrmacht. He was simultaneous "Chief of the Wehrmachts Medical Service in Supreme Command of the Wehrmacht" (Chef des Wehrmachtsanitätswesens im Oberkommando der Wehrmacht) as of 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, three 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 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 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 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 GeneraloberstabsarztSenior 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 (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 Surgeon general Admiral (Germany) three star rank OF-8 Rear admiral upper half (Dr.) Vizeadmiral two star rank OF-7 Rear admiral lower half (Dr.) Konteradmiral one star rank OF-6 Captain naval (Dr.) Kapitän zur See Captain (naval) OF-5 Geschwaderarzt Commander (Dr.) Fregattenkapitän Commander OF-4 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.) Ensign OF-1b

Other armed forces

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. Süß, Winfried: Der "Völkskörper" im Krieg: Gesundheitspolitik, Gesundheitsverhältnisse und Krankenmord im nationalsozialistischen Deutschland 1939–1945, 2003.

References