Oberfeldarzt
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.
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| Rank insignia | German medical service ranks | ||
| Introduction | |||
| Rank group | Commissioned officers | ||
| Army / Air Force | Oberfeldarzt (equiv. Oberstleutnant) | ||
| Navy | Flottillenarzt (equiv. Fregattenkapitän) | ||
| Short | OFArzt (OFA) | ||
| NATO equivalent | 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; Flottillenenarzt, 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 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.
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| junior Rank Oberstabsarzt |
 German medical officer rank Oberfeldarzt Flottillenarzt |
senior Rank Oberstarzt Flottenarzt |
Wehrmacht
In the German Wehrmacht from 1933 until 1945 there were the OF4-ranks Oberfeldarzt, Oberfeldapotheker, and Oberfeldveterinär, comparable to the Oberstleutnant OF4-rank as well.
During wartime, regular assignments of Oberfeldarzt was chief of a, field-, evacuation-, or war hospital (de. Feldlazarett / Krieslazarett). However. 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 carmine red.[1] 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 HSS was “cornflower blue”.
| Ranks Wehrmacht until 1945[2] |  Ranks | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medical service | en | Equivalent Heer | en | |
| Generaloberstabsarzt | Senior Staff-Surgeon General | General der Waffengattung | General ... | OF8 |
| Generalstabsarzt | Staff-Surgeon General | Generalleutnant | Lieutenant general | OF7 |
| Generalarzt | Surgeon General | Generalmajor | Major general | OF6 |
| Oberstarzt | Colonel (Dr.) | Oberst | Colonel | OF5 |
| Oberfeldarzt | Lieutenant colonel (Dr.) | Oberstleutnant | Lieutenant colonel | OF4 |
| Oberstabsarzt | Major (Dr.) | OF3 | ||
| Stabsarzt | Captain (Dr.) | Hauptmann | Captain | OF2 |
| Oberarzt | First lieutenant (Dr.) | Oberleutnant | First lieutenant | OF1a |
| Assistenzarzt | Second lieutenant (Dr.) | Leutnant | Second lieutenant | OF1b |
| Unterarzt | Oberfähnrich (Dr.) | Oberfähnrich | Officer Aspirant | OR7[3] |
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 | OF6 |
| Oberstabsarzt I. Klasse | Colonel (Dr. 1st class) | Oberst | Colonel | OF5 |
| Oberstabsarzt II. Klasse | Lieutenant colonel (Dr. 2nd class) | Oberstleutnant | Lieutenant colonel | OF4 |
| Stabsarzt | Major (Dr.) | OF3 | ||
| Regimentsarzt I. Klasse | Captain (Dr. 1st class) | Hauptmann | Captain | OF2 |
| Regimentsarzt II. Klasse | Captain (Dr. 2nd class) | |||
| Oberarzt | First lieutenant (Dr.) | Oberleutnant | First lieutenant | OF1a |
| Assistenzarzt | Secon lieutenant (Dr.) | Leutnant | Second lieutenant | OF1b |
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
- ↑ “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.)
- ↑ 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.)
- ↑ The abbreviation "OR" stands for "Other Ranks / fr: sous-officiers et militaires du rang / ru:другие ранги, кроме офицероф"