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.
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| Rank insignia | German medical service ranks | ||
| Introduction | |||
| Rank group | Commissioned officers | ||
| Army / Air Force | Oberstarzt (equivalent Oberst) | ||
| Navy | Flottenarzt (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.
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| 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 (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. 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
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| 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 |  Ranks | |||
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| 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 |
| Feldunterarzt (since 1940) | ||||
| 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 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 | |||
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| 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-1a |
| Assistenzarzt | Second lieutenant (Dr.) | Leutnant | Second lieutenant | OF-1b |
References
- Besoldungsgesetz vom 16. Dezember 1927 (RGBl. I …, C Soldaten S. 391), changes 1937 to 1940
- “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"