Konteradmiral

Konteradmiral is a senior naval flag officer rank in several German-speaking countries, equivalent to counter or rear admiral.

Austria-Hungary

In the Austro-Hungarian K.u.K. Kriegsmarine there were the flag officer ranks Kontreadmiral, Viceadmiral, Admiral and Großadmiral.

Germany

Konteradmiral, abbreviated KAdm or KADM, is the second lowest naval flag officer rank in the German Navy. It is equivalent to Generalmajor in the Heer and Luftwaffe or to Admiralstabsarzt and Generalstabsarzt in the Zentraler Sanitätsdienst der Bundeswehr.

Rank insignia and rating

The rank insignia, worn on the sleeves and shoulders, is a single five-pointed star above a single normal stripe and a wide stripe. The star is omitted on rank loops. Konteradmiral is a B7 grade in the pay rules of the Federal Ministry of Defence.
The sequence of ranks in decreasing seniority is:

OF-9: Admiral / General
OF-8: Vizeadmiral / Generalleutnant
OF-7: Konteradmiral / Generalmajor
OF-6: Flottillenadmiral / ''Brigadegeneral''

History

Imperial German Navy and ''Kriegsmarine''

In the German Navy|Kaiserliche Marine] and Kriegsmarine, Konteradmiral was an OF-6 one-star officer rank equivalent to a Heer or Luftwaffe ''Generalmajor, and to an SS-Brigadeführer and Generalmajor of the Waffen-SS.
The rank insignia consisted of shoulder strap and sleeve stripes. Shoulder straps had to be worn on uniform jackets and consisted of twisted gold-braids on padding in navy blue weapon color.
Cuff insignia consisted of one golden big stripe, one normal stripe, and a five-point naval star above. The sleeve rings encircled the lower cuffs.
The last surviving Kriegsmarine Konteradmiral'', Eberhard Godt, died at the age of 95 on 13 September 1995.

National People's Army

Konteradmiral was the lowest flag officer grade of the Volksmarine, equivalent to the one-star rank Generalmajor.
In the GDR Volksmarine there were three flag officer ranks: Konteradmiral, Vizeadmiral, and Admiral. The GDR State Council decided from 25 March 25, 1982 to introduce the rank of Flottenadmiral
;Konteradmirals of the GDR Volksmarine:

Name	Dates	Name	Dates
Bernig, Herbert	1931–	Lau, Wolfgang	1929–96
Dönitz, Hans-Joachim	1934–2010	Miet, Peter	1944–
Elchlepp, Friedrich	1924-2002	Milzow, Helmut	1932–
Fischer, Richard	1906–91	Müller, Gerhard	1941–
Grießbach, Eberhard	1935–	Nitz, Egon	1934–2011
Heinecke, Lothar	1933–85	Partzsch, Hans	1930–2012
Heniger, Werner	1929–	Pöschel, Günther	1933–
Heß, Hans	1929–	Rödel, Rolf	1940–2013
Irmscher, Heinz	1920–2004	Scheffler, Felix	1915–86
Jordt, Heinrich	1917–87	Städtke, Herbert	1931–2008
Kahnt, Klaus	1935–	Streubel, Johannes	1921–90
Kotte, Werner	1931–	Wegner, Rudi	1923–95
Münch, Joachim	1941–	Weiß, Karl	1935–2012