Oberfeldarzt


Oberfeldarzt 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 or commander NATO-Rangcode OF4 in anglophone armed forces.

Germany

Bundeswehr

In the Joint Medical Service of the German Bundeswehr
Oberfeldarzt, Oberfeldapotheker, and Oberfeldveterinär are comparable in NATO to the Ranks and insignia of [NATO armies officers|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 there are two silver stars in silver oak leaves and the career insignia as symbol of the medical standing, or course of studies. The piping on shoulder straps shows the Waffenfarbe, 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 Rank
Oberstabsarzt
German medical officer rank
Oberfeldarzt
Flottillenarzt		senior Rank
Oberstarzt
Flottenarzt

Wehrmacht

Oberfeldarzt of the German Wehrmacht was comparable to the Oberstleutnant / Fregattenkapitän, as well as to the Obersturmbannführer and Oberstleutnant of the Waffen-SS.
In line to the so-called Reichsbesoldungsordnung, appendixes to the Salary law of the German Empire of 1927, the comparative ranks were as follows: C 5
  • Oberstleutnant
  • Fregattenkapitän
  • Oberfeldarzt
  • Geschwaderarzt, introduced June 26, 1935
  • Oberfeldveterinär from 1934
During wartime, regular assignments of Oberfeldarzt was chief of a, field-, evacuation-, or war hospital. However, a field hospital could be managed by an Oberstabsarzt as well.
The corps colour of the military Health Service Support in German armed forces was traditional dark blue, and of the veterinarian service. 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.

Kriegsmarine

Austria-Hungary

In the Austria-Hungarian Common Army there was the rank Oberstabsarzt 2. Klasse until 1918 equivalent to Oberfeldarzt in Germany. That particular rank was comparable to the Oberstleutnant OF4-rank as well.

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. This equates to the NATO code of OF-7, or a "two-star rank".