Stabsarzt (short: StArzt or SA), in English Staff Surgeon, is a military commissioned officer rank in German speaking armed forces. In the German Bundeswehr and the former Wehrmacht and Reichswehr, it describes a qualified or licensed surgeon or dentist who practises military medicine, with a rank equal to captain (German: Hauptmann) in the army and the air force or lieutenant (German: Kapitänleutnant) in the navy. In the Austrian and Swiss armies, the rank is Hauptmann.
This rank corresponds to NATO code OF2, and is known in English as captain (Dr.) for army or air force officers or lieutenant (Dr.) for naval officers. The rank was historically also used in the Austro-Hungarian Common Army and corresponded to major or the NATO code OF-3, known as major (Dr.) in English.
The German word Arzt is the general term for a medical practitioner in German. In English the word surgeon in a military context is applied to any medical practitioner, due to the historical evolution of the term, and does not refer exclusively to the modern specialty of surgery. Thus the title is translated as Staff Surgeon in English. The rank of Staff Surgeon has also existed in English-speaking countries; it was used in the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom until 1918.[1]
Holders of this rank are commissioned officers; in practice their authority is often limited to medical matters and medical staff (such as other doctors, nurses and other medics working under their supervision). Under international humanitarian law (specifically the First and Second Geneva Conventions) they are regarded as neutral non-combatants and accorded the status of "protected persons" when participating in humanitarian work during armed conflicts, such as caring for the sick or wounded. They may wear the red cross as a protective sign. As such, they may not be attacked, harmed or taken as prisoners of war (attacking medical personnel is a war crime), and are entitled under the Geneva Conventions to carry out their work without being inhibited. They may be armed, usually with service pistols, strictly for defensive purposes, including self defense and the defense of patients.
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| Rank insignia | German medical service ranks | ||
| Introduction | |||
| Rank group | Commissioned officers | ||
| Heer/Luftwaffe Marine | *Stabsarzt *Stabsapotheker *Stabsveterinär | ||
| short (in lists) | *StArzt (SA) *StApotheker (SAP) *StVeterinär (SV) | ||
| NATO equivalent | OF-2 | ||
Germany
Bundeswehr
In the Joint Medical Service of the German Bundeswehr Stabsarzt (en: Staff surgeon), Stabsapotheker (en: Staff pharmacist), and Stabsveterinär (en: Staff veterinary) are comparable in NATO to the OF-2 ranks Hauptmann, and Kapitänleutnant. The grades belong to the captain rank group (de: Hauptleute).
Address
The manner of formal addressing of military surgeons/dentists with the rank Stabsarzt is, "Herr/Frau Stabsarzt"; with the rank Stabsapotheker, "Herr/Frau Stabsapotheker"; with the rank Stabsveterinär, "Herr/Frau Stabsveterinär". 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" and not "Frau Stabsärztin".[2][3]
Rank insignias
On the shoulder straps (Heer, Luftwaffe) there are three silver stars 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 Leutnant SanOA Oberleutnant SanOA |
 German medical officer rank Stabsarzt |
senior Rank Oberstabsarzt |
Wehrmacht
Stabsarzt of the German Wehrmacht was comparable to the Hauptmann / Kapitänleutnant (OF-2), as well as to the Hauptsturmführer and Hauptmann of the Waffen-SS.
During wartime, the regular assignment of a Stabsarzt was the management of a main dressing station (German: Hauptverbandsplatz), maintained by the 2nd platoon of the medical company, and supported by first lieutenants (Dr.), second lieutenants (Dr.), and help surgeons (German: Ober-, Assistenz-, and Hilfsärzte). A Stabsarzt also could serve in a variety of other roles.
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[4] (changes 1937 – 1940), the comparative ranks were as follows: C 7
- Hauptmann (Heer and Luftwaffe)
- Kapitänleutnant (Kriegsmarine)
- Stabsarzt (medical service of the Wehrmacht)
- Marinestabsarzt, introduced June 26, 1935 (medical service of the Kriegsmarine)
- Stabsveterinär (veterinarian service of the Wehrmacht)
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.[5] 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.
| Ranks Wehrmacht until 1945[6] |  Ranks | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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[7] |
| Feldunterarzt (since 1940) | ||||
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 | |
| 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 Austro-Hungarian Common Army (de: Gemeinsame Armee or k.u.k. Armee) there were the OF2-ranks Regimentsarzt I. Klasse and Regimentsarzt II. Klasse (en: Regiment surgeon 1st class / – 2nd class) until 1918, equivalent to the OF2-rank Stabsarzt in Germany. That particular rank was comparable to the Hauptmann/Captain OF2-rank as well.
| Ranks k.u.k. Army until 1918 | Ranks | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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) | |||
| Oberazt | First lieutenant (Dr.) | Oberleutnant | First lieutenant | OF-1 |
| Assistenzarzt | Second lieutenant (Dr.) | Leutnant | Second lieutenant | |
References
- ↑ Order in Council of 8 November 1918. The Orders in Council for the Regulation of the Naval Service. XII. p. 422-423
- ↑ "Ärztin aus Doberlug-Kirchhain im Bundeswehreinsatz in Kundus". Lausitzer Rundschau. 30 October 2003.
- ↑ Hegmann, Gerhard (March 8, 2019). "Wird „Frau Hauptmann" zur „Hauptmännin" oder „Hauptfrau"?". Die Welt. Retrieved February 12, 2021.
- ↑ 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"