Admiral (Germany)

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Admiral
MDS 64 Admiral Trp.svg MA OG5 64 Admiral.svg
Shoulder board and mounting loop
MDJA 64 Admiral Trp Lu.svg
Cuff title
Country Germany
Service branch German Navy
AbbreviationAdm
RankFour-Star
NATO rank codeOF-9
Non-NATO rankO-10
Next higher rankNone
Next lower rankVizeadmiral
Equivalent ranksGeneral

Admiral, short Adm, (en: Admiral) is the most senior flag officer rank in the German Navy. It is equivalent to General (Germany) in the German Army or German Air Force. In the Central Medical Services there is no equivalent. In the German Navy Admiral is, as in many navies, a four-star rank with a NATO code of OF-9. There is currently one admiral in the German Navy, Admiral Manfred Nielson, serving as Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Transformation in Norfolk, Virginia.

However, in other German speaking naval forces, e.g. Imperial German Navy, Reichsmarine, Kriegsmarine, Volksmarine, and the Austro-Hungarian K.u.K. Kriegsmarine, Admiral was an OF-8 three-star flag officer rank.

Address[]

The official manner of formal addressing of military people with the rank Admiral (OF-9) is "Herr/Frau Admiral". However, as to German naval traditions the addressing in seamen's language of military people with any flag officer rank (OF-6 to OF-9) is "Herr/Frau Admiral". In the Imperial German Navy, an Admiral would be addressed as "Eure Exzellenz" (Your Excellency)[1]

Rank insignia and rating[]

Its rank insignia, worn on the sleeves and shoulders, are one five-pointed star above a big gold stripe and three normal stripes (without the star when rank loops are worn).

The rank is rated OF-9[2] in NATO, and equivalent to General in Heer, and Luftwaffe. It is grade B10 in the pay rules of the Federal Ministry of Defence.

Bundeswehr Logo Marine with lettering.svg
German Navy officer rank
junior rank
Vizeadmiral
Admiral
General
senior rank
No

The sequence of ranks (top-down approach) in that particular group is as follows:

History of Admiral ranks in Germany[]

German navies until 1945[]

Admiral as a rank first appeared in Germany in the 19th century and was expanded in the early 20th century as part of a build-up and mobilization in preparation for the First World War. The rank again saw a resurgence during the Second World War. There were many famous German Admirals during these formative years of German naval power, among them Otto von Diederichs, Gustav von Senden-Bibran, Georg Alexander von Müller, August von Heeringen, Alfred von Tirpitz and (later) Karl Dönitz.

The ranks of the German admiralty were based on those from other European Powers, with some modifications in the titles and pronunciation. The German navy also never considered Commodore a rank of the admiralty, as this rank has always been considered more of a senior Captain. However, in the Nazi Wehrmacht Admiral was a three-star flag officer rank, comparable to modern armed forces OF-8 grade, and equivalent to General of the branch in Heer and Luftwaffe.

Junior rank
Vizeadmiral
 Nazi Germany
(Ranks Kriegsmarine)
Admiral
General of the branch
Senior rank
Generaladmiral

In 1944, the ranks of the German Kriegsmarine were in order of seniority as follows, US equivalent in brackets:[4]

Admiral ranks of the German Kriegsmarine in 1944
Rank Großadmiral
(GrsAdm)
Generaladmiral
(GenAdm)
Admiral
(Adm)
Vizeadmiral
(VAdm)
Konteradmiral
(KAdm)
Kommodore
Epaulette
Kriegsmarine OF10-Grossadmiarl 1945h.svg
Kriegsmarine epaulette Generaladmiral.svg
Kriegsmarine epaulette Admiral.svg
Kriegsmarine epaulette Vizeadmiral.svg
Kriegsmarine epaulette Konteradmiral.svg
Kriegsmarine KptzS.svg
Sleeve lace
Kriegsmarine-Großadmiral.svg
Kriegsmarine-Admiral.svg
Kriegsmarine-Vizeadmiral.svg
Kriegsmarine-Konteradmiral.svg
Kriegsmarine-Kommodore.svg
Command flag Kriegsmarine OF10-Grossadmiral-Flag 1945.svg Kriegsmarine Generaladmiral-Flag 1945 v2.svg Kriegsmarine Admiral-Flag 1945 v1.svg Kriegsmarine Vizeadmiral-Flag 1945 v1.svg Kriegsmarine Konteradmiral-Flag 1945.svg Kriegsmarine Kommodore-Flag 1945.svg
Equivalent Fleet Admiral Admiral Vice Admiral Rear admiral (uh) Rear admiral (lh) Commodore
NATO equivalent OF-10 OF-9 OF-8 OF-7 OF-6 OF-5

The Kaiserliche Marine did not use an admiral rank junior to Konteradmiral. Its successor, the Kriegsmarine, used the rank of Kommodore. However a Kommodore was not a part of the Admiralty but more a senior captain in command of a squadron.

K.u.K. Kriegsmarine[]

In the Austro-Hungarian K.u.K. Kriegsmarine (from 1849 to 1918) there were the flag-officer ranks Konteradmiral (in the 20th century also Konteradmiral), Viceadmiral , and Admiral, as well as Großadmiral.

Admiral ranks of the K.u.K. Kriegsmarine in 1918
Rank K.u.K. Großadmiral K.u.K.Admiral K.u.K. Vizeadmiral K.u.K. Konteradmiral
Sleeve lace KUK-Navy-Großadmiral.svg KUK-Navy-Admiral.svg KUK-Navy-Vizeadmiral.svg KUK-Navy-Konteradmiral.svg
Command flag Habsburg Groß-Admiral’s Flag (1853).svg Habsburg Admiral's Flag.svg Habsburg Vice Admiral's Flag.svg Habsburg Rear Admiral's Flag.svg
Equivalent Fleet Admiral Vice Admiral Rear admiral (uh) Rear admiral (lh)
NATO equivalent OF-10 OF-8 OF-7 OF-6
Admirals of the K.u.K Kriegsmarine

Coat of arms of the Austro-Hungarian Navy.png

Rank Name Remark
Admiral Friedrich von Pöck Marinkommandant 1871–1883
Admiral Daublebsky von Sterneck Marinkommandant 1883–1897
Admiral Hermann von Spaun Marinkommandant 1897–1904
Admiral Maximilian Njegovan Marinekommandant, Flottenkommandant

National People´s Army[]

GDR-Admiral Wilhelm Ehm and Vizeadmiral Gustav Hesse (1979)

Admiral was the second highest flag officer grade of the Volksmarine, equivalent to the three-star rank Generaloberst.

In the GDR Volksmarine there have been the three flag officer ranks Konteradmiral, Vizeadmiral, and Admiral. By decision of the GDR State Council from March 25, 1982, the rank Flottenadmiral was introduced.

Flag officers of the Volksmarine
OF-9 to 6 OF-9 OF-8 OF-7 OF-6
Arabesques Lampasse Flottenadmiral Admiral Vizeadmiral Konteradmiral
GDR Navy Arab OF6-9.jpg
Spod 6pul.png
OF-10 Flottenadmiral.png
OF-9 Admiral als Chef der VM.png
OF-8 Vizeadmiral.png
OF-7 Konteradmiral.png
Cuff title
OF-10 Flottenadmiral VM.png
OF-9 Admiral als Chef der VM, Ärmelstreifen.png
OF-8 Vizeadmiral VM, Ärmelstreifen.png
OF-7 Konteradmiral VM, Ärmelstreifen.png
Command flags
Flag of minister of defence (admiral) - East Germany.svg
Flag of admiral of VM (East Germany).svg
Flag of vice admiral of VM (East Germany).svg
Flag of rear admiral of VM (East Germany).svg
Admirals of the GDR Volksmarine
Rank Name Remark
Admiral Verner, Waldemar 1914-1982
Admiral Ehm, Wilhelm 1918-2009
Admiral Hoffmann, Theodor 1935-2018

References[]

  1. ^ Brockhaus (1911) s.v. Titulaturen
  2. ^ STANAG 2116
  3. ^ The abbreviation "OF" stands for de: "Offizier / en: officer / fr: officier / ru: офицер"
  4. ^ http://www.themarshalsbaton.com/Navy%20Admiral%20Insignia.htm

See also[]

  • List of German admirals
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