Konteradmiral

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

Austria-Hungary[edit]

K.u.K. Kriegsmarine
Command flag
Cuff title
K.u.K. Konteradmiral

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

Germany[edit]

Counter admiral
Konteradmiral
Shoulder board and mounting loop
Cuff title
Country Germany
Service branch German Navy
AbbreviationKAdm
Rank groupFlag officer
NATO rank codeOF-7
Pay gradeB7
Next higher rankVizeadmiral
Next lower rankFlottillenadmiral
Equivalent ranksGeneralmajor

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[edit]

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:

History[edit]

Imperial German Navy and Kriegsmarine[edit]

In the 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 (no pips or stars) 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[edit]

Konteradmiral (OF-6) was the lowest flag officer grade of the Volksmarine, equivalent to the one-star rank Generalmajor (OF-6 as well).

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

Insignia[edit]

Insignia Shoulder Sleeve Rank flag Higher/lower
rank
 Imperial German Navy[1] Vizeadmiral
Kapitän zur See
 Reichsmarine[2]
 Kriegsmarine[3] Vizeadmiral
Kommodore
 Volksmarine[4] Vizeadmiral
Kapitän zur See
 German Navy[5] Vizeadmiral
Flottillenadmiral

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Dienstgrade und Uniformen". kleiner-kreuzer-dresden.de (in German). Archived from the original on 30 July 2017. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  2. ^ Hoyer, K; Brennecke, F (1925). Die Uniformen des Reichsheeres und der Reichsmarine nebst amtlichen Uniformtafeln; mit Genehmigung des Reichswehrministeriums (in German). Charlottenburg: Verlag "Offene Worte, ". OCLC 44571687.
  3. ^ Mollo 2001, p. 19.
  4. ^ Luft, Kathleen (1988). "National Security". In Burant, Stephen R. (ed.). East Germany: a country study. Area Handbook (3rd ed.). Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress. pp. 264–265. LCCN 87600490. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  5. ^ "Dienstgradabzeichen Marine". bundeswehr.de (in German). Bundeswehr. Retrieved 30 May 2021.