Konteradmiral

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.

Counter admiral Konteradmiral
Shoulder board and mounting loop
Cuff title
Country	Germany
Service branch	German Navy
Abbreviation	KAdm
Rank	General officer group
NATO rank code	OF-7
Non-NATO rank	B7
Next higher rank	Vizeadmiral
Next lower rank	Flottillenadmiral
Equivalent ranks	Generalmajor

In the German Navy Konteradmiral is equivalent to rear admiral, a two-star rank with a NATO code of OF-7. However, in the former German-speaking naval forces of the Imperial German Navy (Kaiserliche Marine), the Nazi Kriegsmarine, the East German Volksmarine and the Austro-Hungarian K.u.K. Kriegsmarine, Konteradmiral was an OF-6 one-star officer rank.

Address

The official manner of formal addressing of military people with the rank Konteradmiral is "Herr/Frau Konteradmiral". In German naval tradition any flag officer rank may be addressed "Herr/Frau Admiral".

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.

German Navy officer rank
Junior rank Flottillenadmiral	Konteradmiral	Senior rank Vizeadmiral

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

Nazi Kriegsmarine

Shoulder strap

Sleeve lace

Konteradmiral

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.

Junior rank Kommodore

(Kriegsmarine ranks) Konteradmiral

Senior rank Vizeadmiral

K.u.K. Kriegsmarine

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.

K.u.K. Kriegsmarine

Command flag

Cuff title

K.u.K. Konteradmiral

National People's Army

Konteradmiral (OF-6) was the lowest flag officer grade of the Volksamarine, 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 of a Konteradmiral (OF-6) of the Volksmarine
Arabesques	Lampasse	Shoulder strap	Cuff title	Command flag

Junior rank Kapitän zur See

(NPA rank) Konteradmiral

Senior rank Vizeadmiral

See also

List of admirals of Germany: Konteradmirals

References