''Konteradmiral'', abbreviated KAdm or KADM, is the second lowest naval

flag officer A flag officer is a commissioned officer in a nation's armed forces senior enough to be entitled to fly a flag to mark the position from which the officer exercises command. The term is used differently in different countries: *In many countries ...

rank in the

German Navy The German Navy (, ) is the navy of Germany and part of the unified ''Bundeswehr'' (Federal Defense), the German Armed Forces. The German Navy was originally known as the ''Bundesmarine'' (Federal Navy) from 1956 to 1995, when ''Deutsche Mari ...

. It is equivalent to '' Generalmajor'' in the '' Heer'' and ''

Luftwaffe The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...

'' or to '' Admiralstabsarzt'' and ''

Generalstabsarzt Generalstabsarzt and Admiralstabsarzt are in German armed forces the rank designations of the second highest grad of the generals rank group. Germany Bundeswehr Generalstabsarzt and Admiralstabsarzt are the second highest general ranks of the ...

'' in the '' Zentraler Sanitätsdienst der Bundeswehr''. In the German Navy ''Konteradmiral'' is equivalent to rear admiral, a

two-star rank An officer of two-star rank is a senior commander in many of the armed services holding a rank described by the NATO code of OF-7. The term is also used by some armed forces which are not NATO members. Typically, two-star officers hold the rank ...

with a NATO code of

OF-7 An officer of two-star rank is a senior commander in many of the armed services holding a rank described by the NATO code of OF-7. The term is also used by some armed forces which are not NATO members. Typically, two-star officers hold the rank ...

. However, in the former German-speaking naval forces of the

Imperial German Navy The Imperial German Navy or the Imperial Navy () was the navy of the German Empire, which existed between 1871 and 1919. It grew out of the small Prussian Navy (from 1867 the North German Federal Navy), which was mainly for coast defence. Kaise ...

(''Kaiserliche Marine''), the Nazi '' Kriegsmarine'', the East German ''

Volksmarine The ''Volksmarine'' (VM, ; en, People's Navy) was the naval force of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) from 1956 to 1990. The ''Volksmarine'' was one of the service branches of the National People's Army and primarily performed a coasta ...

'' and the Austro-Hungarian '' K.u.K. Kriegsmarine'', ''Konteradmiral'' was an

OF-6 An officer of one-star rank is a senior commander in many of the armed services holding a rank described by the NATO code of OF-6. The term is also used by some armed forces which are not NATO members. Typically, one-star officers hold the rank o ...

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 The Federal Ministry of Defence (german: Bundesministerium der Verteidigung, ), abbreviated BMVg, is a top-level federal agency, headed by the Federal Minister of Defence as a member of the Cabinet of Germany. The ministry is headquartered at ...

. The sequence of ranks in decreasing seniority is: *OF-9: ''Admiral'' / ''General'' *OF-8: ''

Vizeadmiral (abbreviated VAdm) is a senior naval flag officer rank in several German (language), German-speaking countries, equivalent to Vice admiral. Austria-Hungary In the Austro-Hungarian Navy there were the flag-officer ranks ''Kontreadmiral'' (al ...

'' / ''

Generalleutnant is the Germanic variant of lieutenant general, used in some German speaking countries. Austria Generalleutnant is the second highest general officer rank in the Austrian Armed Forces (''Bundesheer''), roughly equivalent to the NATO rank of ...

'' *OF-7: ''Konteradmiral'' / '' Generalmajor'' *OF-6: ''

Flottillenadmiral Flotilla admiral is the lowest flag rank, a rank above captain, in the modern navies of Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Finland, Germany and Sweden. It corresponds to the ranks of commodore or rear admiral (lower half) in the navies of the United ...

'' / ''

Brigadegeneral Brigadier general ( da, Brigadegeneral; german: Brigadegeneral) is the Germanic variant of Brigadier general. Belgium The rank of ( nl-BE, Brigadegeneraal; french: Général de Brigade) is used by the Belgian Land Component, Air Component and ...

History

Imperial German Navy and ''Kriegsmarine''

In the ''

Kaiserliche Marine {{italic title The adjective ''kaiserlich'' means "imperial" and was used in the German-speaking countries to refer to those institutions and establishments over which the ''Kaiser'' ("emperor") had immediate personal power of control. The term wa ...

'' and '' Kriegsmarine'', ''Konteradmiral'' was an

one-star officer rank equivalent to a ''Heer'' or ''Luftwaffe'' ''Generalmajor'', and to an ''SS-Brigadeführer'' and ''Generalmajor'' of the ''

Waffen-SS The (, "Armed SS") was the combat branch of the Nazi Party's ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) organisation. Its formations included men from Nazi Germany, along with Waffen-SS foreign volunteers and conscripts, volunteers and conscripts from both occup ...

''. 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.

''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''.

National People's Army

''Konteradmiral'' (

) was the lowest flag officer grade of the ''Volksamarine'', equivalent to the

one-star rank An officer of one-star rank is a senior commander in many of the armed services holding a rank described by the NATO code of OF-6. The term is also used by some armed forces which are not NATO members. Typically, one-star officers hold the rank o ...

'' Generalmajor'' (OF-6 as well). In the GDR ''

'' 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'' . ;''Konteradmiral''s of the GDR ''Volksmarine'': ;See also: List of admirals of Germany: ''Konteradmirals

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Konteradmiral Naval ranks Naval ranks of Germany Admirals One-star officers of Nazi Germany Two-star officers of the Bundeswehr