Generalleutnant

Summary

Generalleutnant is the Germanic variant of lieutenant general, used in some German speaking countries.

Austria edit

Generalleutnant
 
   
Service and field uniform
Country  Austria
Non-NATO rankOF-8[a]

Generalleutnant is the second highest general officer rank in the Austrian Armed Forces (Bundesheer), roughly equivalent to the NATO rank of OF-8.[1]

Germany edit

Generalleutnant
   
   
Army and Air Force insignia
Country  Germany
Service branch  German Army
  German Air Force
AbbreviationGenLt
Rank groupGeneral officer
NATO rank codeOF-8
Pay gradeB9
Formation1956 (current)
Next higher rankGeneral
Next lower rankGeneralmajor
Equivalent ranksVizeadmiral

Generalleutnant, short GenLt, ('lieutenant general') is the second highest general officer rank in the German Army (Heer) and the German Air Force (Luftwaffe). This three-star rank in other countries is lieutenant general.

Rank in modern Germany edit

The rank is rated OF-8 in NATO, and is grade B9 in the pay rules of the Federal Ministry of Defence. It is equivalent to Vizeadmiral in the German Navy (Marine), or to Generaloberstabsarzt, and Admiraloberstabsarzt in the Zentraler Sanitätsdienst der Bundeswehr. On the shoulder straps (Heer, Luftwaffe) there are three golden pips (stars) in golden oak leaves.

History edit

German armies and air forces until 1945 edit

Generalleutnant of the Wehrmacht edit

Generalleutnant was in the German Reich, and Nazi Germany the second lowest general officer rank, comparable to the two-star rank in many NATO-armed forces (Rangcode OF-7). It was equivalent to Vizeadmiral in the Kriegsmarine, and SS-Gruppenführer in the Waffen-SS until 1945.

Rank insignia Generalleutnant/ Vizeadmiral
Branch German Army Luftwaffe Waffen-SS Kriegsmarine
Collar       None
Shoulder        
Sleeve        
Rank
designation
Generalleutnant
SS-Gruppenführer
und Generalleutnant
der Waffen-SS
Vizeadmiral

National People's Army edit

Generalleutnant was in the so-called armed organs of the GDR (German: Bewaffnete Organe der DDR), represented by Ministry of National Defence, and Ministry for State Security, the second lowest general officer rank, comparable to the two-star rank in many NATO-Armed forces. This was in reference to Soviet military doctrine and in line with other armed forces of the Warsaw Pact.

Insignia edit

Insignia Shoulder Higher/lower
rank
  German Empire
  Weimar Republic
  Nazi Germany
  General der Waffengattung
Generalmajor
  East Germany   Generaloberst
Generalmajor
  Germany   General
Generalmajor

See also edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ Although Austria is not a NATO member, there are official NATO rank approximations.[1]

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Rank Insignias". Bundesheer. Archived from the original on 2022-05-17. Retrieved 2022-05-17.