Assitenzarzt (short: AArzt or AA) was a military rank in the Austrian-Hungary Common Army until 1918 and in German Reichswehr and Wehrmacht until 1945.
It describes a qualified or licensed surgeon or dentist comparable to 2nd lieutenant (de: Leutnant) or sub-lieutenant (de: Leutant zur See) NATO-Rangcode OF1b[1] in anglophone armed forces.
In the German Wehrmacht from 1933 until 1945 there were the OF1b-ranks Assitenzarzt (physician), Assitenzapotheker (pharmacologist), and Assitenzveterinär (veterinary), comparable to the Leutnant/Second lieutenant OF1b-rank.
During wartime, the regular assignment of Assitenzarzt was the management of a battalion dressing station (de. Truppenverbandsplatz), supported by help surgeons (de: Hilfsärzte). However, a battalion dressing station could be managed by an Oberarzt (OF1a) as well.
In line to the so-called Reichsbesoldungsordnung (en: Reich's salary order), appendixes to the Salary law of the German Empire (de: Besoldungsgesetz des Deutschen Reiches) of 1927[2] (changes 1937 – 1940), the comparative ranks were as follows: C 8/C 9
The piping on shoulder straps shows the Waffenfarbe (en: corps- or troop-function colour), corresponding to the appropriate military service, branch, or special force. The corps colour of the Military Health System in German armed forces was traditional, and of the veterinarian service .[3] This tradition was continued by the medical service corps in Heer and Luftwaffe of the Reichswehr and Wehrmacht. However, the corps colour of the Waffen-SS HSS was .
| junior Rank Unterarzt Feldunterarzt (from 1940) | German medical officer rank Assitenzarzt | senior Rank Oberarzt |
The manner of formal addressing of military surgeons/dentists with the rank Assitenzarzt was, "Herr Assitenzarzt"; with the rank "Marineassistenzarzt" - "Herr Marineassisgtenzarzt".
| Ranks Wehrmacht until 1945[4] | Ranks | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medical service | en translation | Equivalent Heer | en equivalent | |
| Generaloberstabsarzt | Senior Staff-Surgeon General | General der Waffengattung | three star rank | OF-8 |
| Staff-Surgeon General | two star rank | OF-7 | ||
| Surgeon General | one star rank | OF-6 | ||
| Colonel (Dr.) | Colonel | OF-5 | ||
| Lieutenant colonel (Dr.) | Lieutenant colonel | OF-4 | ||
| Major (Dr.) | OF-3 | |||
| Captain (Dr.) | Captain (army) | OF-2 | ||
| First lieutenant (Dr.) | First lieutenant | OF-1a | ||
| Assistenzarzt | Second lieutenant (Dr.) | Second lieutenant | OF-1b | |
| Unterarzt | Sergeant 1st Class (Dr.) | Fahnenjunker-Oberfeldwebel | Officer Aspirant | OR-7[5] |
| Feldunterarzt (from 1940) | ||||
| Ranks Kriegsmarine (medical service) | Ranks | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medical service | en translation | Equivalent Kriegsmarine | en equivalent | ||
| Surgeon general | three star rank | OF-8 | |||
| Rear admiral upper half (Dr.) | two star rank | OF-7 | |||
| Rear admiral lower half (Dr.) | one star rank | OF-6 | |||
| Captain naval (Dr.) | Captain (naval) | OF-5 | |||
| Commander (Dr.) | Commander | OF-4 | |||
| Lieutenant commander (Dr.) | Lieutenant commander | OF-3 | |||
| Lieutenant naval (Dr.) | Lieutenant (naval) | OF-2 | |||
| Lieutenant junior grade (Dr.) | Lieutenant (junior grade) | OF-1a | |||
| Marineassistnezarzt | Ensign (Dr.) | Ensign | OF-1b | ||
In the Austria-Hungarian Common Army (de: Gemeinsame Armee or k.u.k. Armee) there were the OF1b-ranks Assitenzarzt and Assitenztierarz until 1918. That particular ranks were comparable to the Leutnant/2nd lieutenant OF1b-rank as well.[6]
| Ranks k.u.k. Army until 1918 | Ranks | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medical service | en | Equivalent Heer | en | ||||
| Staff-Surgeon General | Major general | OF-6 | |||||
| Colonel (Dr. 1st class) | Colonel | OF-5 | |||||
| Lieutenant colonel (Dr. 2nd class) | Lieutenant colonel | OF-4 | |||||
| Major (Dr.) | OF-3 | ||||||
| Captain (Dr. 1st class) | Captain | - | Captain (Dr. 2nd class) | ||||
| First lieutenant (Dr.) | First lieutenant | OF-1 | |||||
| Assistenzarzt | Second lieutenant (Dr.) | Second lieutenant | |||||