
Oberleutnant (ABC-Abwehr,
Feldausführung)
Oberleutnant is a
junior officer rank in the
militaries of Germany
, Switzerland
and Austria
. In
the German army, it dates from the early 19th century. Translated
as "Senior Lieutenant", the rank is typically bestowed upon
commissioned officers after five to six years of active duty
service.
Oberleutnant is used by both the German Heer and Luftwaffe. The
German Navy ("Marine") equivalent is
Oberleutnant zur See.
To differentiate between the other services, the naval rank is
typically listed as
Oberleutnant zur See.
In the
NATO
military comparison system, a German Oberleutnant
is the equivalent of a First
Lieutenant in the Army/Air Forces of Allied nations, a Lieutenant Junior Grade in the
United States Navy, and a
Sub-Lieutenant in the British Royal Navy. In the
Austro-Hungarian Empire this rank was called
k.u.k.
Fregattenleutnant.
During
World War II, the
Waffen-SS equivalent of Oberleutnant was known as
Obersturmführer.
See also