Oberleutnant zur See


Oberleutnant zur See is traditionally the highest rank of Lieutenant in the German Navy. It is grouped as OF-1a in NATO, equivalent to a Lieutenant Junior Grade in the United States Navy, and a Sub-Lieutenant in the Royal Navy
The rank was introduced in the Imperial German Navy by renaming the former rank of Premier Lieutenant in 1890. Within the navy officers of this rank were simply addressed as Herr Oberleutnant. To distinguish naval officers from those of the army, the suffix zur See was added in official communications, sometimes shortened to z.S.. The rank has since been used by the Reichsmarine, Kriegsmarine, and Bundesmarine. In the Volksmarine the rank was originally used in the same way until the suffix zur See was dropped. In the Kriegsmarine engineers of the same rank were distinguished as Oberleutnant .
junior rank
Leutnant zur See




Oberleutnant zur See
senior rank
Kapitänleutnant

See also:

Equivalent in other countries