Vizeadmiral


Vizeadmiral, short VAdm in lists VADM, is a senior naval flag officer rank in the German Navy. It is equivalent to Generalleutnant in the Heer and Luftwaffe or to Admiraloberstabsarzt and/or Generaloberstabsarzt in the Zentraler Sanitätsdienst der Bundeswehr.
In the German Navy Vizeadmiral is, as in many navies, a three-star rank with a NATO code of OF-8. However, in other German speaking naval forces, e.g. Kaiserliche Marine, Kriegsmarine, Volksmarine, and the Austro-Hungarian K.u.K. Kriegsmarine, Vizeadmiral was an OF-7 two-star flag officer rank.

Address

The official manner of formal addressing of military people with the rank Vizeadmiral is "Herr/Frau Vizeadmiral". However, as to German naval traditions the “Vizeadmiral“ will be addressed "Herr/Frau Admiral".

Rank insignia and rating

Its rank insignia, worn on the sleeves and shoulders, are one five-pointed star above a big gold stripe and two normal once. It is grade B8 in the pay rules of the Federal Ministry of Defence.
The sequence of ranks in that particular group is as follows:

National People's Army

Vizeadmiral was the second lowest flag officer grade of the Volksamarine, equivalent to the two-star rank Generalleutnant.
In the GDR Volksmarine there were 3 flag officer ranks: Konteradmiral, Vizeadmiral, and Admiral. The GDR State Council decided from 25 March 25, 1982 to introduce the rank of Flottenadmiral.
;Vizeadmirals of the GDR Volksmarine:
NameDatesNameDates
Born, Hendrik1944-Neukirchen, Heinz1915-1986
Hesse, Gustav1931-2001Nordin, Wilhelm1924-1993
Hofmann, Hans1933-Wansierski, Bruno1904-1994
Kutzschebauch, Günter1930-1996-

Junior rank
Konteradmiral

Vizeadmiral		Senior rank
Admiral

Imperial German Navy and ''Kriegsmarine''

In the Kaiserliche Marine and Kriegsmarine, Vizeadmiral was an OF-7 one-star flag officer rank equivalent to a Heer or Luftwaffe Generalleutnant, and to an SS-Gruppenführer and Generalleutnant of the Waffen-SS.
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 on padding in navy blue weapon color.
Cuff insignia consisted of one golden big stripe, two normal stripes, and a five-point naval star above. The sleeve rings encircled the lower cuffs.
The last surviving Kriegsmarine Vizeadmiral, Admiralstabsarzt Emil Greul, died at the age of 97 on 30 October 1993.
Junior rank
Konteradmiral

Vizeadmiral		Senior rank
Admiral

''K.u.K. Kriegsmarine''

In the Austro-Hungarian K.u.K. Kriegsmarine there were the flag-officer ranks Kontreadmiral, Viceadmiral, and Admiral, as well as Großadmiral.