Korvettenkapitän

This article is about the Germanic "Korvettenkapitän". For the use of this rank in other countries, see Corvette captain.

Korvettenkapitän (German: [kɔʁˈvɛtn̩kapiˌtɛːn] ^ⓘ; English: Corvette captain) is the lowest ranking senior officer in a number of Germanic-speaking navies.

Austro-Hungary

Georg von Trapp, who served in the Austrian Navy during the First World War, had an orderly named Hans who, immediately after the Anschluss, addressed the captain as "Herr Korvettenkapitän" and informed him that he had been a secret member of the Nazi party.^[1]

Belgium

Germany

Corvette captain Korvettenkapitän
Country	Germany
Service branch	German Navy
Abbreviation	KKpt
Rank group	Field officer
NATO rank code	OF-3
Next higher rank	Fregattenkapitän
Next lower rank	Kapitänleutnant
Equivalent ranks	Major

Korvettenkapitän, short: KKpt/in lists: KK, (English: Corvette captain) is the lowest senior officer rank (German: Stabsoffizier Rang) in the German Navy.^[2]

Address

The official manner, in line to ZDv 10/8, of formal addressing of military people with the rank Korvettenkapitän (OF-3) is "Herr/Frau Korvettenkapitän". However, as to German naval traditions the "Korvettenkapitän" will be addressed "Herr/Frau Kapitän", often in line to seamen's language "Herr/Frau Kap'tän".

Rank insignia and rating

See also: Ranks of the German Bundeswehr and Rank insignia of the German Bundeswehr

Rank insignia Korvettenkapitän, worn on the sleeves and shoulders, are one five-pointed star above three stripes (or rings on sleeves; without the star when rank loops are worn).

The rank is rated OF-3a^[3] in NATO, and equivalent to Major in Heer, and Luftwaffe. It is grade A13 in the pay rules of the Federal Ministry of Defence and is senior to the regular OF-2 rank of Kapitänleutnant (en: Lt), as well as to OF-2 Stabskapitänleutnant.

German Navy officer rank
Line officer career
junior rank Kapitänleutnant		Korvettenkapitän (Oberstabsarzt) Major	senior rank Fregattenkapitän
Warrant officer / officer specialist career
Kapitänleutnant	Stabskapitänleutnant	end of officer specialist career

History

German navies until 1945

Main articles: Military ranks of the German Empire, Military ranks of the Weimar Republic, and Uniforms and insignia of the Kriegsmarine

In the Imperial German Navy and Kriegsmarine the "Korvettenkapitän" was the lowest officer rank of the senior officer's rank group. The rank insignia consisted of shoulder strap and sleeve stripes. Shoulder straps had to be worn on uniform jackets and consisted of twisted silver-braids (without pip/star) on padding in navy blue weapon color.

Cuff insignia consisted of three stripes, and a five-point naval star above. The sleeve rings encircled the lower cuffs.

Volksmarine

Main article: Ranks of the Volksmarine

Korvettenkapitän was in the Volksmarine of the GDR the lowest grade of the senior officer's rank group. It was comparable to Major of the NPA Land Force and Air Force.

The rank insignia consisted of shoulder strap and sleeve stripes. Shoulder straps had to be worn on uniform jackets and consisted of twisted silver-braids with one gold pip (star) on padding in navy blue weapon color.

Cuff insignia consisted of three stripes, and a five-point naval star above. In contradiction to Imperial German Navy tradition, where sleeve rings encircled the lower cuffs, the Volksmarine cuff strips formed 40% rings.

Insignia

Insignia	Shoulder	Sleeve	Higher/lower rank
Imperial German Navy[4]			Fregattenkapitän Kapitänleutnant
Reichsmarine[5]
Kriegsmarine[6]
Volksmarine[7]
German Navy[8]

References

1. Maria von Trapp, Story of the Trapp Family Singers (1949).
2. official rank table of the German Navy
3. STANAG 2116
4. "Dienstgrade und Uniformen". kleiner-kreuzer-dresden.de (in German). Archived from the original on 30 July 2017. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
5. Hoyer, K; Brennecke, F (1925). Die Uniformen des Reichsheeres und der Reichsmarine nebst amtlichen Uniformtafeln; mit Genehmigung des Reichswehrministeriums (in German). Charlottenburg: Verlag "Offene Worte, ". OCLC 44571687.
6. Mollo 2001, p. 19.
7. Luft, Kathleen (1988). "National Security". In Burant, Stephen R. (ed.). East Germany: a country study. Area Handbook (3rd ed.). Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress. pp. 264–265. LCCN 87600490. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
8. "Dienstgradabzeichen Marine". bundeswehr.de (in German). Bundeswehr. Retrieved 30 May 2021.

• Mollo, Andrew (2001). The Armed Forces of World War II: Uniforms, Insignia & Organisation. Leicester: Silverdale books. ISBN 1-85605-603-1.