Assistenzarzt (military)

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 lieutenant (de: Leutant zur See) NATO-Rangcode OF1b in anglophone armed forces.

Wehrmacht
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 OF2b-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.

The corps colour of the military Health Service Support (HSS) in German armed forces was traditional dark blue, and of the veterinarian service carmine red. 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 “cornflower blue”.

Address
The manner of formal addressing of military surgeons/dentists with the rank Assitenzarzt was, „Herr Assitenzarzt“.

Rank insignias
On the shoulder straps (Heer, Luftwaffe) there was the blank Leutanat shoulder board and the career insignia (de: Laufbahnabzeichen) as symbol of the medical standing, or course of studies. The piping on shoulder straps shows the Waffenfarbe (en: corps- or troop-function colour), corresponding to the appropriate military service, branch, or special force.

Austria-Hungary
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.