Fregattenkapitän (English: Frigate captain) is the middle ranking senior officer in a number of Germanic-speaking navies.

Austro-Hungary

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Belgium

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Germany

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Fregattenkapitän
     
Country  Germany
Service branch  German Navy
AbbreviationFKpt
Rank groupSenior officer
NATO rank codeOF-4
Formation?
Next higher rankKapitän zur See
Next lower rankKorvettenkapitän
Equivalent ranksOberstleutnant

Fregattenkapitän, short: FKpt / in lists: FK, is the middle Senior officer rank (German: Stabsoffizier Rang) in the German Navy.[1]

It is the equivalent of frigate captain or commander in other navies, and the equivalent of Oberstleutnant in the German army and air force.

Address

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In line with ZDv 10/8, the official manner of formally addressing military personnel holding the rank of Fregattenkapitän (OF-4) is "Herr/Frau Fregattenkapitän". However, following German naval tradition the "Fregattenkapitän" is usually addressed as "Herr/Frau Kapitän" or in seamen's language as "Herr/Frau Kap'tän".

Rank Insignia and Rating

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

The rank is rated OF-4[2] in NATO, and is equivalent to Oberstleutnant in Heer, and Luftwaffe. It is domiciled at the A14 and A15 pay scale of the Federal Ministry of Defence and is senior to the rank of Korvettenkapitän (NATO OF-3 - Commander Junior Grade).[3]

Whereas the equivalent ranks (with the same insignia stripes) in Belgium and Denmark are NATO-translated as Commander Senior Grade, the German equivalent is simply termed Commander.[4]

History

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Insignia Shoulder Sleeve Higher/lower
rank
  Imperial German Navy[5]     Kapitän zur See
Korvettenkapitän
  Reichsmarine[6]    
  Kriegsmarine[7]    
  Volksmarine[8]    
  German Navy[9]    

See also

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References

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  1. ^ official rank table of the German Navy
  2. ^ "STANAG 2116 NATO Codes for Grades of Military Personnel".
  3. ^ "STANAG 2116 NATO Codes for Grades of Military Personnel".
  4. ^ "STANAG 2116 Details". NATO.
  5. ^ "Dienstgrade und Uniformen". kleiner-kreuzer-dresden.de (in German). Archived from the original on 30 July 2017. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ Mollo, Andrew (2001). The Armed Forces of World War II: Uniforms, Insignia & Organisation. Leicester: Silverdale books. p. 19. ISBN 1-85605-603-1.
  8. ^ 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.
  9. ^ "Dienstgradabzeichen Marine". bundeswehr.de (in German). Bundeswehr. Retrieved 30 May 2021.