Fregattenkapitän

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

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

Austro-Hungary

Belgium

Germany

Fregattenkapitän
Country	Germany
Service branch	German Navy
Abbreviation	FKpt
Rank group	Senior officer
NATO rank code	OF-4
Formation	?
Next higher rank	Kapitän zur See
Next lower rank	Korvettenkapitän
Equivalent ranks	Oberstleutnant

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

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

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

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

• Frigate Captain
• Commander

References

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.