Oberleutnant zur See
shoulder board / cuff title / mounting loop
Country	Germany
Service branch	German Navy
Abbreviation	OLt zS
NATO rank code	OF-1
Formation	1898
Next higher rank	Kapitänleutnant
Next lower rank	Leutnant zur See
Equivalent ranks	Oberleutnant

Oberleutnant zur See (OLt zS or OLZS^[1] in the German Navy, Oblt.z.S. in the Kriegsmarine) is traditionally the highest rank of Lieutenant in the German Navy. It is grouped as OF-1 in NATO.

The rank was introduced in the Imperial German Navy by renaming the former rank of Premier Lieutenant in 1890. Within the navy officers of this rank were simply addressed as Herr Oberleutnant. To distinguish naval officers from those of the army, the suffix zur See (at sea) was added in official communications, sometimes shortened to z.S. (Oblt.z.S.). The rank has since been used by the Reichsmarine, Kriegsmarine, and Bundesmarine. In the Volksmarine the rank was originally used in the same way until the suffix zur See was dropped. In the Kriegsmarine engineers (Ingenieur – Ing.) of the same rank were distinguished as Oberleutnant (Ing.).

junior rank Leutnant zur See

(German officer rank) Oberleutnant zur See

senior rank Kapitänleutnant

See also

• Ranks of the German Bundeswehr
• Rank insignia of the German Bundeswehr

References