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| Oberleutnant zur See | |
|---|---|
   shoulder board / cuff title / mounting loop | |
| Country |  Germany |
| Service branch |  German Navy |
| Abbreviation | OLt zS |
| NATOrank code | OF-1 |
| Formation | 1898 |
| Next higher rank | Kapitänleutnant |
| Next lower rank | Leutnant zur See |
| Equivalent ranks | Oberleutnant |
Oberleutnant zur See (OLt zS orOLZS[1] in theGerman Navy,Oblt.z.S. in theKriegsmarine) is traditionally the highest rank of Lieutenant in the German Navy. It is grouped asOF-1 in NATO.
The rank was introduced in theImperial German Navy by renaming the former rank ofPremier Lieutenant in 1890. Within the navy, officers of this rank were simply addressed asHerr Oberleutnant. To distinguish naval officers from those of the army, the suffixzur See (at sea) was added in official communications, sometimes shortened toz.S. (Oblt.z.S.). The rank has since been used by theReichsmarine,Kriegsmarine, andBundesmarine. In theVolksmarine, the rank was originally used in the same way until the suffixzur See was dropped. In theKriegsmarine, engineers (Ingenieur – Ing.) of the same rank were distinguished asOberleutnant (Ing.).
| junior rank Leutnant zur See |  (German officer rank) | senior rank Kapitänleutnant |