Counter admiral is a rank found in many navies of the world, but no longer used in English-speaking countries, where the equivalent rank is rear admiral. The term derives from the French contre-amiral, meaning "secondary admiral".
In modern navies that use it, rear (counter) admiral is generally, although not always, the lowest flag officer rank (in the German Navy, for instance, Flottillenadmiral ranks below Konteradmiral; in the Royal Canadian Navy, contre-amiral/Rear Admiral ranks above commodore).
Famous quotes containing the words counter and/or admiral:
“The individual protests against the world, but he doesn’t get beyond protest, he is just a single protester. When he wants to be more than that, he has to counter power with power, he has to oppose the system with another system.”
—Friedrich Dürrenmatt (1921–1990)
“In this country it is a good thing to kill an admiral from time to time to encourage the others.”
—Voltaire [François Marie Arouet] (1694–1778)