Captain Lieutenant - Germany and Other European Navies

Germany and Other European Navies

Kapitänleutnant is the third lowest officer's rank in the German Navy. The U.S. Navy's rank of lieutenant is equal to Kapitänleutnant in NATO's military hierarchy (classed as OF-2). Nevertheless, a Kapitänleutnant may command smaller ships (e.g. submarines class 206A) or serve as principal warfare officer on larger warships, giving the rank responsibilities more along those of a lieutenant commander in the U.S or Royal navies. The abbreviation of the title to "Kaleu" (contemporary usage) is used officially in verbal communication; the commander of the Type VIIC U-boat U96 in the film Das Boot was of this rank, and called "Herr Kaleu" (historical usage) by his crew.

Rank insignia includes two-and-a-half stripes on shoulder boards (or rings on sleeves).

The same rank is used in the navies of Finland (kapteeniluutnantti), Denmark (kaptajnløjtnant) and Norway (kapteinløytnant). The latest revision of the relevant NATO STANAG standardization agreement makes the longstanding courtesy practice of translating the rank into English as "lieutenant commander" for all German, Danish and Norwegian officers of that rank official. The Norwegian Navy goes a step further in ranking the kapteinløytnant as OF-3 when serving afloat, disregarding the Norwegian national tri-service ranking (which still equates the kapteinløytnant with the Army rank of kaptein).

In the Royal Netherlands Navy, a kapitein-luitenant ter zee is equivalent to a US Navy or Royal Navy commander (OF-4); while in the Portuguese Navy, a capitão-tenente is equivalent to a British or American lieutenant commander (OF-3).