Captain lieutenant Captain lieutenant or captain - lieutenant is a military rank , used in a number of different navies worldwide . It is generally equivalent to the Commonwealth or US rank of lieutenant , and has the NATO rank code of OF - 2 , though this can vary . Russia and ex - Soviet bloc . " Kapitan - lejtenant " ( ) is a rank in the Russian Navy , previously the Red Fleet / Soviet Navy and Imperial Russian Navy . It is the rank below a captain of the 3rd rank and above a senior lieutenant . In Soviet times , it may be achieved as early as an officer ' s 5th year of service . In Russian and other East - European navies it is the most senior junior officer rank ( equivalent to " captain " in the Army / Ground Forces ) . The US Navy considers this rank equivalent to lieutenant . On the other hand , the Russians assign this rank the two - and - a - half stripe insignia used in Britain and the US for lieutenant commander s . In terms of responsibilities , officers of this rank may serve as department heads on larger warships , but may also serve as commanding officers of 3rd and 4th rank warships ( Russian ship classifications referring to all from " Krivak " - class frigates to gunboats and minesweepers ) . Unlike the equivalent rank in the German Navy , submarines are at least nominally not on the list of eligible positions . In the past , when the boats were smaller , captain - lieutnants were eligible for the submarine command . However , in current Soviet / Russian ship ranking no modern submarine is given 3rd rank . This reflects the high status of submarines , as all nuclear submarines ( SSBN or SSN ) are considered 1st rank and large and medium diesels 2nd rank , while smaller 3rd rank submarines simply aren ' t built . The rank is also used by the navies of several ex - Soviet republics and former Eastern bloc countries . It is used in the navies of Ukraine ( " kapitan - leitenant " ) , Bulgaria ( " kapitan - lejtenant " ) and Latvia ( " kapitan - leitnant " ) . These are equivalent to lieutenant ( OF - 2 ) . The Estonian navy also has the rank of " kaptenleitnant " , but this is rated higher , equivalent to commander ( OF - 4 ) . Germany . " 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 " " Kaleun " " ( 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 Kaleun " " ( historical usage ) by his crew . Rank insignia includes two - and - a - half stripes on shoulder boards ( or rings on sleeves ) . Finland , Denmark and Norway . 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 " ) . Netherlands . In the Royal Netherlands Navy , a " kapitein - luitenant ter zee " is equivalent to a US Navy or Royal Navy commander ( OF - 4 ) . United Kingdom . Captain - lieutenant was formerly a rank in the British Army ; the senior subaltern rank , above lieutenant and below captain . A regiment ' s field officer s - its colonel , lieutenant colonel , and major - originally commanded their own companies , as well as carrying out their regimental command duties . However , from the 17th century onwards , the colonel increasingly became a patron and ceremonial head instead of an actual tactical commander , with command in the field devolving to the lieutenant colonel . This left the colonel ' s company without a captain . The lieutenant of this company thus became its acting captain . This state of affairs was formally recognised with the creation of the rank of captain - lieutenant , with its own entry in the table of prices for the purchase of commissions . In 1772 captain - lieutenants were granted rank as captains in their regiments and in the Army . The rank was abolished sometime in the early 19th century . France . The French Army of the " Ancien Régime " used a rank of " capitaine - lieutenant " very similar to the British one . It was mostly encountered in the Royal Guard ( " maison militaire du roi " ) , where the king was officially captain of most of the guard companies , but the effective command was in the hands of a captain - lieutenant . D ' Artagnan is perhaps the most famous captain - lieutenant in French history , as commander of the first " mousquetaire " company . Estonia . In the Estonian Navy the similarly sounding rank of " kaptenleitnant " is an officer rank classified as NATO OF - 4 , i . e . equal to commander in the Royal Navy and United States Navy . As the commander of the Estonian Navy is a captain , this is the de facto second highest rank in the Estonian Navy . Portugal and Brazil . In the Portuguese Navy , a " capitão - tenente " is the equivalent naval rank to a British or American lieutenant commander ( OF - 3 ) . The Brazilian Navy uses the rank of " capitão - tenente " , in the same manner as the Navy of Portugal , but in contrast to those of other South American countries . It is equivalent to the USN and RN lieutenant ( OF - 2 ) .