Leutnant is the lowest officer rank of the German Wehrmacht of World War II. The rank of leutnant was used in the Heer (Army) and Luftwaffe (Air Force) ranks. For those with little German background, this rank is pronounced as "LOYT-nent". It is equivalent to the Kriegsmarine (Navy) rank of Leutnant zur See. While technically in position over enlisted and NCOs, it was the lowest officer rank and did not often command much respect especially from high ranking NCOs. Being the lowest of all officer ranks, it was generally held by young men and those who were just NCO Officer Candidates with only a year or two in active service.
The rank was represented by the Junior officer shoulderboards with no pips. The shoulder boards were woven with silver thread and would then have "colored piping" or waffenfarbe along the edges indicating what branch of the service the soldier was from.
For full rank structures of the German Wehrmacht, see Wehrmacht Ranks.