| |
Regulations & Instructions - 1808
Relating to His majesty's service at sea.
Section II - Chapter I
Of Rank and Command.
<--Previous - Next-->
|
| Page 37 |
| Article I |
THE Commissioned Officers of His Majesty's Navy are divided into the following Ranks and Denominations, viz.
Flag Officers.- Captains, who command Post Ships.- Commanders, who command Sloops.- Lieutenant.- Sub Lieutenants.
The Flag Officers are divided into three Ranks, viz: Admirals, Vice-Admirals, Rear-Admirals.- Each Rank is divided into three Squadrons, distinguished by Flags of different colours ; they are to rank and to command in the following Order, via
Admiral and Commander in Chief of the Fleet.
Admirals of the Red.
Admirals of the White.
Admirals of the Blue.
Vice-Admirals of the Red,
............ of the white,
........... of the Blue.
Rear-Admirals of the Red,
............ of the White,
............ of the Blue.
The Admiral of the Fleet is to carry an Union Flag at the Main Top Gallant Mast-head, the other Admirals are to carry the Flag by which the Squadron they belong to is distinguished, Admirals carrying it as the Main, Vice-Admirals at the Fore, and Rear Admirals at the Mizen Top-gallant Mast-bead.
|
Ranks and denominations of commissioned Officers.
Flag Officers.
Admiral where to carry their Flags. |
| Page 38 |
| Article II |
| Flag Officers of the same Rank are to command according to the priority of their Commissions, or, if they have Commissions of the same date, according to the Order in which they stand on the list of the Officers of the Navy. |
Flag Officers to Command according to the priority of their Commissions. |
| Article III |
| There shall be a temporary rank of Commodore which shall be distinguished by a Broad Pendant, Red, White, or Blue. It shall commence when the Pendant is hoisted, and shall cease when the Pendant is struck. If a Captain is appointed to command the Ship which carries such Pendant, the Commodore shall rank and be paid as the junior Rear Admiral. If the Commodore commands the Ship himself, the Pendant shall have a large white Ball near the Staff, and he shall not rank as Rear-Admiral. If two or more Commodores shall serve together, they shall take precedence and command according to the dates of their Commissions as Captains. A Commodore shall rank neat to the Captain of the Fleet who, if not a Flag Officer, is to take rank after the junior Rear-Admiral. |
Commodore temporary Rank of ; distinguishing Pendants. |
| Page 39 |
| Article IV |
| Captains and Commanders are to take precedence, and to command in their respective ranks, according to the dates of their Commissions, or, having Commissions of the same date, according to the order in which they stand on the list of the Navy.
|
Captains to command according to the dates of their Commissions. |
| Article V |
| Lieutenants shall take precedence, and shall command according to the dates of their Commissions, or, having Commissions of the same date, according to the order in which they stand on the list of the Navy, as well in the Ships to which they belong, as on any service on which the Lieutenants of several Ships shall be employed ; except the Lieutenants of Flag Ships, who are in all situations to take precedence, and to command, in such Order as the Flag Officer shall direct. The same Regulations apply to Sub-lieutenants. |
Lieutenants to command according to the dates of their Commissions, Lieutenants of Flag Ships excepted. |
| Page 40 |
| Article VI |
| No Officer is to have the rank of Captain until he is appointed by a Commission from the Admiralty, or from a Commander in Chief, in consequence of directions from the Admiralty, to command a Ship of War of Twenty Guns or upwards. But a Commander, or where there is no Commander, a Lieutenant, appointed by a Commander in Chief to act as Captain of such Ship of war, shall, during his continuance in such Command, be considered to all intents and purposes as a Captain, with the exception of being allowed to sit as a member at a Court Martial, and he shall be subject to the orders of all Captains though the date of his Order to act be prior to the dates of their Commissions. |
No Officers to have the rank of Captain until he is appointed by a Commission to command a Ship of 20 guns or upwards.
Commander or Lieutenant to be considered as Captain when appointed to act in such Ship, but to be subject to the orders of all Captains. |
| Article VII |
| If a Captain shall, under any circumstances, accept of the command of a Ship under the class of a Post Ship, he shall, during such command, be considered as a Commander, superior to all other Commanders, but subject to the orders of all Captains commanding Post Ships ; but this shall not affect his rank if he shall at any future period command a Post Ship. |
A Captain is to be considered as a Commander when commanding a ship under the class of a Post Ship, this however not to affect his rank. |
| Article VIII |
| The Order in which Officers shall take precedence and command in the Ship to which they belong, is as follows: .- Captain or Commander.- Lieutenant.- Sub-lieutenants.- Master.- Second Master.- Guuner.- Boatswain.- Carpenter.- Master's Mate.- Midshipmen. |
Order in which Officers are to take precedence and command on board Ship. |
| Page 41 |
| Article IX |
| If a Flag Officer, Commander in Chief of a Squadron, shall meet with a superior or senior Flag Officer, he is to wait on him with the orders under which he is acting, except such as be is directed to keep secret, and to report to him the condition of his Squadron ; and he is, notwithstanding his appointment of Commander in Chief, to be subject to the orders of such superior or senior Officer, who may, if the public Service require it, take him and his Squadron under his Command ; but a Flag Officer meeting a junior Flag Officer is not, without the most absolute necessity, to require him to shew any secret orders, nor to interfere in his Command, nor divert him from executing the orders he has received, nor take him under his Command ; but if, in consequence of the public Service requiring it, he should find it necessary to do so, he is to resign the Command to him again, and allow him to execute the Service on which he was employed, as soon as the necessity for keeping him under his orders shall cease. |
Flag Officer Commanding a Squadron meeting a Superior Officer, how he is to act.
Flag Officer meeting a junior Flag Officer not to interfere with the orders he is under without absolute necessity. |
| Article X |
| If any Captain shall meet with a Flag Officer or a senior Captain, he is to wait on him with the Orders under which he is acting and report to him the state and condition of his Ship ; but such Flag Officer or senior Captain is not to divert him from the Service on which he is employed, nor take him under his Command, nor in any way interfere with the orders he has received, unless the public Service shall absolutely demand it, in which case he is to act as circumstances shall require ; but he is to allow hum to execute the orders under which he was acting when they met, if it. be still proper to execute them, as soon as it shall be, possible for him to do so. |
A Captain meeting with a Flag Officer or senior Captain, how he is to act.
Flag Officer or senior Captain not to interfere with the orders he is under, unless the public service shall absolutely require it. |
| Page 42 |
| Article XI |
| If it shall be found absolutely necessary to divert any Squadron or Ship from the Service on which it was ordered, the Officer, by whose Orders such diversion takes place, is to use the best means in his power to prevent any inconvenience resulting from the delay of the Service on which such Squadron or Ship was employed, and he is to take the very first possible opportunity of informing the Secretary of the Admiralty of what he may have done ; and if the Ships so diverted belong to the Squadron of another Admiral, he is also to acquaint such Admiral, and of his reasons for doing it.
|
Officer finding it necessary to divert any Squadron or Ship from the Service on which it was ordered, to state his reasons to the Admiralty. |
| Article XII |
| When a Flag Officer shall be in any Port or Road in His Majesty's Dominions, he is, at the setting of the watch at night, to fire one Gun previous to which the Tatoo is to be beaten on board his Ship, and all other Ships in company. If more than one Flag Officer, or Commodore with a Broad Pendant, be present, the senior only is to fire a Gun, and the others, in succession, are to fire a volley of Musketry, beginning with the second in Command. In all Ships not carrying a Flag, or Broad Pendant, the Sentinels are to fire their muskets. |
Flag Officer to fire one Gun at the setting of the Watch in the evening.
The senior Flag Officer only to fire the evening gun. |
| Page 43 |
| Article XIII |
| At the relieving of the watch in the morning the senior Flag Officer is to fire a gun, and the other Flag Officers or Commodore in succession a volley of Musketry, and the Centinels, in all other Ships, their Muskets, after which the Reveillez is to be beaten in every Ship present. |
Flag Officer is to fire a gun at the relieving of the watch in the morning, and the Reveillez to be beaten in every Ship. |
| Article XIV |
| If there should not be a Flag Officer or Commodore at any of His Majesty's Ports where Guard Ships are stationed, the senior Captain is to fire the Watch Gun, but Ships at anchor in any other Port, without a Flag Officer or Commodore, are not to fire the Watch Gun, but are to set and relieve the Watch by beating a drum, and the Centinels firing their Muskets. |
Senior Captain to fire the Watch Gun at any of the Ports where Guard Ships are stationed if there be no Flag Officer. |
| Article XV |
| From the 25th of March to the 21st of September, the Watch is to be set at nine o'clock, and from the 21st of September to the 25th of March at eight o'clock, in the evening ; it is always to be relieved at day break in the morning. |
At what time the Watch to be set and relieved. |
| Page 44 |
| Article XVI |
| The senior Officer of any number of His Majesty�s Ships, which may anchor in any Foreign Port or Road, is to fire the Watch Guns, except in those places in which the regulations of the Port do not admit of guns being fired. |
Senior Officer to fire the Watch Guns in Foreign Ports. |
<--Previous - Next-->
^ back to top ^ |
