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Fleet captain (US) is a historic military title that was bestowed upon a naval officer who served as chief of staff to a flag officer. In the UK, a captain of the fleet could be appointed to assist an admiral when the admiral had ten or more ships to command.
Historical background
In the Royal Navy, during the 18th and 19th centuries, an admiral's flagship might have a captain of the fleet, who would be ranked between the admiral and the ship's captain (or "flag captain"). The "captain of the fleet" would be listed as the ship's "first captain" and would serve as the admiral's chief-of staff.
Captain of the fleet was a post rather than a rank in itself, and if its holder's permanent rank was below that of an admiral then he ranked just below the most junior rear-admiral and was entitled to the pay and allowance of a rear-admiral whilst he held the post. The admiral's commands would be issued through his captain of the fleet, and the fleet's responses would be passed back to him. This role of intermediary between the overall commander and the commanded was analogous to that of a commander on a large warship, through whom orders were relayed to the crew and responses received. He would also act in some senses and instances as the admiral's chief of staff.
A captain of the fleet would usually be stationed on the admiral's flagship as its "first captain", and so that ship would also have a flag captain or "second captain" for everyday command of the ship itself.
The United States Navy had a similar position in the 19th century, but used the title "fleet captain" instead of "captain of the fleet." The fleet captain was not always actually a captain in rank. For instance, Henry H. Bell was a commander when he served as David G. Farragut's fleet captain in the Civil War. In 1869 the Secretary of the Navy ordered that the title of fleet captain be changed to "chief of staff."
Much later, in 1950–52, then Captain Hilary Biggs was Captain of the Fleet, Home Fleet, afterwards being promoted to rear-admiral and finishing his career as a vice-admiral.
Science fiction
Fleet captain has appeared in several science fiction sources, the most notable of which is Star Trek. As a Starfleet officer rank, there have only been two fleet captains shown in the entirety of Star Trek, both from Star Trek: The Original Series: Garth of Izar and Christopher Pike. Fleet Captain Pike commands the USS Enterprise, Bavali Station, and, through Kirk, the USS Farragut for the duration of a critical situation at Bavali Station. This appears temporary, as later episodes he no longer wears the disk-insignia, and is no longer addressed as Fleet Captain.
The fictional Royal Manticoran Navy of the Honor Harrington series maintains an equivalent rank of "Captain of the List." Captains of the List are typically given more prestigious commands than Captains not yet on the List, such as battlecruisers and superdreadnoughts, and are considered sufficiently "safe" in career terms that their promotion to flag rank is seen as an eventuality of accumulating sufficient seniority. This is equivalent to the Age of Sail Royal Navy term post-captain. Captains of the List use a different style of rank pip than Captains: The lesser title shares the four diamond rank pips with the lower rank of Commander (being distinct from a Commander in having four rank rings at their cuffs instead of three), while the greater has a distinctive disc-shaped rank insignia.
See also
References
- The King's regulations and admiralty instructions for the government of His Majesty's Naval Service. Volume I. (PDF) (2nd ed.). Sir Joseph Causton & Sons, Ltd, 9, Eastcheap, London, E.C. 1916. p. 512. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 December 2023.
- The King's regulations and admiralty instructions for the government of His Majesty's Naval Service. Volume I. (2nd ed.). Sir Joseph Causton & Sons, Ltd, 9, Eastcheap, London, E.C. 1916. p. 191. Archived from the original on 20 December 2023.
- U. S. Navy Department,General Orders and Circulars Issued by the Navy Department from 1863 to 1887, Government Printing Office, 1887, p. 77.
- Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Season 2, episode 6.
- Star Trek:Strange New Worlds, Season 2, Episode 7 to 10.
- Weber, David (April 1993). On Basilisk Station. Baen Books. ISBN 0-671-57793-X.