NAVAL RANKS
For comparative purposes we will use, when possible, british naval ranks for all nations among the web.
For other national ranks, see tables below for each nation.
Note 1: British Royal Navy Ranks of Admiral, Vice-Admiral and Rear-Admiral were seperated into 3 Squadrons. Known as the Red, White and Blue.
There was no rank of Admiral of the Red before 1805.
Note 2: A title given to a senior captain appointed to exercise the prerogatives of a rear-admiral. When the command ended, the commodore reverted to the rank of captain.
Note 3: An officer appointed to command of a rated ship became a captain by virtue of that appointment; it was not possible in the British navy at this time to promote an officer to the rank of captain without appointing him to command of a specific rated ship. The appointment had to be “posted” to be official, and the captain was therefore known as a “post captain” when it was necessary to differentiate him from the commanding officer of an unrated vessel who was called “captain” but held a lower rank, from a captain in the merchant marine, or from a captain in the Marines or Army.
Note 4: Also called Commander . Prior to 1804 the officer held the substantive rank of Lieutenant, to which he reverted at the end of the commission.
British equivalence
&
Responsability
|
|
|
Royal France |
Republican France |
Lord of Admiralty |
Amiral de France 1 |
(Grand) Amiral |
Admiral (of the fleet) |
Vice-Amiral 2 |
Vice-Amiral 2 |
Vice-Admiral |
Lieutenant General |
Contre-Amiral (Rear) 4
|
Rear-Admiral |
Chef d'escadre |
Chef de division |
Captain |
Capitaine de vaisseau
|
Capitaine de vaisseau 5
|
Commanders
and
Senior watch officers
|
Capitaine de fregate 3 |
Capitaine de fregate |
Lieutenant de vaisseau |
Lieutenant de vaisseau
|
Capitaine de brulot
|
Lieutenant |
Enseigne de vaisseau
|
Enseigne de vaisseau
|
Junior watch officer |
Lieutenant de fregate |
Lieutenant de fregate |
Small warship |
Capitaine de flute
|
--- |
Senior Learning officer |
Garde du pavillon |
--- |
Junior Learning officer |
Garde de la marine |
Aspirant |
Note: The French navy also had “auxiliary” officers, non-nobles or officers of the Compagnie des Indes, who could exercise command authority and responsibility.
For instance, a “capitaine de frégate” outranked a lieutenant de vaisseau but not a capitaine de vaisseau.
Auxiliary officers commonly commanded support vessels such as armed transports and fireships, as indicated by the titles of two of the lower ranks, “capitaine de brûlot” (fireship-captain) and “capitaine de flûte” (transport-captain). The highest-ranking navy officers in the Indian Ocean theater, were frigate-captains.
Note 1: Political charge, usually in noble hands and not always in use.
Note 2: Royal France: only 2-3 at a time (just in 1783 were 4 persons with this charge). Revolutionary France: 5 in 1796 and 9 in 1805.
Note 3: Abolished in 1772 .
Note 4: Looks like Contre and Rear Amiral were both used.
Note 5: Captains & Lieutenants were classified in 3 ranks (1st, 2nd & 3rd classe)
Sources:
"Louis XV's navy, 1748-1762: a study of organization and administration", James S. Pritchard (pag. 56). Google books.
"The Seventy Four Gun Ship", Boudriot, Jean, Vol. 4, pag. 11.
SPAIN |
British equivalence |
|
Admiral of the Fleet
& Admiral
|
Capitan General
(Almirante)
|
Vice Admiral |
Teniente General |
Rear Admiral |
Jefe de Escuadra |
Commodore |
Brigadier 1 |
Post Captain |
Capitán de navío |
Commander &
Senior watch officer
|
Capitán de fragata |
Lieutenants &
Mid watch officers |
Teniente de navío
Teniente de fragata |
Junior watch officers
|
Alferez de navío
Alferez de fragata
|
Midshipman |
Guardiamarina |
Note: Until the end of XVIII century, most spanish records use the military land rank instead of the naval.
Note 1: Created in 1773, not temporary as british Commodore. Usually in charge of a 1st or 2nd rate instead of a Captain.
DUTCH |
British equivalence |
|
Lord of Admiralty
|
Admiraal-Generaal 1
|
Admiral |
Lieutenant-Admiraal
|
Vice Admiral |
Vice-Admiraal
|
Rear Admiral |
Schout-bij-nacht
|
Post Captain |
Kapitein
|
Commander
|
Kapitein-lieutenant 2
|
Lieutenant |
Lieutenant |
Midshipman |
Adelborst |
Note 1: A ceremonial, not a sea-going, office held by the head aof the House of Orange.
Note 2: Kapitein-lieutenants commanded larger ships than British commanders, sometimes even ships of the line.
SWEDEN |
British equivalence |
|
Admiral of the Fleet
|
Överamiral
|
Admiral |
Amiral |
Vice Admiral |
Vice-amiral |
Rear Admiral |
Schoutbynacht |
Commodore |
Commendeur |
Senior Captain |
Admiralitets-captein
|
Captain
|
Skeppscaptein |
Commander
|
Kaptein-lieutenant
|
Lieutenant
|
Lieutenant
|
Midshipman |
Sjökadett ?
(Kadett) |
Note: Sweden changed around 1788 naval to land ranks.
RUSSIA |
British equivalence |
|
Admiral of the Fleet
|
General-admiral
|
Admiral |
Admiral |
Vice Admiral |
Vice-admiral |
Rear Admiral |
Shautbenakht
|
Commodore |
Kapitan-komandor
|
Captain 1st rank |
Kapitan pervogo ranga
|
Captain 2nd rank
|
Kapitan vtorogo ranga |
Captain 3rd rank
|
Kapitan tretogo ranga
|
Commander |
Kapitan-leitenant
|
Lieutenant
|
Lieutenant
|
Junior watch officer
|
Unter-leitenant |
Midshipman |
??? |
PORTUGAL |
British equivalence |
|
Rear Admiral
|
Chefe de escuadra
|
Commodore |
Coronel no mar
|
Captain |
Capitão de mar e guerra
|
Commander
|
Capitão-tenente
|
Lieutenant |
Tenente |
Midshipman |
--- |
Officers Land Ranks |
British Naval |
British Land |
Spanish Land |
French Land |
|
Admiral of the Fleet |
Field Marshall |
Capitan General |
Field Marshal |
|
Admiral |
General |
General |
General |
|
Vice Admiral |
Lieutenant General |
Teniente General |
Lieutenant General |
|
Rear Admiral |
Major General |
General de Division |
Brigadier General |
|
Commodore |
Brigadier |
Brigadier 1 |
--- |
|
Post Captain |
Colonel |
Coronel |
Colonel Captain |
|
Commander |
Lieutenant Colonel |
Teniente Coronel |
Major Captain |
|
Captain |
Major |
Capitan |
Capitan |
|
Lieutenant |
Captain |
Teniente |
Lieutenant |
|
Note 1: Created in 1702.
Special thanks to Albert Parker for his contribution to clarify this section.
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