Captain (Naval) Information
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel.
The equivalent rank in some navies translates as "ship captain" (eg French - capitaine de vaisseau), "captain of sea and war" (Portuguese capitão de mar e guerra), "captain at sea" (eg German kapitän zur see) or "captain of the first rank" (Russian - капитан 1-го ранга).
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Role
The command of a ship is often given to the naval rank equivalent to a commissioned officer between commander (OF-4) and commodore or rear admiral (OF-6).[Note 1] The naval rank should not be confused with the army, air force or marine rank of captain, which has a NATO code of OF-3.
Title
Any naval officer who commands a ship (titled commanding officer, or CO) is addressed by naval custom as "captain" while aboard in command. Officers with the rank of captain travelling aboard a vessel they do not command should be addressed by their rank and name (e.g., "Captain Smith"), but they should not be referred to as "the captain" to avoid confusion with the vessel's captain.[1]
On large ships (e.g., aircraft carriers), the executive officer (XO) may be a captain in rank, in which case it would be proper to address the him by rank. Often the XO prefers to be called XO to avoid confusion with the CO, who is also a captain in rank and the captain of the ship.[2].
Commands
Captains with sea commands generally command ships of cruiser size or larger, the more senior the officer, the larger the ship, but ship commanders do not normally hold a higher rank than captain. In the Royal Navy, a captain might command a destroyer flotilla with the appointment (not rank) of captain (D), while naval aviator and naval flight officer captains in the U.S. Navy command aircraft carriers, large-deck amphibious assault ships, carrier air wings, maritime patrol air wings and functional and specialized air wings and air groups.
Rear admirals will normally embark on large capital ships such as aircraft carriers, which will function as the flagship for their strike group or battle group, but a captain will retain command of the actual ship. Even when a senior officer who is in the ship's captain's chain of command is present, all orders are given through the captain as a courtesy. Many captains hold shore commands and staff positions afloat and ashore.
Captains in national navies
The following articles deal with the rank of captain as it is used in various navies.
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Captain insignia of Royal Navy and Captain(N) of the Canadian Forces |
Insignia of a U.S. Navy Captain |
Capitán de Navío (Ship-of-the-Line Captain) of the Armada Española (Spanish Navy) |
Ploiarchos (Captain) insignia of Hellenic Navy |
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Komandor insignia of the Polish Navy |
Notes
- ^ The Polish Navy is, however, a notable exception with "naval captain" (Polish - kapitan marynarki) in the OF-2 rank of lieutenant or captain lieutenant and the OF-5 rank being a "commander" (Polish - komandor).
References
- ^ William P. Mack, Harry A. Seymour, Lesa A. McComas (1998). The naval officer's guide. U.S. Navy: Naval Institute Press. p. 91. ISBN 9781557506450. http://books.google.com/books?id=I9dMY47E0jwC&lpg=PA87&ots=RDoU0OCv1w&dq=Addressing%20the%20Officers%20and%20Crew&pg=PA91.
- ^ J. D. Fontana, R. M. Hillyer (1990). General Guide to NOSC Civilians Boarding Navy Ships. San Diego: Naval Oceans System Center. p. 9. http://www.spawar.navy.mil/sti/publications/pubs/sd/333/NOSCTD600b.pdf.
Categories: Military ranks of Australia | Military ranks of Canada | Military ranks of the United States Coast Guard | Military ranks of the United States Navy | Naval ranks
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