Historical Usage
Fleet Captain has appeared in the navies of Germany (Flottenkapitän) and the United Kingdom as an unofficial title dating back to the 18th century. In the Royal Navy, during the 18th and 19th centuries, an Admiral's flagship might also 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. The "flag captain" would be listed as the ship's "Second Captain" and retain actual command of the vessel.
Read more about this topic: Fleet Captain
Famous quotes containing the words historical and/or usage:
“The proverbial notion of historical distance consists in our having lost ninety-five of every hundred original facts, so the remaining ones can be arranged however one likes.”
—Robert Musil (1880–1942)
“...Often the accurate answer to a usage question begins, “It depends.” And what it depends on most often is where you are, who you are, who your listeners or readers are, and what your purpose in speaking or writing is.”
—Kenneth G. Wilson (b. 1923)