Admiral of the Fleet (Royal Navy)

Admiral of the Fleet is a rank of the British Royal Navy and many other navies, the equivalent of Fleet Admiral in the United States Navy. There have been far more officers of this rank in the United Kingdom than in the United States.

Related Topics:
Royal Navy - Fleet Admiral - United States Navy

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The rank evolved from the ancient sailing days of Royal Navy squadrons. Each squadron was designated a colour, that of Red, White, or Blue. Each coloured squadron was assigned an Admiral, who in turn had command over a Vice-Admiral and a Rear Admiral. The Admiral of the Fleet, therefore, commanded the Admirals of the various squadrons and thus, the entirety of the Fleet.

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It was inactivated as a substantive rank in peacetime during defence cuts of the 1990s. While surviving Admirals of the Fleet retain the rank for life, the highest rank to which officers on active service are promoted is now Admiral. It has a NATO ranking code of OF-10, equivalent to a Marshal of the Royal Air Force or a Field Marshal in the British Army.

Related Topics:
Marshal of the Royal Air Force - Field Marshal

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Admiral of the Fleet is also used as a title in some of the world's militaries for the most senior officer of the fleet or Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. In the German Kriegsmarine of the Second World War, the rank was referred to as Grand Admiral.

Related Topics:
Kriegsmarine - Second World War - Grand Admiral

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See also: Fleet Admiral (US)

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