Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 1:06:00-1:06:35

Commodore as a Royal Navy appointment

Harwood at the River Plate and Clapp in 1982 illustrate how commodore once described a command appointment rather than a substantive Royal Navy rank.

Battle Of The River PlateCommodoresMichael ClappNaval RankRoyal Navy
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Question

Was Henry Harwood a commodore by substantive rank at the Battle of the River Plate?

Short answer

No; he was a captain holding a commodore appointment, a distinction the Royal Navy retained until commodore became a constituted rank in the 1990s.

Notes

Henry Harwood remained a captain by substantive rank while serving as Commodore, South American Division. Michael Clapp's appointment as Commodore Amphibious Task Group in 1982 followed the same logic. The office carried the title, authority, treatment, and uniform appropriate to a commodore without permanently changing the officer's underlying rank. On leaving the appointment or retiring, the officer reverted to the substantive title. The Royal Navy made commodore a constituted rank in the 1990s.