Command of the 36-gun HMS Crescent illustrates the gap between formal rank rules and Royal Navy practice in wartime. Saumarez was substantively a commander while acting in a captain's role, then defeated and captured the French frigate Réunion in a celebrated single-ship action. He subsequently led a small frigate squadron defending the Channel Islands, effectively exercising still greater authority before finally receiving full post-captain rank. These expedients can mislead historians into treating exceptional appointments as formal changes to the Navy's rank system.
Chapter · 12:04-16:25
HMS Crescent shows how the Navy bent rank rules
The Admiralty placed Saumarez in a rated frigate before his substantive rank neatly fit the post, prioritizing a proven officer over tidy regulations.