Who takes command after a ship's officers are wounded

Could an officer outside a ship's normal command chain take charge during a wartime emergency?

Yes. Rank mattered, while urgent engineering work could affect the choice among officers of similar rank. A higher-ranking chief engineer might still have to take command.

An embarked captain could take command ahead of a junior lieutenant in the ship's usual succession. Among officers of similar rank, immediate needs could instead leave a lieutenant in command while the chief engineer kept damaged machinery running. A lieutenant commander serving as chief engineer might have to take command if only lieutenants survived. In an unnamed example, a commodore took over after the command team was wounded and left the surviving senior engineer to deal with a damaged engine room. Rank and the work needed to save the ship both shaped the choice.