The naval base commander at Clyde became a commodore appointment after earlier periods in which comparable responsibilities could sit with a rear admiral. Later consolidation also joined submarine-service leadership with senior representation for Scotland and Northern Ireland. A commodore may possess the skill to do the work yet carry less institutional weight when dealing with senior politicians. Rank therefore functions as external signaling as well as an internal chain-of-command device.
Notable Point · 2:09:12-2:12:45
Why cutting flag rank can weaken institutional authority
Changing the Clyde and submarine commands from rear-admiral to commodore appointments saved a senior billet but reduced the visible status carried into political dealings.