A successful warship informally carried the people needed to form several prize crews. The first captured vessel usually went to the first lieutenant with sailors and supporting warrant or junior officers. Later prizes might go to a second or third lieutenant, depending partly on whom the captain could spare. A senior midshipman commonly came next, followed by a master's mate if captures continued. The captain still had to retain enough trusted officers and the ship's sailing master to operate his own vessel. The sequence shows how prize-taking created real independent commands while progressively weakening the capturing ship's personnel depth.
Notable Point · 58:59-1:00:51
The descending command ladder for prize crews
Successive captures could strip a warship of senior officers as prize commands descended from lieutenants to midshipmen and master's mates.