Brown was senior to Fletcher and Halsey. Illness curtailed a career that might otherwise have made him a fleet commander. His background joined Pacific scouting-force experience with leadership of the Naval War College staff and the U.S. Naval Academy. Rear admiral was the highest permanent rank, while vice admirals and admirals held temporary rank through specific billets. Removing a billet could therefore demote an officer without a court-martial. By the Second World War, the Royal Navy had learned to steer officers who served political patrons away from operational advancement while favoring officers who used political relationships on the Navy's behalf. The American arrangement widened the field of eligible commanders but also gave wartime political leaders unusual leverage over senior appointments.
Chapter · 41:34-49:28
Wilson Brown and the politics of American flag rank
Wilson Brown was the senior early carrier commander, and his career exposes how temporary higher ranks gave American political leaders unusual leverage over wartime appointments.