Ranks in the French Navy
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The rank insignia of the French Navy are worn on epaulettes of shirts and white jackets, and on sleeves for navy jackets and mantels.
Until 2005, only officers had an anchor on their insignia, but warrant officers are now receiving them as well.
Unlike in the French army and air force, one does not prepend mon to the name of the rank when addressing an officer (that is, not mon capitaine, but simply capitaine and officers are not called Mon Commandant, but only Commandant). [1] This custom is sometimes said to date back to the Battle of Trafalgar, when Napoleon decided that French Navy officers did not deserve to be called "monsieur" (mon being here elliptical for monsieur) or (the "mon" in mon Commandant does not mean "my", but "sir").
Commanding officers have titles of capitaine, but are called commandant (in the army, both capitaine and commandant are ranks, which tends to stir some confusion among the public).
The two highest ranks, vice-amiral d'escadre and amiral, are functions, rather than ranks. They are assumed by officers ranking vice-amiral. The only Amiral de la Flotte was François Darlan after he was refused the dignity of Amiral de France. Equivalent to Maréchal de France, the dignity of Amiral de France remains theoretical, as it was last granted in 1869, during the Second Empire, but retained during the Third Republic until the death of its bearer in 1873.
| Officiers généraux - General officers | ||||
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| Contre-Amiral | Vice-Amiral | Vice-Amiral d'escadre | Amiral | Amiral de la Flotte |
| Counter-Admiral/Rear Admiral (Commodore) |
Vice-Admiral (Rear Admiral) |
Squadron Vice-Admiral (Vice Admiral) |
Admiral (Admiral) |
Admiral of the Fleet (Fleet Admiral) |
| Officiers supérieurs - Senior officers | ||||
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| Capitaine de corvette | Capitaine de frégate | Capitaine de vaisseau | ||
| Corvette Captain (Lieutenant Commander) |
Frigate Captain (Commander) |
Ship-of-the-Line Captain (Captain) |
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| Officiers subalternes - Junior officers | ||||
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| Aspirant | Enseigne de vaisseau de deuxième classe |
Enseigne de vaisseau de première classe |
Lieutenant de vaisseau | |
| Midshipman | Ship of the Line ensign second class (Acting Sub-Lieutenant) |
Ship of the Line ensign first class (Sub-Lieutenant) |
Ship-of-the-Line Lieutenant (Lieutenant) |
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| Officiers mariniers - Warrant Officers | ||||
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| Second-maître | Maître | Premier-maître | Maître-principal | Major |
| Second master | Master | First master | Principal master | Major |
| Matelots et quartiers-maîtres - Sailors and quarter-masters | ||||
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| Matelot | Matelot breveté | Quartier-maître de 2ème classe | Quartier-maître de 1ère classe | |
| Sailor | Diplomed sailor | Quarter-master second class | Quarter-master first class | |
