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95-516: Commodore William Bainbridge (May 7, 1774 – July 27, 1833) was a United States Navy officer. During his long career in the young American navy he served under six presidents beginning with John Adams and is notable for his many victories at sea. He commanded several famous naval ships, including USS  Constitution , and saw service in the Barbary Wars and the War of 1812 . Bainbridge

190-561: A major general . During the huge expansion of the U.S. Navy during World War II , the Department of the Navy was concerned that the appointment of more flag officers would create a glut of admirals whenever peacetime was achieved. However, some Navy and Coast Guard captains, although not yet selected for rear admiral, were holding commands of significantly higher responsibility than they had earlier and this needed to be recognized. The COMINCH of

285-408: A rear admiral upper half (two stars), and the eight Assistant National Commodores and each District Commodore wear insignia similar to that of a rear admiral lower half (one star). There also several Deputy Assistant National Commodores but these members wear insignia similar to that of a Coast Guard captain and are not addressed as "Commodore." The Coast Guard Auxiliary also occasionally bestows

380-502: A "commander" (but not to be confused with the USN / USCG rank of commander ). Captains in this latter category are referred to, both orally and in correspondence, as "commodore", but continue to wear the rank insignia of a captain. Captains in command of carrier air wings continue to use the traditional title of " CAG " which dates from when these units were known as carrier air groups. While technically not flag officers , captains holding

475-404: A brigantine with two square-rigged masts instead of one gave it greater sailing power. The square-rigged brig's advantage over the fore-and-aft rigged brigantine was "that the sails, being smaller and more numerous, are more easily managed, and require fewer men or 'hands' to work them." The variant was so popular that the term brig came to exclusively signify a ship with this type of rigging. By

570-404: A commodore billet are authorized a blue and white broad pennant , also known as a "command pennant", which is normally flown from their headquarters facilities ashore and/or from ships on which they are embarked when they are the senior officer present afloat (SOPA). Depending on the type of aircraft, it may also be displayed as a plate or decal when embarked on that aircraft, or painted on one of

665-512: A commodore billet is equivalent to that of the Commanding Officer of a Marine Regiment, Marine Aircraft Group (MAG) or Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) in the U.S. Marine Corps, a wing commander in the U.S. Air Force (even when the USN command is designated as a "Group"), a delta commander in the U.S. Space Force, or a brigade commander or O-6 level post commander/installation commander in the U.S. Army. The U.S. Coast Guard presently designates

760-523: A commodore, however, many jealously held onto the impressive title after their qualifying assignment ended. The Navy Department tried to discourage such continuing usage because it led to confusion and unnecessary rivalries. Eventually the title of commodore was defined more strictly, and was reserved for captains so designated by the Navy Department , although the practice of retaining the title for life added some confusion. In 1857, Congress established

855-443: A fleet or squadron. The first U.S. naval officer to become a commodore was John Barry , a senior officer of the Navy, appointed in 1794 after the former Continental Navy was reorganized into what would become the current U.S. Navy . Because the U.S. Congress was originally unwilling to authorize more than four officer ranks in the navy (captain, master commandant, lieutenant, and midshipman) until 1862, considerable importance

950-406: A former Army officer, known for his brash and defiant diplomacy, to Tripoli in 1805 to free the 300 American hostages in what was the first U.S. covert mission to overthrow a foreign government . William Eaton established a group of about 20 Christian (eight of whom were U.S. Marines ) and perhaps 100 Muslim mercenaries to begin the takeover of Tripoli starting with Derna. He managed to trek with

1045-480: A higher command echelon "group" led by a USN Flag Officer. Captains assigned to a commodore billet employ the term "commander" in their organizational command title, this in keeping with the naval tradition of officers commanding a single ship, unit or installation being referred to as a "commanding officer" or "CO", while those captains and flag officers commanding multiple ships, multiple aviation squadrons, multiple air wings, task forces, fleets, etc., being known as

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1140-490: A single silver star on top of solid gold background shoulder board insignia, and a single broad gold sleeve stripe insignia for dress blue uniforms (service dress blue, full dress blue and dinner dress blue) of all USN and USCG flag officers in pay grade O-7, and for the service dress white and full dress white uniforms of female USN flag officers in pay grade O-7. The term "commodore" again reverted, and continues to this day, to that of an honorary title versus an actual rank for

1235-664: A surgeon in the British Army and was convicted of high treason by the State of New Jersey and successfully filed for damages with the American Loyalist Claims Commission. William had two brothers: Joseph, who also became a Navy captain, and John T.; and a sister, Mary. He was raised by his maternal grandfather, John Taylor, Esq., of Middleton, New Jersey as his father left for England in 1783 and his mother remained behind due to her ill health (though his father returned to

1330-555: A time to the merchant service in order to make good the loss of profit caused by his captivity. With the conclusion of the campaign against the Barbary states, the US Navy was downsized and nearly all of her frigates remained in port. Realizing war with the United Kingdom was imminent Bainbridge and Commodore Stewart hastened to Washington to urge President Jefferson and Congress to strengthen

1425-455: A title for U.S. Navy captains in command of more than a single unit (other than captains commanding carrier air wings, who retained their traditional title of "CAG") and all U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard one-star admirals were subsequently referred to as rear admiral. U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard rear admirals (lower half) continued to wear the single star for collar insignia and applicable shoulder insignia (i.e., flight suits, jackets, etc.),

1520-522: A unique nuclear-powered destroyer/cruiser ( USS  Bainbridge  (CGN-25) ), and a contemporary Arleigh Burke -class destroyer USS  Bainbridge  (DDG-96) . This last ship is known as the ship that rescued the MV ; Maersk Alabama in the 2009 attempted hijacking by Somali pirates. The now-deactivated United States Naval Training Center Bainbridge in Port Deposit, Cecil County, Maryland,

1615-448: A well-drilled crew. Java was cut to pieces, with its rigging almost completely destroyed, and was forced to surrender, while having inflicted moderate damage to Constitution , including removing Constitution ' s helm with shot and hitting the lower masts (which did not fall because of their large diameter). During the action, Bainbridge was wounded twice, but maintained command throughout. Java fought extremely well as compared to

1710-600: Is "generally built on a larger scale than a schooner , and may approach the magnitude of a full-sized, three-masted ship ." Brigs vary in length between 75 and 165 ft (23 and 50 m) with tonnages up to 480. A notable exception being the famous designer Colin Mudie 's 'Little Brigs' ( TS Bob Allen and TS Caroline Allen) , which are only 30 ft (9 m) long and weigh only 8 tonnes. Historically, most brigs were made of wood, although some later brigs were built with hulls and masts of steel or iron. A brig made of pine in

1805-566: Is a rank that is actively used in the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary , the civilian volunteer branch of the Coast Guard, for the ranks of District Commodore , Vice National Commodore , and National Commodore . Use of the term "commodore" dates from 1775 in the then– Continental Navy , the predecessor of the modern U.S. Navy , when it was established (but not used) as a courtesy title reserved for captains in command of

1900-786: Is also named for William Bainbridge, it runs near Decatur Avenue, named for Stephen Decatur, Jr. in the Norwood section of the Bronx. Bainbridge Street in Montgomery , Alabama, on which street the state capitol building is located, is also named for Bainbridge. Parallel to that Bainbridge Street and beginning directly to its west are streets named for other Barbary War/War of 1812 naval heroes: Decatur Street, named for Stephen Decatur ; Hull Street, named for Isaac Hull ; McDonough Street, named for Thomas Macdonough ; Lawrence Street, named for James Lawrence and Perry Street, named for Oliver Hazard Perry . Bainbridge

1995-448: Is currently the only commodore billet in the U.S. Coast Guard and this usage mirrors the USN 's use of the title "commodore". In the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary variants of "commodore" are used as position titles for high level leadership positions (e.g. National Commodore, Deputy National Commodore, District Commodore etc.). While Coast Guard Auxiliarists do not hold military ranks per se , it

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2090-544: Is not usual to address an auxiliarist by position title. These very senior members of the USCG Auxiliary do use "Commodore" (abbreviated "COMO") as a form of address (e.g. Commodore John Smith; or COMO John Smith). The National Commodore wears insignia similar to that of a Coast Guard vice admiral (three stars), the Vice National Commodore and the four Deputy National Commodores wear insignia similar to that of

2185-417: Is smaller than the main mast. The fore mast holds a fore sail, fore top sail, fore top gallant sail, and fore royal. Between the fore mast and the bowsprit are the fore staysail , jib , and flying jib . All the yards are manipulated by a complicated arrangement of cordage named the " running rigging ". This is opposed to the standing rigging which is fixed, and keeps mast and other objects rigid. A brig

2280-608: The Dey of Algiers to secure exemption from capture for U.S. merchant ships in the Mediterranean. Upon arrival in the 24-gun USS George Washington , he allowed the harbor pilot to guide him directly under the guns of the fort overlooking the harbor. Upon his arrival the Dey demanded that Bainbridge use his ship to ferry the Algerian ambassador and tributary gifts to Constantinople , and that he fly

2375-526: The Guerriere and Macedonian which had been taken earlier that year by similarly overwhelming force. Java successfully outmaneuvered the large Constitution until her jib was shot away. If Constitution had been built with smaller diameter masts, she would have been dismasted. Fortunately, Constitution's masts were so wide that the smaller 18 lb shot from Java could not penetrate them. After three hours of intense fighting, Constitution prevailed. Because of

2470-644: The Indian and China Seas . She had an inexperienced crew with only a very few trained seamen, and her men had only had one day's gunnery drill. In addition to her crew, Java was carrying officers and seamen who were to join the British fleet in the East Indies bringing her complement to around 400, among them Captain John Marshall who was to take command of a sloop of war stationed there. Under Bainbridge, Constitution had

2565-553: The Pasha of Tripoli . After four separate bombardments from Preble's squadron, Bainbridge was released from the prison in Tripoli on June 3, 1805 and returned to the United States and received a warm welcome. Shortly thereafter a Naval Court of Inquiry tasked with looking into his surrender found no evidence of misconduct, and he was allowed to continue serving. On his release, he returned for

2660-712: The USCG captain commanding those U.S. Coast Guard cutters and other afloat and ashore USCG units comprising Patrol Forces Southwest Asia ( PATFORSWA ) as a "commodore". PATFORSWA is headquartered at Naval Support Activity Bahrain in Manama, Bahrain and its primary area of responsibility is the Arabian Gulf / Persian Gulf , as well as other areas coinciding with that of the Commander, United States Naval Forces Central Command (COMUSNAVCENT) / United States Fifth Fleet (COMFIFTHFLT). It

2755-525: The "rank and title" of flag officer. On January 3, 1862 Charles H. Bell , William W. McKean , Louis Goldsborough and Samuel Dupont were promoted to Flag Officer, followed by David Farragut on January 17, 1862. The rank of flag officer was short lived because it was replaced by commodore in July 1862. Because of the acute need for officers at the beginning of the American Civil War , naval tradition

2850-464: The 17th century the British Royal Navy defined "brig" as having two square rigged masts. Brigs were used as small warships carrying about 10 to 18 guns. Due to their speed and maneuverability they were popular among pirates (though they were rare among American and Caribbean pirates). While their use stretches back before the 17th century, one of the most famous periods for the brig was during

2945-420: The 19th century was designed to last for about twenty years (many lasted longer). The word brig has been used in the past as an abbreviation of brigantine (which is the name for a two-masted vessel with foremast fully square rigged and her mainmast rigged with both a fore-and-aft mainsail, square topsails and possibly topgallant sails). The brig actually developed as a variant of the brigantine. Re-rigging

William Bainbridge - Misplaced Pages Continue

3040-461: The 19th century when they were involved in famous naval battles such as the Battle of Lake Erie . In the early 19th century the brig was a standard cargo ship. It was seen as "fast and well sailing", but required a large crew to handle its rigging. Brigs were seen as more manoeuvrable than schooners. James Cook requested the conversion of the schooner HMS Grenfell to a brig, with the justification of

3135-571: The Algerian flag during the journey. With George Washington under the guns of the fort and surrounded by the Dey's warships and military personnel Bainbridge reluctantly complied for fear of imprisonment, raised the Algerian flag on his masthead and delivered gifts of animals and slaves to Constantinople. After returning to the U.S. on 4 May 1801, he was relieved of command, and was succeeded by Lt. John Shaw as Captain. He commanded USS Essex on her second cruise, receiving command from Capt. Preble on 29 May, 1801, President Jefferson found that bribing

3230-593: The Civil Engineering Corps will lead naval construction regiments. With the exception of the naval construction regiments that are commanded by senior captains of the U.S. Navy's Civil Engineer Corps , all other commodores are senior captains who are warfare-qualified unrestricted line (URL) officers in that combat specialty (e.g., naval aviators and naval flight officers commanding "functional" or "type" air wings or air groups, surface warfare officers commanding destroyer squadrons, etc.). In contrast to

3325-521: The Commodore as its mascot. The state of Rhode Island has a group of select individuals, appointed by the governor, known as Rhode Island Commodores . Rhode Island Commodores function as ambassadors for the state and promote its economy and attractions. It is similar to the title Kentucky Colonel but less commonly awarded. Brig A brig is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: two masts which are both square-rigged . Brigs originated in

3420-565: The Navy by 1950. According to the 1949 edition of the Official Register of Commissioned Officers of the United States Navy, updated to January 1, 1949, the last two commodores on active duty were Tully Shelley (b. 1892) and Antoine O. Rabideau (b. 1884). Shelley retired in July 1949 and was promoted on retirement to rear admiral retroactive to April 3, 1945. Rabideau apparently died July 19, 1970, and his headstone shows him to have held

3515-436: The Navy until March 3, 1899, when "An Act To reorganize and increase the efficiency and the personnel of the Navy and Marine Corps" redefined the list of officers on the active list and did not include the rank of commodore, effectively disestablishing the rank for active line officer, but not on the retirement list. According to Laws Relating to the Navy, 1919 , the step was taken, "…on account of international relationships,

3610-725: The Racing Season. The athletic teams of Vanderbilt University of the Southeastern Conference use "Commodore" as their mascot, the nickname of the university's founder and namesake Cornelius Vanderbilt . Gulf Coast State College in Panama City , Florida , also uses the Commodore mascot for its sports teams. Bayside High School (Queens) located in the Bayside neighborhood of the New York City borough of Queens also uses

3705-651: The Surface Warfare community, they lead surface squadrons, destroyer squadrons, littoral combat ship squadrons, amphibious squadrons, mine countermeasures squadrons, and naval beach groups; in the Submarine Warfare community they lead submarine squadrons; in the Special Warfare / Special Operations community they lead special warfare ( SEAL ) groups, riverine squadrons; coastal warfare groups and squadrons and explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) groups. Commodores from

3800-641: The U.S. Air Force (USAF), the U.S. Navy does not use USAF's same wing/group/squadron structure where "groups" are subordinate to "wings." Within the USN component of Naval Aviation, a "group" is considered equal to a wing if commanded by an O-6 and senior to a wing if commanded by an O-7 or O-8 (e.g., carrier strike group, patrol & reconnaissance group). This same model applies surface warfare officers commanding destroyer or littoral combat ship squadrons, submarine warfare officers commanding submarine squadrons, SEAL officers commanding special warfare groups, etc.). These O-6 commanded units will typically report to

3895-536: The U.S. Navy and Chief of Naval Operations , Admiral (later Fleet Admiral ) Ernest J. King , proposed bringing back the older rank of "commodore" for these officers. President Franklin D. Roosevelt agreed, making the suggestion that the title be revived. As a result, the one-star officer rank for the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard was re-established in April 1943 with the title of "commodore". In actual practice, some officers on admiral's staffs were also promoted to

William Bainbridge - Misplaced Pages Continue

3990-576: The United States and died in New York City in 1807). In his teens William Bainbridge was already of athletic build and had an energetic and adventurous spirit. He was trained as a seaman in ships in the Delaware River, then considered the best 'school' for seamanship because of the great skill required to navigate that river. Bainbridge served aboard the small merchant ship Cantor in 1792. In 1796 after returning from Brazil, Bainbridge served aboard

4085-407: The aircraft in one of their subordinate squadrons that also displays their name on the fuselage. This swallow-tailed pennant has a white field bounded by two horizontal blue stripes, with the numerical designation or the initials of the command title in blue centered on the white field. In the U.S. Navy, commodore billets are considered to be O-6 "major command" assignments for Captains, on par with

4180-422: The battle fleets consisted almost entirely of iron-hulled steamships. Brigs were prominent in the coastal coal trade of British waters. 4,395 voyages to London with coal were recorded in 1795. With an average of eight or nine trips per year for one vessel, that is a fleet of over 500 colliers trading to London alone. Other ports and coastal communities were also served by colliers trading to Britain's coal ports. In

4275-438: The better control that he would have with a brig versus a schooner. The ability to stop the ship quickly (by backing sails) was particularly important for a vessel doing survey work. The windward ability of brigs (which depends as much on hull shape as the rig) could be comparable to or better than contemporary schooners. The author and naval officer Frederick Marryat characterised brigs as having superior windward performance to

4370-402: The brigadier generals, who could now be outranked by officers who were their juniors in terms of service. This was a point of inter-service controversy for many years, especially after 1916, when the U.S. Army made its brigadier generals equivalent to the rear admirals in the lower half of seniority. This made the rear admirals in the upper half of seniority, the only ones to be equal to that of

4465-480: The clubs that are more than a century old, such as the Los Angeles Yacht Club have formal ceremonies, where Commodores from more than 100 surrounding yacht clubs and flag officers of the U.S. Navy and U.S Coast Guard attend a ceremony at the beginning of the year. The ceremony includes a bagpipe entrance, a presentation of the country flag by commissioned officers of the country's navy, and a cannon shot upon

4560-437: The coasts of the United States, detaining smugglers, lifesaving, and search and rescue operations. After World War II, and with the rapid drawdown in size of both the Navy and the Coast Guard, very few of the wartime commodores were ever promoted to rear admiral. All promotions to commodore ceased in 1947, and nearly all of the commodores who had held the one-star rank had either been promoted to rear admiral or had retired from

4655-400: The commanding officers of major combatant vessels (e.g., aircraft carrier, battleship, guided missile cruiser, amphibious assault ship), commanders of carrier air wings, and commanding officers of major shore installations (e.g., naval air station, naval station, naval base, naval support activity, etc.). In the other U.S. armed services, the level and scope of responsibility of a USN Captain in

4750-464: The consideration of which caused the Navy Department to regard the complications confronting it as inimical to the honor and dignity of this nation, because of the adverse effect upon its high ranking representatives in their association with foreign officers". In short, U.S. Navy commodores were not being treated as flag officers by other navies, or given the respect that the Navy Department thought

4845-537: The country's naval forces. They concurred with this timely advice and Congress forced a change to this policy that had led the current naval force to decay in early 1809. Satisfied with the results Bainbridge returned to Boston and took command of the navy yard at Charlestown. Bainbridge took command of the frigate USS  President in 1809 and began patrolling off the Atlantic coast in September of that year. Bainbridge

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4940-436: The early twentieth century along with "vice commodore" in the same manner as "vice president,"and "rear-commodore" and "port captain' or "international bridge member" in the same manner as board members. Commodores, Vice-Commodores and Rear-Commodores are also known as civilian Flag officers because they have an Epaulettes , Regalia and Maritime flags with designated symbols and number of stars for their ranks. Many of

5035-401: The first half of the 19th century, the vast majority were rigged as brigs, and that rig was retained for longer in the northeast of England. In sailing , a full-rigged brig is a vessel with two square rigged masts (fore and main). The main mast of a brig is the aft one. To improve maneuverability, the mainmast carries a ( gaff rigged ) fore-and-aft sail. Brig sails are named after

5130-466: The grade of flag officer . This generic title was intended "to promote the efficiency of the Navy", but differed little from the previous practice. The first flag officer appointed was Charles Stewart , who was appointed as "Senior Flag Officer" in 1857. The Act to Further Promote the Efficiency of the Navy, passed on December 21, 1861, gave the president the authority to appoint squadron commanders with

5225-636: The heavy damage inflicted on Java and the great distance from the American coast, Bainbridge decided to burn his prize. On March 3, 1813, President Madison presented Bainbridge with the Congressional Gold Medal for his service aboard Constitution . After the conclusion of the war with Britain, the United States engaged in the Second Barbary War of 1815 (also known as the Algerian War ). It

5320-604: The limited number of captains in command of multiple units. The U.S. Navy no longer maintains a rank of commodore, but the term has survived as an honorary title . Modern-day commodores are senior captains in the U.S. Navy. In Naval Aviation , they hold major operational command of functional or "type" air wings or air groups (exclusive of carrier air wings ) such as strike fighter wings, electronic attack wings, patrol and reconnaissance wings, airborne early warning wings, strategic communications wings, various helicopter wings, training air wings, or tactical air control groups; in

5415-420: The masts to which they are attached: the mainsail ; above that the main topsail ; above that the main topgallant sail ; and occasionally a very small sail, called the royal , is above that. Behind the main sail there is a small fore-and-aft sail called the spanker or boom mainsail (it is somewhat similar to the main sail of a schooner ). On the foremast is a similar sail, called the trysail . Attached to

5510-524: The merchant ship Hope , a small vessel of 140 tons with four nine-pound guns. While he was in port in the Garonne River at Bordeaux preparing for his fourth voyage, the captain of a nearby ship which was under mutiny hailed Bainbridge and asked for help; though outnumbered by seven seamen and being severely wounded by exploding gunpowder, Bainbridge succeeded in helping restore order. For his courage and in recognition of his navigational and seaman skills he

5605-756: The objections of senior officers in the naval services. This was because the U.S. Navy had long assigned the title (although not the rank) of commodore to selected captains holding major operational sea-going commands. Since at least the late 1940s, "commodore" had been used as a "position title" for senior navy captains who commanded air groups and air wings (other than those officers commanding carrier air groups/carrier air wings, who were historically known and referred to as "CAGs"), destroyer squadrons, submarine squadrons, amphibious squadrons, patrol boat flotillas, patrol hydrofoil missile ship squadrons, special warfare groups, construction regiments, and other large seagoing commands. The U.S. Coast Guard had never previously used

5700-511: The one-star rank of an O-7 and carried the relative seniority of a one-star officer, but who, due to the elimination of the rank of commodore at the end of World War II, wore the same two-star rank insignia as a full, or "upper half," rear admiral, an O-8. In 1982, the rank of commodore was finally and officially reintroduced in the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard as the O-7 rank. The one-star officer's rank and insignia for Navy and Coast Guard officers

5795-421: The pirate Barbary states did not work, and decided to use force. On May 21, 1803, Bainbridge was placed in command of USS Philadelphia , tasked with enforcing a blockade of Tripoli, Libya . Bainbridge ran the ship aground on an uncharted reef on October 21, 1803. Bainbridge made the situation worse by putting on all sail before sounding around the boat to determine the actual situation, resulting in driving

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5890-419: The raising of each individual officer's flags on a flag staff (also known as Flagpoles ) for each flag officer (Commodore, Vice Commodore, Rear Commodore) as their term of office officially begins. Sometimes a trumpet fanfare is also include for special occasions like ribbon cutting in 2019 for the 50th Transpacific Yacht Race . Salutes are given to Commodores for special ceremonies, including Opening Days of

5985-678: The rank of commodore. By the end of the War in the Pacific in August 1945, there were over 100 commodores in the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard. With respect to the U.S. Coast Guard, it should be understood that during World War II, the much-expanded Coast Guard was transferred from the Department of the Treasury to the Department of the Navy and was involved in combat operations in both anti-submarine warfare and amphibious warfare , thousands of miles away from home, and not just in its usual role of defending

6080-490: The rank of rear admiral. However, as the Cold War evolved, the Navy began to rebound from its immediate post-World War II reductions. This expanding Navy saw growth in several mission areas, and the reintroduction and designation of senior captains in command of units comprising multiple ships (e.g., "flotillas"), multiple aviation squadrons or other similar organizations became increasingly commonplace, leading to increased use of

6175-435: The respective yards of square-rigged ships are smaller spars, which can be extended, thus lengthening the yard, thus receiving an additional sailing wing on each side. These are called studding sails , and are used with fair and light wind only. The wings are named after the sails to which they are fastened, i.e. the main studding sails, main top studding sails, and the main top gallant studding sails, etc. A brig's foremast

6270-402: The schooner striking the colors . Bainbridge saw service in several wars and commanded a number of famous early U.S. Navy vessels including USS  George Washington , USS Philadelphia and USS Constitution , ultimately becoming a member of the board of naval commissioners during the latter part of his long naval career. With the organization of the United States Navy in 1798, Bainbridge

6365-413: The schooners of that time. Marryat is considered, by maritime historians, to be an authoritative source on such matters. A brig's square-rig also had the advantage over a fore-and-aft–rigged vessel when travelling offshore, in the trade winds, where vessels sailed down wind for extended distances and where "the danger of a sudden jibe was the large schooner-captain's nightmare". This trait later led to

6460-403: The second half of the 18th century and were a common type of smaller merchant vessel or warship from then until the latter part of the 19th century. In commercial use, they were gradually replaced by fore-and-aft rigged vessels such as schooners , as owners sought to reduce crew costs by having rigs that could be handled by fewer men. In Royal Navy use, brigs were retained for training use when

6555-405: The ship hard onto the bank. All efforts to refloat her under five hours of cannon fire from Tripolitan gunboats, inaccurate fire that with no shots coming near the powerful frigate, and Bainbridge decided to surrender. Before doing so he ordered all small arms thrown overboard, the powder magazine flooded and the naval signal book destroyed. Soon afterward, the ship floated free after high tide and

6650-566: The small detachment of Marines led by Presley O'Bannon and his mercenary force over 500 miles. Supported at sea by Isaac Hull , Captain of USS  Argus , in an effective "combined operation", Eaton led the attack in the Battle of Derna on 27 April 1805. The town's capture, memorialized in the " Marines' Hymn " famous line "to the shores of Tripoli" and the threat of further advance on Tripoli, were strong influences toward peace, negotiated in June 1805 by Tobias Lear and Commodore John Rodgers with

6745-500: The title of "Honorary Commodore" as a mark of high esteem. Recipients of this honor include actor and Coast Guard veteran Lloyd Bridges (who was an active member of the Auxiliary and served as its national celebrity spokesman in the 1970s) and television personality Al Roker (who produced the documentary series Coast Guard Alaska ). The United States Maritime Service uses the rank of commodore for their one-star flag officers, with

6840-468: The title of commodore for those senior captains occupying these highly responsible positions. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, following years of objections and complaints by the U.S. Army , U.S. Air Force , and U.S. Marine Corps , efforts were begun to reinstate commodore as an official rank in the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard with a pay grade of O-7, replacing "rear admiral (lower half)", which were Navy and Coast Guard flag officers who were paid at

6935-487: The title. In 1983, the one-star U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard admiral rank was changed back to its original O-7 pay grade title of "rear admiral" with the discriminator in seniority and protocol purposes of "Rear Admiral (lower half)," and a rank title abbreviation of RDML versus the O-8 rank title abbreviation of RADM. The rank of commodore / commodore admiral was officially abolished in 1985. From then on, commodore has remained

7030-562: The two French frigates continued in their pursuit of other nearby American vessels. During the flight to capture the Americans, Bainbridge offered words of caution to the French commander of L' Insurgente , Captain St. Laurent, about American strength; this made St. Laurent wait for his consorts far behind him. Retaliation was the first ship in the nascent United States Navy to be surrendered. Bainbridge

7125-435: The two-star rank being simply designated as "rear admiral". The rank is usually given to the president of one of the seven federal and state maritime academies who had not attained flag rank during his/her active duty naval career. Civilian yacht clubs , yachting associations and fellowships with formal hierarchical structures, began to use the title "commodore" in countries around the world for their presidents in

7220-673: The younger but more famous Decatur and arranged the duel in a way that made the wounding or killing of one or more duelists very likely. Between 1824 and 1827, he served on the Board of Navy Commissioners . He died in Philadelphia in July 1833 and was buried there at the Christ Church Burial Ground . Bainbridge was survived by his son William Jr. and four daughters (Mary Taylor Bainbridge Jaudon, Susan Parker Hayes, Louisa Alexina Bainbridge and Lucy Ann Bainbridge). He left some money that

7315-596: Was also in command of USS  Philadelphia when she grounded off the shores of Tripoli, Libya in North Africa, resulting in his capture and imprisonment for many months. In the latter part of his career he became the U.S. Naval Commissioner. William Bainbridge was born in Princeton , New Jersey, eldest son of Dr. Absalom Bainbridge and Mary Taylor. His father, a loyalist during the American Revolution, served as

7410-732: Was also the namesake for Fort Bainbridge , built during the Creek War near Tuskegee , Alabama. Commodore (United States) Today, it is no longer a specific rank within active-duty or reserve forces or in the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps or NOAA Corps, but it remains in use as an honorary title within the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard for those senior captains ( pay grade O-6 ) in command of operational organizations composed of multiple independent subordinate naval units (e.g., multiple independent ships or aviation squadrons ). However, "commodore"

7505-453: Was attached to the title of commodore. Captain Isaac Hull , chafing at not being able to progress further in rank, wrote in 1814 that, if no admirals were to be authorized, something should be done to prevent, "...every midshipman that has command of a gunboat on a separate station taking upon himself the name of Commodore". Like its Royal Navy counterpart at the time, the U.S. Navy commodore

7600-582: Was captured by the Pasha of Tripoli. Bainbridge and his crewmen were imprisoned in Tripoli for nineteen months. Lieutenant Stephen Decatur commanding USS  Intrepid executed a night raid into Tripoli, Libya harbor on February 16, 1804, to destroy Philadelphia . Admiral Horatio Nelson is said to have called this "the most bold and daring act of the Age". The capture of Philadelphia and its crew also motivated President Jefferson's decision to send William Eaton ,

7695-473: Was commander of the US squadron sent to Algiers to enforce a blockade, show the extent of American naval resources and determination and enforce the neutrality and peace that was established by Stephen Decatur and William Shaler. The war ended in 1815 with the victory of the United States. Bainbridge transported Canova 's George Washington from Italy to Boston aboard his flagship USS  Columbus . The statue

7790-467: Was delivered to Boston, transported to Raleigh , North Carolina, and then installed in the rotunda of the North Carolina State House on December 24, 1821. In 1820, Bainbridge served as second for Stephen Decatur in a duel with James Barron that cost Decatur his life. Decatur's wife, along with many historians, believe that Bainbridge had actually harbored a long-standing resentment of

7885-417: Was ignored and commodore became for the first time a permanent commissioned rank in the U.S. Navy. Eighteen commodores were authorized on July 16, 1862. The rank title also lost its "line command" status when, in 1863, the chiefs of the bureaus of Medicine and Surgery, Provisions and Clothing, Steam Engineering, and Construction and Repair were all given the rank of commodore. The rank of commodore continued in

7980-761: Was included in the naval officer corps and in September 1798 was appointed commanding Lieutenant of the schooner USS  Retaliation . He was ordered to patrol the waters in the West Indies along with Captain Williams of USS Norfolk , both of whom were under the command of Murray, who was in command of the frigate USS Montezuma . On November 20, 1798, Lt. Bainbridge surrendered Retaliation without resistance to two French frigates, Volontier , with 44 guns and l'Insurgente bearing 40 guns, after he mistook them for British warships and approached them without identifying them. Bainbridge and his crew were taken aboard Volontier where

8075-520: Was invested in Pennsylvania State bonds, which were sold and invested in other projects. After the American Civil War , Mary T. Jaudon's bonds were mismanaged by her husband's brother, Samuel Jaudon and ultimately became the subject of a United States Supreme Court case, Jaudon v. Duncan . Several ships of the Navy have since been named USS Bainbridge in his honor, including the U.S. Navy's first destroyer ( USS  Bainbridge  (DD-1) ),

8170-453: Was made commander of that ship in 1796 at the age of nineteen. After leaving France that same year he sailed to the Caribbean . While in port at St. Johns , Hope was hailed by a British merchant schooner, but refused to stop. The schooner fired at Hope in response, and Bainbridge and his crew quickly turned about and with only two guns fired a broadside, inflicting enough damage that led to

8265-564: Was named for him. Other places named after him include Bainbridge Island , Washington, as well as Bainbridge Township , Ohio; Bainbridge , Georgia, county seat of Decatur County ; Bainbridge , Indiana; Bainbridge , New York; Bainbridge Street in Philadelphia ; Bainbridge Street in Richmond , Virginia, and Old Bainbridge Road in Tallahassee , Florida. Bainbridge Avenue in the Bronx, New York,

8360-429: Was not a higher rank, but a temporary assignment for navy officers, as Herman Melville wrote in his 1850 novel, White-Jacket . An American commodore in the early period, like an English commodore or a French chef d'escadre , was an officer (generally, but not exclusively, a captain) assigned temporary command of more than one ship. He continued his permanent or regular rank during the assignment. Once employed as

8455-464: Was not disciplined for this action. In March 1799, Bainbridge was appointed Master Commandant of the brig USS  Norfolk of 18 guns and ordered to cruise against the French. In 1800 during the months before the First Barbary War broke out, Bainbridge, who was now Capt. of USS George Washington, was given the ignominious task of carrying the tribute which the United States still paid to

8550-673: Was sent to cruise in the South Atlantic. On 29 December 1812, Bainbridge fell in with the 38-gun HMS  Java , off the coast of Brazil. Java was a vessel armed with 18-pounders and of 1,083 tons, formerly the French frigate Renommée . She had a crew of 300 men under Captain Henry Lambert and was on her way to the East Indies , carrying the newly appointed Lieutenant-General Hislop of Bombay and his staff along with dispatches to St. Helena , Cape of Good Hope and every British port in

8645-666: Was the second of two wars fought between the United States and the Ottoman Empire's North African regencies of Tripoli , Tunis , and Algeria known collectively as the Barbary states . On March 3, 1815, the US Congress authorized deployment of naval power against the Regency of Algiers, and two squadrons were assembled and readied for war. Bainbridge served against the Barbary pirates and

8740-423: Was their due. As it would have been expensive to increase the pay of all the former commodores to the level of rear admirals, the U.S. Congress at the time specified that the junior rear admirals which were referred to as rear admirals in the "lower half" of seniority, would have pay equal to brigadier generals of the U.S. Army . If there were an odd number of total rear admirals, the lower half of rear admirals

8835-501: Was thence re-established with the initial title of commodore admiral . Later in 1982, following numerous objections by USN officers to the Chief of Naval Operations and USCG officers to the Commandant of the Coast Guard that this new title was unwieldy and confusing, the rank of "commodore admiral" was simplified to "commodore". However, this action still failed to stem the confusion and

8930-428: Was to be the larger. All rear admirals, regardless whether they are in the lower half or the upper half of seniority, were considered equal to major generals , and flew a blue flag with two-stars, and were entitled to a 13-gun salute. The U.S. Supreme Court later held that the rank of commodore had been removed from the U.S. Navy, leaving it without an actual rank equivalent to brigadier general. This act disgruntled all

9025-454: Was transferred to shore duty in June, 1810. On 15 September, shortly after the War of 1812 broke out between the United Kingdom and the United States , Bainbridge was appointed to command the 44-gun frigate USS Constitution , succeeding Captain Isaac Hull . Constitution was an enormous frigate of 1,533 tons, armed with 24-pounders, which had already captured the 18-pounder frigate HMS  Guerriere of 1072 tons. Under Bainbridge, she

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