Navies of the world

All of the officers of this corps are drawn from the cadets of the Naval School, the course being four years of instruction. At present the cadets pass two years at Naples and two at Genoa, but it is the intention to establish a single Academy at Spezzia. There are three divisions of this corps: the active, the reserve or retired, and the officers at stationary residence, the latter being those who have waived promotion in consideration of having fixed duties at a seaport.

The Medical Corps is divided in the same manner as in other countries, the grades being:

The Technical Corps or Corps du Génie and the Commissary Corps are called the naval auxiliary corps.

GÉNIE.

• Ispettore Generale.
• Direttore delle Costruzioni Navali.
• Ingegnere di 1ᵃ classe.
• Ingegnere di 2ᵃ classe.
• Sotto Ingegnere di 1ᵃ classe.
• Sotto Ingegnere di 2ᵃ classe.
• Allieve Ingegnere (Cadet).

COMMISSARIAT.

• Commissario Generale di 1ᵃ classe.
• Commissario Generale di 2ᵃ classe.
• Commissario di 1ᵃ classe.
• Commissario di 2ᵃ classe.
• Sotto Commissario di 1ᵃ classe.
• Sotto Commissario di 2ᵃ classe.
• Sotto Commissario di 3ᵃ classe.
• Sotto Commissario Aggiunto di 1ᵃ classe.
• Sotto Commissario Aggiunto di 2ᵃ classe.
• Scrivano (Clerk).

These corps at present have relative military rank, but measures have been taken to give both a strictly civil organization, as it is considered that their duties are not compatible with military subordination.

The Machinists’ Corps comprises but three grades—

• Machinists.
• First Chief Machinists.
• Second Chief Machinists.

These grades are entirely recruited from the master-machinists or petty-officers grade of firemen. The grade of Chief Machinist, which was the highest until of late years, has been abolished, the duties being performed by officers of the Corps du Génie.

For the purpose of naval inscription the coast of Italy is divided into three departments, Spezzia, Naples, and Venice, subdivided into 22 districts, under controls similar to those of France. All persons interested in a trade bearing upon navigation are liable for service on reaching the age of 20. They are then drawn into one of two divisions according to lot. The first is under obligations to render service for four years either at sea or in the dock-yards, at the end of which time they are granted a leave for six years, which, though not confining them to the country, may be rescinded at any time. At the end of the tenth year they pass into the Second Reserve, and are not liable except for extraordinary service. The second division receive at once a leave for ten years, at the end of which time they pass to the Second Reserve. There is also a system of voluntary enlistment and apprenticeship.

The Corps of Marine Infantry is recruited from the inscription in the same manner as the army. The headquarters are at Naples. This corps is made up of three battalions (one for each department), and the service is divided between the fleet and the dock-yards. There is no marine artillery in the Italian Navy.

The effective cadre of the Italian Navy is 1084 officers and 14,200 men, 90 officers of Marine Infantry and 3000 men. In comparison with the number of petty officers and men, there are fewer officers in this navy than in any in the world. The Italians have no cruising squadrons; single vessels do the foreign service, while the home service is confined to a single large squadron of evolutions.

Japan.

The navy is represented in the Council of State by a Minister and two Vice-Ministers, the central administration being carried on by a department constructed much in the same manner as in most European countries. The general administration is at present also almost entirely directed by the Navy Department. There is but one dock-yard at present completed and in operation, that of Yokoska in the Bay of Yeddo, in connection with which there is quite an extensive foundry at Yokohama.

At Nagasaki, although there is no especial dock-yard, there are repair-shops, a marine railway, and a partially completed dry-dock. At Kobi there are repair-shops, and an attempt has been made to establish a dock-yard at Tokio, but the shallow approaches render it of but little importance. Connected with the central administration there is a Hydrographic Office, Observatory, Naval School, and schools of instruction for Marine Infantry and Artillery. At present the navy is manned entirely from volunteer enlistment, but a system of inscription is being perfected by which every person following a maritime trade will be liable for service between the ages of 18 and 45. The officers heretofore have for the greater part been educated in foreign naval schools, but at present the Naval Academy at Tokio is fully equal to the task of keeping the cadre full. This Naval School is modelled after the general European plan, the course being four years. Officers, as a rule, are appointed from the Noble class. The cadre of the navy at present is 300 officers, 5138 men, and 113 cadets. The grades and corps correspond closely with those of foreign powers. But very few foreign officers are now employed in the naval service, none at all in the fleet, their duties being confined to instructional and yard superintendence.

As yet the Japanese have not instituted any squadron service whatever, keeping nearly every vessel of their fleet in constant commission for instructional service. It is the intention, however, to establish both home and foreign squadron service as soon as the naval development will permit it to be done. The cadre of the Japanese Navy is 1180 officers and 4270 men.

Norway and Sweden.

The navies of Norway and Sweden are distinct services, each having its own complete organization and administration. The Norwegian Navy is represented in the Cabinet by a Rear-Admiral, Chief of the Marine Department, who is assisted by a second Rear-Admiral, Chief of Staff. The central control at Stockholm is divided into three main sections, with Controllers at their heads, and subdivided into bureaus. The general administration is divided in control between two dock-yards, Christiania and Stockholm. There is also a Naval Academy, Hydrographic Office, and Observatory.

The Swedish Navy is represented in the Cabinet by a Minister of Marine, the central control having two main divisions, Chancellery and Command. There is in addition a Commander-in-Chief of Personnel, a Military Department, Construction Department, Commissariat Department, Pilotage Department, Naval School, and Hydrographic Office. The general administration is divided between the two naval stations of Carlskrona and Stockholm.

The personnel of both navies is recruited by voluntary enlistment, there being a special arrangement for conscription, in case of war in the maritime districts, of all persons between the ages of 22 and 35 years.

The grades of officers of the different corps are similar to those of other services, there being no grade of Admiral. The cadre of the two navies is:

The Norwegian fleet is entirely confined to coast-defence vessels, no cruisers being now sent out. The Swedish fleet is well provided with cruisers, but there are no foreign squadrons, the foreign cruising being confined to single ships.

Russia.

The Russian Navy is represented in the Council of State by the Admiral-General, a prince of the blood, who is Commander-in-Chief of the naval force. The head of the central administration is a Minister chosen from the list of Vice-Admirals. There are six sections or departments of control: 1st. The Chancellery, having charge of the expenditure of the Budget. 2d. The Department of the Personnel. 3d. The Hydrographic Department. 4th. The Technical Committee, divided into three sections—Construction of Vessels, Construction of Machinery, and Construction of Ordnance. 5th. The Supreme Naval Tribunal. 6th. The Direction of the Health Service. The general administration is divided between the naval stations of St. Petersburg, Sebastopol, Odessa, and the naval stations of the Caspian and Aral seas and Petropaulovsk on the Amoor River.

The personnel of the Russian Navy is recruited by inscription throughout the maritime districts, the inscription carrying with it certain benefits to the seafaring population, as in other countries. There are two divisions, active and reserve, the time of service being seven years in the active division and three in the reserve. The grades correspond with those of other navies. The effective strength is 4219 officers and 26,683 men.

The fleet is divided into five divisions with squadron sub-divisions: 1st. The Baltic Fleet, divided into the Squadron of Evolutions, Division of School-ships, Lighthouse and Survey Squadrons, and Cruisers, the latter being engaged in long foreign cruises independently. 2d. Black Sea Fleet, Division of School-ships, Coast Guard-ships, Lighthouse Service, Hydrographic Service, Port Guard-ships, and Cruisers confined to the Black and Mediterranean seas. 3d. The Caspian Flotilla. 4th. The Siberian Flotilla. 5th. All vessels in course of construction at St. Petersburg or Odessa.

Spain.

The Minister of Marine is invariably chosen from the grades of Vice or Rear Admiral, having an officer of one of these grades as an Assistant Secretary and Chief of Staff. The affairs of the Ministry are controlled by bureaus and sections, with special committees for the regulation of certain special affairs. For the immediate superintendence of the naval administration the Spanish coast is divided into three departments, each commanded by an officer of high rank. The headquarters of the Department of the East are at Cartagena, those of the South at Cadiz, and those of the North at Ferrol; the Eastern Department including the Balearic Isles, and the Southern the Canaries. Cuba and Porto Rico form a fourth department, with headquarters at Havana; and the Philippine Islands a fifth, with headquarters at Manila. The Commander-in-Chief of the department is also in command of the fleet at the station.

For the purposes of naval inscription the departments are subdivided into provinces and districts, there being in all 110 districts, each of which is in charge of a naval officer so far as marine inscription is concerned. The corps and grade divisions of the active personnel correspond with those of other nations, the grades of the executive corps being as follows:

The grades of the Medical Corps are:

The grades of the Commissary Corps are:

Chaplains have their ecclesiastical rank, and also a naval grade:

The Technical Corps embraces in one body the ship and engine constructors, called Engineers of the Fleet, and having the grades of—

For service in working engines aboard ship there is a corps of machinists:

The total active personnel of the fleet is 1792 officers (exclusive of Midshipmen, Chaplains, and the Technical Corps) and 14,000 men.

In addition to this cadre, there is a corps of Marine Artillery (Technical).

And a corps of Marine Infantry which is divided into two half brigades of two battalions each, besides two companies of native infantry at the Philippines. The strength of this corps is 170 officers and 6256 men, making a grand total of 1962 officers and 20,256 men.

For the administration of justice each department has a district court, the maritime superior court being at Madrid.

The Naval Academy, situated at Ferrol, furnishes all the officers of the executive corps of the service. The age of entrance to the Academy is between 12 and 14 years, the length of the course at the school being two years and a half. At the expiration of this time they pass to a school-ship as second-class midshipmen, where they remain one or two years according to the needs of the cadre, when they pass to active service as midshipmen of the first-class, and after one year are commissioned Ensigns (Alfarece).

There are special schools under naval control for the education of pilots of the merchant service, another school for machinists, and an academy for the Artillery and Technical Corps.

At Madrid there is a Hydrographic Bureau and a Naval Museum, and at San Fernando a Naval Observatory.

The Spanish have five squadron cruising-grounds: the Mediterranean, South American, West Indian, Asiatic, and Atlantic, and a small African station limited to the Spanish possessions in the Gulf of Guinea.

At each of the prominent ports both of the home and colonial coasts there is a naval control under the superintendence of a Captain of the Port.

Promotion in all grades of the service except to that of Rear-Admiral is by seniority. Rear-Admirals are appointed by choice from the list of Line-Ship Captains. All persons in the maritime districts who follow a calling connected in any way with the sea are subject to the inscription, and none but those who are inscribed can engage in fishery or work upon the wharves or piers. The term of service is four years in the active and four in the reserve division. Each department has a separate school-ship and divisional formation, so that those persons who are inscribed are seldom removed from their immediate homes except for short cruises. There is a system of voluntary enlistment by which the main part of the active cadre is kept constantly full. In Spain as in Italy the merchant service is entirely under the control of the navy. In the headquarter ports of Spain, unlike those of other nations, the Commander-in-Chief has no flag-ship and does not display a broad pennant. Flag-ships represent strictly the commands afloat. This is a point of importance, as all ports visited by foreign men-of-war have a commanding naval authority of high rank, although there is no visible sign of such command.

Turkey.

The navy is represented in the Cabinet by a Minister of Marine and in the Divan or Chancellery by an Assistant Secretary. For the central administration there is an Admiralty Council composed of Admirals and General Officers. The service is divided into four sections: 1st. Personnel. 2d. Matériel. 3d. Naval Constructions. 4th. Health. Each control has an Admiral at its head with the title of Director. The Minister has the supreme control of all naval affairs.

The fleet is recruited by inscription from the maritime districts, there being no reserve proper. The length of service is eight years.

The personnel of the navy consists of 1868 officers and 30,000 men, in addition to which there is a corps of marine infantry numbering 91 officers and 4500 men. The grades correspond with those of other countries except that there is no grade of Admiral, and the grade of Ensign corresponds closely with that of Midshipman in other services, there being no Naval Academy and no grade of Cadet.

United States.

The navy is represented in the Cabinet by a Secretary of the Navy, who is invariably a civilian; the President of the United States being the Commander-in-Chief, but without any immediate naval executive. The central control is divided into eight bureaus under the superintendence of naval officers of the different corps having the grade of Commodore: 1st. Bureau of Navigation, subdivided into the Office of Detail, having charge of the personnel of the fleet; Hydrographic Office, Naval Observatory, and Signal Office. 2d. Bureau of Ordnance, having charge of all artillery matters, including the torpedo station at Newport. 3d. Bureau of Equipment and Recruiting, having charge of outfits, recruiting, and the apprentice service. 4th. Bureau of Yards and Docks, having charge of all naval grounds and buildings. 5th. Bureau of Medicine and Surgery. 6th. Bureau of Provisions and Clothing, having charge of supplies and accounts. 7th. Bureau of Steam Engineering, having charge of the design and care of engines and boilers. 8th. Bureau of Construction and Repair. The Naval Academy is under an independent control attached directly to the superintendence of the Secretary of the Navy.

The general administration is divided into departments at the different dock-yards, each department corresponding with a bureau of the central control, and all under the superintendence of a commandant who is an officer of the executive corps having the grade of Commodore. There are no naval maritime districts in the United States, naval authority being limited strictly to the dock-yard government. There are seven dock-yards: Portsmouth (New Hampshire), Charlestown (Massachusetts), Brooklyn (New York), League Island (Pennsylvania), Norfolk (Virginia), Pensacola (Florida), and Mare Island (California). In addition to these there are three subordinate stations for coaling, recruiting, and repairing: New London (Connecticut), Port Royal (South Carolina), and Key West (Florida). The Coast Survey and Lighthouse establishments, although not under the control of the Navy Department, employ naval officers almost exclusively.

ASSIMILATED GRADES OF THE CORPS
OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY.

Officers of the Executive and Engineer Corps are drawn exclusively from graduates of the Naval Academy. The other corps are drawn from civil life. Promotion is strictly by seniority in all grades. All officers except those in the Constructors’ and Professors’ Corps are obliged to pass a rigid examination in being promoted from one grade to another. The course of study at the Naval Academy is four years for both executive and engineer officers; the cadet then passes into the fleet for a period of two years for active service, at the end of which time he is eligible for promotion to the next grade. On reaching the age of 62 years or after 45 years of service, officers are retired from the active list. Officers failing twice in examination for promotion may be retired as mentally unqualified for active service.

In addition to these grades, in the regular line of promotion there are five subordinate; grades of what are called Warrant Officers namely, Boatswain, Gunner, Carpenter, Sailmaker, and Mate.

The cadre of the active list of the navy is 1678 officers, 7500 men, and 700 apprentices.

There is also a corps of Marine Infantry numbering 75 officers and 2500 men.

The method of enlistment is entirely voluntary, for periods of three years, with special inducements for re-enlistment. There is no reserve division of the service, the active cadre representing the entire disposable force. Apprentices are enlisted between the ages of 14 and 18, with obligatory service until they reach the age of 21. They are first put in training-ships, where they remain between two and three years, entering the fleet as soon as they are considered fully instructed. After entering the fleet they are eligible to advancement as seamen and petty officers.

The cruising fleet is divided into five squadrons—the North Atlantic, South Atlantic, European, Asiatic, and Pacific—with one vessel in constant commission cruising in the chain of great lakes on the northern boundary, and one in the Rio Grande on the Mexican boundary. Four ships (one steam frigate and three sailing corvettes) are also kept constantly in commission as cruisers with apprentices for instruction. The iron-clad fleet is kept in partial commission ready for service, but in fresh water, in order to prevent the fouling and corrosion of the bottoms.

Denmark.

The navy is represented in the Cabinet by a Minister of Marine, the central administration having an officer of high rank at its head, bearing the title of Director-General. The control is divided into three sections: 1st. The Admiralty. 2d. The Commissariat. 3d. The Judiciary. The Admiralty is subdivided into departments of Personnel, Matériel, and Health. Grades of personnel are similar to those of other navies. The cadre of the navy is 120 officers and 2761 men. There are no foreign cruisers.

Greece.

The navy is represented in the Cabinet by a Minister of Marine, and the central control is superintended by an Admiral bearing the title of Inspector-General of the Fleet. The grades of officers correspond to those of other navies. The cadre of the personnel of the fleet is 71 officers and 581 men.

Peru.

The navy is not a separate organization, being represented in the Cabinet by a Minister of War, and having at its head an Admiral Commander-in-Chief. The control is confined to the port of Callao, where in time of peace the fleet is kept almost permanently at anchor. Administration and cadre unknown.

Portugal.

The navy of Portugal is represented in the Cabinet by a Minister of Marine, who has also the Colonial Service under his jurisdiction, as with the French. The King of Portugal is Commander-in-Chief of the navy (taking the rank of Admiral amongst his titles), the immediate executive control of the naval personnel being superintended by a Vice-Admiral Commander-in-Chief, assisted by a Board of Admiralty. Both the central and general controls are at Lisbon, where is situated the only dock-yard. The grades of the personnel of the Portuguese Navy are similar to those of other nations. The cadre is 393 officers and 3200 men.

The Portuguese fleet is distributed in squadrons at the different colonial stations, although they do but little cruising. A squadron is kept in commission at Lisbon, cruising to Madeira and the African coast in the fall of the year. In addition to the dock-yard there is a Naval School and Observatory, and a small repair-yard at Oporto. The navy is recruited by voluntary enlistment.

Naval Budgets.

TOGETHER WITH THE PROPORTION WHICH THEY BEAR
TO THE ENTIRE EXPENSES OF THE GOVERNMENT FOR
THE CORRESPONDING YEAR.

(IN DOLLARS OF AMERICAN COIN.)

Krupp’s Cast-Steel Coast and Naval Guns
of 30 and 35 Calibres Length.

Krupp’s Cast-Steel Coast and Naval Guns
of 30 and 35 Calibres Length.—(Continued.)

Krupp’s Cast-Steel Coast and Naval Guns
of 30 and 35 Calibres Length.—(Continued.)