What was the USN ranks during World War 2?

Answer 1

The U.S. Navy's rank structure is made up of 3 primary groups, with variations on each:

Enlisted - The enlisted community form the backbone of the Navy, and are responsible for performing most of the shipboard or base operations on a daily basis. Enlisted sailors are technical specialists in their fields, and it is the primary function of senior enlisted sailors to help train junior officers, as well as to lead and train junior enlisted sailors.

Warrant Officer - Warrant Officers are commissioned officers with a focus on a specific technical area not covered by regular commissioned line officers, who have a broader based focus concerning operations. They are typically senior enlisted sailors who have received commissions. Their rank insignia shows their specialty.

Commissioned Officers - Commissioned Officers fall into 3 groups: Unrestricted Line, Restricted Line, and Staff Corps. Unrestricted Line Officers are the ones who command and lead combat units. Restricted Line Officers are those who perform specific functions within those commands, e.g., Engineers. Staff Corps Officers are those in other specialty areas - Chaplain Corps, Medical, Supply, etc.

ENLISTED RANKS

For the first 3 ranks, the designation is based on the sailor's area of training (strikers); regular operations, engineering, or aviation. At E-4 (Petty Officer 3rd Class, the Navy's Non-Commissioned Officer ranks), the individual rate specialty is designated on their rank insignia. The following information is presented as paygrade, rank, and insignia, from lowest to highest:

Strikers

Strikers are sailors who haven't chosen a specific career path, but are in one of 3 technical disciplines - Seaman, Fireman (Engineering Rates), and Airman (Aviation Rates). The stripes are White, Red, and Green respectively.

E-1 - Seaman/Fireman/Airman Recruit (SR, FR, AR) - 1 stripe

E-2 - Seaman/Fireman/Airman Apprentice (SA, FA, AA) - 2 stripes

E-3 - Seaman/Fireman/Airman (SN, FN, AN)- 3 stripes

Non-Commissioned Officers (Petty Officers)

E-4 - Petty Officer 3rd Class - 1 Chevron

E-5 - Petty Officer 2nd Class - 2 Chevrons

E-6 - Petty Officer 1st Class - 3 Chevrons

E-7 - Chief Petty Officer - 3 Chevrons w/cap

E-8 - Senior Chief Petty Officer - 3 Chevrons w/cap, 1 silver star

E-9 - Master Chief Petty Officer - 3 Chevrons w/cap, 2 silver stars

The ranks of Command Master Chief, Force Master Chief or Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy still hold the paygrade of E-9; however, their positions entitle them to distinguishing rank insignia above other E-9's. The standard insignia for a Master Chief is 3 Chevrons w/cap, 2 silver stars, with a small rating badge as part of the overall insignia. For Command Master Chief, the rating insignia is replaced with one large silver star in addition to the standard 2 small silver stars of the rank; Force Master Chief, 1 large gold star and 2 small gold stars; and Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy, 1 large gold star and 3 small gold stars.

The designation is presented as rate and rank, with any warfare designation afterward. For example, my rate/rank/warfare designation was STS1/SS, which stands for Sonar Technician (Submarines) First Class, Submersible Ships (Submarine Warfare Qualified).

For Recruits and Strikers, their stripes indicate the area they're training in: White for regular sailors, Red for Engineering rates, Green for Aviation rates.

For Petty Officers, Chevrons and 4-year hash marks red (red, worn on blues, and blue, worn on whites, worn on the left sleeve) until the sailor achieves 12 consecutive years of Good Conduct, at which point they are entitled to gold chevrons and gold sleeve stripes (4 years for each stripe).

CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER RANKS

Chief Warrant Officers are taken from the senior enlisted ranks, and are members who have completed the CWO program. After accepting a commission, they serve in their particular technical specialty, unlike commissioned line officers.

W-2 - Chief Warrant Officer 2 - Black Epaulet with technical specialty insignia, 2 vertical gold bars over blue field.

W-3 - Chief Warrant Officer 3 - Black Epaulet with technical specialty insignia, 3 vertical gold bars over blue field.

W-4 - Chief Warrant Officer 4 - Black Epaulet with technical specialty insignia, 2 horizontal gold bars over blue field.

W-5 - Chief Warrant Officer 5 - Black Epaulet with technical specialty insignia, 4 horizontal gold bars over blue field.

COMMISSIONED OFFICER RANKS

O-1 - Ensign - Black Epaulet w/ 1 gold star and 1" gold stripe

O-2 - Lieutenant (Junior Grade (Lt.(JG)) - Black Epaulet w/ 1 gold star, one 1" gold stripe, and one 1/2" gold stripe.

O-3 - Lieutenant - Black Epaulet w/ 1 gold star, two 1" gold stripes.

O-4 - Lieutenant Commander - Black Epaulet w/ 1 gold star, two 1" gold stripes, and one 1/2" gold stripe.

O-5 - Commander - Black Epaulet w/ 1 gold star, three 1" gold stripes.

O-6 - Captain - Black Epaulet w/ 1 gold star, 4 1" gold stripes.

O-7 - Rear Admiral (Lower Half) - Gold Epaulet w/ 1 silver star.

O-8 - Rear Admiral - Gold Epaulet w/ 2 silver stars.

O-9 - Vice Admiral - Gold Epaulet w/ 3 silver stars.

O-10 - Admiral - Gold Epaulet w/ 4 silver stars.

O-11 - Fleet Admiral - Gold Epaulet w/ 5 silver stars (currently inactive)

Line Officers have fouled anchor insignia (Admirals) or stars/gold rank bars on their epaulets, while Staff Corps Officers will have their specialty insignia on their epaulet instead, e.g., a gold caduceus on a Medical Officer's epaulet along with rank bars.

The 4-Star rank of Admiral is actually an appointed rank that comes with the position of appointment. Admirals considered for 4-Star positions are nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate. For example, the Chief of Naval Operations and Vice Chief of Naval Operations are both 4-Star ranks, but after they leave, they revert to their previous rank. For retirement pay purposes though, they receive the rate of their highest rank.

The reason that 4-Star Admirals revert to their previous ranks is that by law, there is a specific cap limit on how many Admirals there can be, and that number is 216. Of those, only 16.3% can be of 2-Star rank, and of that percentage, only 25% can hold 4-Star rank positions. This equates to 9 Admirals.

The 4-Star position includes the Coast Guard, Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, and NOAA Commissioned Corps for cap limit purposes. By law, several positions are reserved for 4-Star Admirals:

Chief of Naval Operations

Vice Chief of Naval Operations

Director, Naval Nuclear Propulsion (Naval Reactors)

Commandant of the Coast Guard

Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (if appointed)

Some positions, however, don't count toward the limit - e.g., Director of Central Intelligence, Joint Command (Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, etc.). Of course in time of war or emergency the President can waive the cap rules.

The 5-Star rank of Fleet Admiral is a ceremonial one, and hasn't been held for about 44 years. The rank is held until the person dies - the last one to hold the position was Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, who died in February 1966.

Please see the related links to the U.S. Navy website for further information.

Answer 2

Officers in order from the lowest were ensign (the equivalent of a second lieutenant in all other branches), lieutenant, junior grade (lieutenant, j. g., same as a first lieutenant in all other branches), lieutenant (same as captain), lieutenant commander (same as major), commander (same as lieutenant colonel), captains (same as colonel), rear admiral, lower half (same as brigadier general, one star), rear admiral, upper half (same as major general, two stars), vice admiral (same as lieutenant general, three stars), and admiral (same as general, four stars). At the end of the war some five star officers were made, and called admiral of the fleet, same as general of the army.

Enlisted ranks were also complicated. Most incoming sailors were Seamen 3rd Class at the start of their service, then Seaman 2nd Class, then Seaman 1st Class (these were equivalent to clean-sleeve private, private first class, and corporal). There were also Firemen 3rd, 2nd and 1st, who worked in the engine room. There were Airmen 3rd, 2nd and 1st in the aviation sections. The next step up was to become a Petty Officer. Most Petty Officers were specialists, and their badge of rank was specific for their specialty, all usually an eagle sitting on top of something representative of their trade. These Petty Officers were called "ratings". A Gunners Mate for instance had an eagle atop crossed cannon on his sleeve. There were Yeoman, Water Tenders, Radiomen, Radarmen, several dozen specialties. When a sailor was ready to try to be a Petty Officer he was said to be a "striker", as in he was striking for that rating. They called their Petty Officer Insignia a "crow", because of the eagle. So, for instance, there were Gunners Mates 3rd Class, the lowest grade of Petty officer, who had one red chevron below his crow. A Gunners Mate 2nd had two chevrons, and a Gunners Mate 1st had three chevrons below his crow. These were the equivalent of sergeant, staff sergeant, and master sergeant. Then there was a Chief Petty Officer, an exalted personage. He had three chevrons below his crow and one upside down red rocker above it. A Senior Chief has two rockers above, and a Master Chief had three rockers above. These were equivalent to first sergeant, sergeant major, and command sergeant major.