Distinguishing Flags of Officers.

SECTION 3.-Distinguishing Flags of Officers.

(See signal book for a description of distinguishing flags.) 752.. When the Secretary of the Navy shall visit a vessel of war of the United States, the jack shall be hoisted at the main, on his coming on board, and carried there until his departure.

753.. The flag of the Admiral is to be carried at the main; of the Vice-Admiral, at the fore; of a Rear-Admiral, at the mizzen. A Commodore's broad pennant is to be carried at the main. If more than one Rear-Admiral is present, the juniors will carry their flags, with stars, as in their boat flags, at the mizzen. If more than one Commodore is present, the juniors will carry their broad pennants at the fore.

754.. Divisional Commanders are not to wear their distinguishing marks, when separated singly from the squadron and station to which they belong.

755.. Any officer commanding a vessel of the Navy, except one on board which a flag, broad pennant, divisional, or senior officer's mark may be worn, shall wear a narrow pennant at the main. This pennant is to be regarded not as an emblem of rank, but rather as significant of command, and that the vessel is of a public character.

756.. All commanding officers of and above the grade of Lieutenant Commander may wear on a staff at the bow of the boat in which they may be embarked a flag or pennant of the same character which they are entitled to wear at the mast-head of their respective vessels; but no divisional flag shall be worn in the bow of boats.

757.. The flag or broad pennant of a Commander-in-Chief, or fleet or squadron, shall be worn only when he is actually in command of such fleet or squadron, but it shall not be worn by any vessel in a port of the United States during his absence from that port for a longer period than twenty-four hours. The senior officer present in such cases is, for the time being, to wear his distinguishing mark, to issue all necessary orders, and to obey any directions that may have been, or may be, given to him by said Commander.

758..An Admiral, Vice-Admiral, or Rear-Admiral in command of a shore station, is to wear his flag, and to hoist it on board the receiving vessel; or, if there be no such vessel thereat, at any suitable

General Instructions.

place within his limits. A Commodore in such command is to wear his broad pennant, and to so hoist it.

759.. To distinguish officers in boats, Captains shall wear a gilt ball on the end of their boat staffs, and Commanders a gilt star. 760..Commanding Officers of fleets, squadrons or divisions, will carry the distinguishing marks of their rank on the bow of their barges.

761..These distinguishing marks will be allowed to no other grades.

762..In foreign countries all boats should carry the national flag unless specially ordered to do otherwise.

ARTICLE VIII.

General Instructions.

763..The attention of all persons belonging to the Navy is particularly called to the laws for the government of the Navy, and to all general orders and regulations of the Navy Department which now exist or may be issued hereafter.

764..Every general order issued by this Department, or published by authority, will be read to the officers and crew by the Executive Officer on board of every naval vessel, at the first general muster subsequent to its receipt, and the fact entered upon the ship's log. All officers are directed to preserve a copy of each General Order and Circular.

765..A supply of all General Orders and Circulars of the Department will be forwarded to the Commandants of navy yards and stations, and Commanders of fleets or squadrons, who are required to distribute them to each and every officer under their respective commands.

766..Commandants of navy yards and stations will post, for at least three months after their date, in the most conspicuous place within the limits of their command, a copy of each of the General Orders and Circulars received by them.

767..All officers on duty are required to apply, in writing, monthly, to the Commandant of the navy yard or station, or of the fleet or the squadron under whose command they are serving, for such

General Instructions.

General Orders and Circulars as they have not received; and all officers not on duty will make similar application to the Navy Department, such application to specify the number or dates of the General Orders or Circulars they have not received, or the number and date of the last one received by them.

768.. Although particular duties are prescribed for officers and others in these regulations, it is not intended to confine or limit them to those specified, but every person is enjoined to promote, by zeal and energy, the efficiency of the service.

769.. Authority is to be exercised with firmness, but with kindness and justice to inferiors, and officers will bear in mind that the authority to punish offenses is strictly defined by law; no deviation therefrom will be tolerated.

770..All persons in the Navy are to be constant in attention to their duties, and shall not absent themselves therefrom without the consent of their immediate Commanding Officer.

771..Every officer or other person of the Navy shall treat with respect his superior, or any one having authority over him, and is required to set an example of morality, subordination, and devotion to duty.

772..If any person in the Navy shall consider himself oppressed by his superior, or shall observe in him any misconduct, he is not on that account to fail in his respect to him, but he is to represent, through the proper channel, such oppression or misconduct to the proper authority. But in all cases such person will be held accountable if his representations should be found vexatious, frivolous, or false.

773..If any person belonging to the Navy shall know of any fraud, collusion, or improper conduct on the part of any agent, contractor, or other person employed in matters connected with the naval service, he shall report the same, in writing, through the proper channel, to the proper authority; but he must, in all cases, specify the particular acts of misconduct, and the means of proving the same, for he will be held strictly accountable for any frivolous or vexatious charges he may present. No anonymous correspondence will be noticed.

774..If an officer receive an order from a superior contrary to any particular order of any other superior, or to instructions, or

General Instructions.

general orders from the Department, he will respectfully represent the facts in writing to such superior, and if, after such representation, the superior shall still insist upon the execution of his order, it is to be obeyed, and the officer receiving and executing it is to report the circumstances to the one from whom he received the original order.

775..Every officer who shall divert another from any service upon which he shall have been ordered by a common superior, or require him to act contrary to the orders of such superior, or interfere with those under his command, must show to the Department, or to the officer under whose command he may be acting, that the public interest required the procedure.

776..All orders countermanding a written order from a common superior shall be given in writing.

777.. No person in the Navy shall, without the authority of his superior or Commanding Officer, exchange with another for the performance of any duty with which he may be charged.

778..When any officer, whether in command of a fleet, squadron, division, or single vessel, shall meet with his superior or senior officer, also in command, he will visit him in person, show him his orders or instructions, and consider himself under his command for the time being. If he shall have received confidential orders, he is at once to inform his superior of that fact, and he must not be delayed in the execution of such orders by his superior without an overruling necessity therefor, of which the Department must be informed in detail, at the earliest possible moment; in all cases of such interference, the original instructions must be carried out as soon thereafter as practicable, and a full report upon the subject forwarded to the authority which issued such confidential orders.

779.. Any officer who may be sent on detached duty, and who may arrive within the limits of a port or station commanded by an officer belonging to the same fleet, squadron, or division, shall always communicate with such Commanding Officer, either in person or by letter, according as he may be junior or senior to such officer, before proceeding to execute any part of the duty with which he may be charged within such limits, unless otherwise directed by their common superior, or the position of such Commanding Officer, or other imperative circumstances that would cause a delay preju

General Instructions.

dicial to the service. Such officer will always communicate with the Commanding Officer of the port or station before leaving it, in order that an opportunity may be afforded to send reports or dispatches in case there should be no regular means of communication between him and the Commander-in-Chief or Navy Depart

ment.

780..Boats shall not be regarded as being on detached duty while engaged in the ordinary service of the ship to which they belong. Unless specially fitted for an expedition for which a regular detail of officers and men is made, or unless separated from the ship by unavoidable or unforeseen circumstances, they will be regarded as attached to her, and no officer in such cases shall assume authority on the ground that he is engaged on detached duty.

781.. When two or more vessels are in company, the senior officer present will regulate the motions of all.

782.. No deviation shall be made from the directions of the Navy Department in relation to the construction, repair, arrangement, armament, or equipment of vessels without its previous sanction, or in cases of absolute necessity occurring abroad, of the Commanderin-Chief, or of the senior officer present, and then the nature of the alteration, effects produced, and costs, are to be reported to the Department at the earliest moment practicable. Nor shall any change be made in the fixtures or furniture of officers' apartments without such sanction, and, if made for private convenience, no article substituted for that allowed shall be removed, even though it may have been purchased by the officer desiring the change.

783.. Every officer is strictly enjoined to avoid all unnecessary expenditures of public money or stores, and as far as may be in his power, to prevent the same in others, and to encourage the strictest economy consistent with the interests of the service. All persons in the Navy are hereby held answerable for any was teful or improper expense they may direct, authorize, or knowingly permit.

784..In case of robbery, or on the discovery of the loss of money or other public property, the person responsible for the safe custody of the same will immediately report the occurrence to the senior officer present, who will thereupon order a board of three suitable officers to investigate the alleged robbery or loss, and to report fully and impartially all the circumstances connected therewith, so