Investigation 342. (1) When serious damage, from whatsoever cause, is received of all serious by any vessel under his command, he shall order an investigation damages by a board. by a board of three officers, who shall be directed to report fully the circumstances and to state to whom, if to anyone, fault is to be attributed.

Reports to the

command.

(2) In the event of a collision he shall proceed as provided in article 422.

343. He shall make to the officer in chief command a detailed officer in chief report of any important circumstances in connection with, or duty performed by, the forces under him, requiring from his subordinates such reports as may be necessary.

To require ex- 344. He shall, when two or more ships are together, have freercise in signals. quent exercises in signals by day, and the same by night, each ship making and reading signals in turn.

by senior officer.

Duties of flag 345. The senior officer present shall discharge the duties of the officer discharged flag officer in chief command, as laid down in article 272, paragraphs 3, 4, 6, and 8, and articles 276, 277, 278, 279, 286, 289, 290, 291, 292, 293, 294, 297, 298, 299, 300, 301, 302, 303, 304, 305, 306, 307, 308, 309, 310, 314, 318, 319, 320, 321, 326, and 328, and authority for that purpose is hereby conferred upon him.

CHAPTER VIII.

THE STAFF OF A FLAG OFFICER.

SECTION 1.-THE CHIEF OF STAFF.

The detail of a

346. If an officer is detailed by the Secretary of the Navy to act as chief of staff to a flag officer, he shall perform the duties of that chief of staff. office as laid down in these regulations; otherwise these duties shall be performed by the flag officer himself. If the latter considers the services of a chief of staff necessary. he shall represent the fact to the Secretary of the Navy, and suggest for the position some officer who, if practicable, shall be senior in rank to all other officers of the fleet, squadron, or division, to which he is thus assigned.

347. He shall be attached to the flagship, and subject to the orders of the flag officer in all matters of duty, and to him only. In addition to the duties herein prescribed, he shall assist the flag officer as the latter may require.

348. The authority of the chief of staff is authority delegated by the flag officer, and officers of the personal and fleet staff shall be subject to the orders of the chief of staff in all matters pertaining to staff duty.

General duty.

Authority.

the chief of staff.

349. The following papers shall be transmitted to the chief of Papers to be staff, who will indorse upon them his opinion as to the disposition transmitted to of their contents, and place them before the flag officer: All papers concerning the condition, efficiency, equipment, or repair of ships, or any of their appurtenances; applications for surveys; applications for leave, transfer, or discharge; requisitions for money, and when on a foreign station requistions for stores or provisions; and all periodical returns, except those rendered to the accounting officers of the Treasury.

Personnel of

350. He shall keep a roster of all officers, with the times that their regular tours of service expire, and a summary of the returns the command. concerning the crews of ships, so that he may at any time inform the flag officer fully concerning the personnel of his command.

Account of

351. He shall always be prepared to supply the flag officer with any information concerning the amount of stores, provisions, and supplies. other munitions of war on board of the ships of his command; also those available in store or supply vessels, and at depots under his control.

To keep a jour

352. He shall keep a journal of the operations and movements of ships, including such details as may be of importance as a matter nal of events. of record, or for transmission to the Secretary of the Navy.

353. He shall keep a record of all orders issued by the flag officer

To keep a rec

or by his authority. He will require the flag lieutenant to keep a ord of orders and record of all signals made and received by the flag, noting as nearly signals.

as possible the exact time of each signal.

To keep a record of a council

of war.

To issue the

354. When a flag officer holds a council of war, or discusses the operations of his command with the commanders of divisions, squadrons, or ships, the chief of staff shall be present and keep a record of the proceedings.

355. He shall detail the picket vessels and guard ships, and make orders for the out the orders for all routine exercises. He shall issue to each ship day. the countersign for the day.

Signals.

Reports to the flag officer.

Station and duty in battle.

Death of the flag officer.

May succeed to command.

Chief of staff

356. (1) He shall require the flag lieutenant to keep the signal books correct, frequently inspecting them to see that all prescribed entries are made.

(2) He shall report to the flag officer, for transmission to the Navy Department, any defects discovered in the signal or tactical books, or any suggestions for their improvement that may occur to him as important.

(3) He shall give such directions as may be necessary to prevent the entry of a signal number and its meaning in the same piece of writing.

(4) He shall give such directions as may be necessary regarding the methods of signaling.

357. He shall report to the flag officer without delay all orders he may give, and any neglect of duty or disobedience of orders that he may observe.

358. His station in battle is near the flag officer, whom he shall assist in every manner possible. He shall assign competent officers to keep a record of all signals made, and to take notes of the movements of ships and other important events during the action.

359. Upon the detachment or death of a flag officer, or of the commander of a squadron or division, the officers composing his staff (except such as have been appointed by the Secretary of the Navy) shall cease to exercise their duties, unless reappointed by his successor. They may be temporarily appointed to continue their duties by the officer succeeding to temporary command, or may be assigned to other duty.

360. A chief of staff may succeed to the chief command in the manner prescribed in article 285.

361. The duties of the chief of staff, as well as of the personal to an officer not and fleet staff, are the same, whether their superior is in chief comin chief com- mand or in command of a squadron or division.

mand.

Personal staff.

SECTION 2.-PERSONAL STAFF.

362. The chief of staff, flag lieutenant, secretary or clerk, and aids shall constitute the personal staff of a flag officer.

Flag lieuten- 363. (1) An admiral, when ordered to command afloat, may, at ant and secre- his discretion, nominate to the Secretary of the Navy two line offitary. cers not above the rank of lieutenant to serve on his staff as flag lieutenant and secretary respectively, the former being the senior. (2) A rear admiral when ordered to a command afloat, may, at his discretion, nominate to the Secretary of the Navy a line officer not above the rank of lieutenant to serve on his staff as flag lieutenant, and a line officer not above the rank of lieutenant, junior grade, to serve as clerk.

(3) The flag lieutenant, in addition to his other duties, shall be the fleet signal officer.

Flag officer

364. (1) A flag officer may select any officer of his command to serve as flag lieutenant, secretary, or clerk, provided his grade may select members of personal accords with the rules laid down in article 363. staff from his

(2) He may also, when necessary, select other line officers to serve command. on his personal staff as aids, but shall not assign a naval cadet to such duty.

sonal staff.

365. (1) Members of the personal staff of a flag officer shall be Quarters of borne upon the books of the flagship, and assigned to quarters as members of perfollows: When of or above the grade of commander, to cabin accommodations after the captain of the flagship, and to the flag officer's mess; when below the grade of commander, to the wardroom with accommodations in accordance with their rank after the executive and navigator: when of the grade of ensign, to the steerage, with accommodations in accordance with their rank.

(2) When a flag officer transfers his flag to a ship other than the regular flagship, the members of his staff accompanying him shall not displace in their quarters the executive, navigator, or four senior watch officers of that ship, or any officer in the steerage who keeps a night watch.

Duties of mem

366. (1) The duties of the members of the personal staff, other than those prescribed in these regulations, shall be entirely regu- bers of personal lated by the chief of staff, subject to the flag officer.

(2) In all matters of general discipline the members of the personal staff shall be subject to the internal regulations and routine of the ship in which they are embarked, as though they were a part of her complement.

(3) The members of the personal staff shall perform no duties exclusively connected with the personnel or material of the ship in which they are embarked, except under the direction of the captain of that ship.

(4) All boarding duty from the flagship in the name or on the service of the flag officer shall be performed by the members of the personal staff.

(5) Members of the personal staff other than the chief shall be assigned to stations in battle by the flag officer.

(6) The band, when not employed on duty for the flag officer, shall be considered as part of the ship's crew.

(7) The barge and barge's crew, when the barge is not manned for the flag officer, shall be regarded as part of the ship's force.

(8) The signal force of the flagship, while employed in making signals, shall be under the direction of the fleet signal officer, who shall inform the officer of the deck of the intention to make signals, but shall not be required to make known to him their purport.

SECTION 3.-FLEET STAFF.

staff.

367. (1) The officers designated by the Navy Department as engi- Composition. neer of the fleet, surgeon of the fleet, paymaster of the fleet, and marine officer of the fleet, shall constitute the fleet staff of a flag officer. The medical and pay officers shall, when practicable, be selected from those having the rank of commander, the engineer from the grade of lieutenant commander, and the marine officer from the grade of major.

(2) When not designated by the Department, the senior engineer, medical, pay, and marine officers of the fleet or squadron may be detailed by the commander in chief to act as fleet staff officers.

Fleet staff em- 368. The members of the fleet staff shall be embarked in the barked in flag- flagship if practicable.

ship.

Duty of fleet

staff.

To inspect ships only when

ordered.

Duty of engineer of fleet.

Engineer stores for the fleet.

Supervision over senior engi

neers of the fleet.

369. The duties of the members of the fleet staff, as such, shall be in addition to those assigned them by the captain of the particular ship in which they are embarked.

370. The members of the fleet staff shall make no official inspection or examination on board of any ship, other than the one to which they are attached, except upon a written order from the flag officer, which shall be presented to the captain of the ship about to be inspected or examined.

371. (1) The engineer of the fleet shall perform the duties of senior engineer of the ship to which he is attached.

(2) He shall, in general, perform such duties as are assigned him by the flag officer.

(3) He shall examine and pass upon all requisitions of ships of the fleet for stores pertaining to the Bureau of Steam Engineering that require the approval of the flag officer.

(4) He shall, under the flag officer, exercise a general supervision over all the senior engineer officers in the fleet in regard to the manner of caring for the engines, boilers, and other machinery in their charge and the general performance of their technical duties, visiting each ship from time to time for that purpose.

Inspection of (5) He shall, when directed, carefully examine all machinery conengineer depart- nected with the motive power of any ship of the fleet and make ment of a ship. himself thoroughly familiar with its construction, condition, requirements, care, and maintenance. He will also make himself familiar with the condition of all the dependencies of this machinery, the spare parts, tools, stores, and supplies on hand. He shall inform himself fully as to the manner in which the engineer officers of the ship perform their technical duties. He shall, if any repairs are necessary, carefully ascertain their nature and extent; he shall make a written report, in detail, of the result to the flag officer, and he shall not fail to state therein if there is any evidence of neglect of duty on the part of the engineer officers of the ship.

Suggestions.

Official reports and returns.

Duty of surgeon of the fleet.

Medical stores

for the fleet.

(6) It shall be his duty, whenever he deems it important, to make to the flag officer any suggestions or reports concerning supplies of coal or engine stores for the fleet, the efficiency, condition, and preservation of the motive machinery of ships, and its dependencies, and any measures that will tend to improve any of the material of the fleet that pertains to the Bureau of Steam Engineering, or promote economy in its administration. All such suggestions and reports shall be made in writing.

(7) All official reports, communications, and returns, whatever their destination, he shall forward through the chief of staff and flag officer. At the end of every quarter he shall make to the flag officer a detailed report, in duplicate, of the condition of the motive machinery and its dependencies upon each ship of the fleet. One copy will be retained by the flag officer and one forwarded to the Secretary of the Navy for the Bureau of Steam Engineering.

372. (1) The surgeon of the fleet shall perform the duties of senior medical officer of the ship to which he is attached.

(2) He shall, in general, perform such duties as are assigned him by the flag officer.

(3) He shall examine and pass upon all requisitions for medical stores for the ships of the fleet that require the approval of the flag