The complexity of a fleet baffles any mental effort, by even those most familiar with it, to grasp it fully.

Each dreadnaught, battle cruiser, destroyer, submarine, collier, tender, hospital ship, scout, supply ship, and what-not, is a machine in itself, and is filled with scores--in some cases, hundreds--of highly specialized machines, operated by steam, oil, air, electricity, and water.

A superdreadnaught is a machine which, including the machines inside of her, costs $15,000,000; a battle cruiser more.
The personnel is nearly as complicated as the material.

Not only are there all the various ranks of commissioned officers in the line, medical corps, pay corps, marine corps, etc., but there are ten kinds of warrant officers besides; while in the enlisted personnel there are ninety-one different "ratings" in the navy, and thirteen in the marine corps, besides temporary ratings, such as gun-pointer, gun-trainer, gun-captain, etc.

Each rank and rating carries its rigidly prescribed duties, as well as its distinctive uniform and pay.