Sleeve Insignia for Admiral of the Navy, worn by Admiral George Dewey
In the
United States Navy,
Admiral of the Navy is traditionally considered the equivalent of a six-star
Admiral. The rank has only been held by one person in history:
George Dewey
The rank Admiral of the Navy gained its equivalence as a six star rank during the
Second World War, with the establishment of the rank of five-star
Fleet Admiral.
During the preparations for the invasion of
Japan, a proposal was raised by the Navy Department to appoint
Chester Nimitz to the rank of Admiral of the Navy and grant him an insignia as a six-star admiral. Proposals for the new six star rank included changing the title to
Flag Admiral. The proposal, however, was dropped and the United States Navy has never officially appointed anyone to the rank of six star admiral.
In the
United States Army, the equivalent of Admiral of the Navy is known as
General of the Armies.