Difference between revisions of "First Destroyer Flotilla (Royal Navy)"

Latest revision as of 17:17, 7 February 2024

The First Destroyer Flotilla was a formation of destroyers of the Royal Navy.

History

18 May, 1906

The Flotilla had twelve destroyers, and was based in Portsmouth and assigned to the Channel Fleet alongside the similarly equipped Second and Third Destroyer Flotillas.^[1]

18 February, 1907

The Flotilla is not listed with the Channel Fleet, but as being based on Portsmouth. It is still twelve destroyers in commission with full crews, and a further twenty-eight with nucleus crews (not listed here).^[2]

In August, 1907, the First and Second Destroyer Flotilla transferred from the Home Fleet to the Channel Fleet.^[3]

Between April and October, 1910 until 1911, it included the Beagle class destroyers.^[4][5]

18 March, 1910

Operating as part of the First Division, Home Fleet and comprised of Swift, the Tribals, and several Rivers.^[6]

Late 1911

On 1 November, 1911, the flotilla was comprised of:^[7]

From 1912 through much of 1916, it was also comprised of twenty Acheron class destroyers armed with 21-in Mark II torpedoes.^{[8][9][10][11]} Apparently, Blonde was flagship and Tyne a depot ship during that time.^[12][13]

April, 1912

The Royal Navy's flotillas 1–8 were reorganised this month, leaving the 1 D.F. with twenty Acherons and a pair of cruisers, all with full crews and based on Rosyth. The depot ship, Venus, was soon to be relieved by Woolwich.^[14]

February, 1913

Part of the First Fleet, the Flotilla was now comprised of twenty Acherons under scout cruiser Blonde with depot ship Venus.^[15]

July, 1913

Blonde has been transferred to the Fourth Battle Squadron, to be replaced by Patrol after the end of manoeuvres.^[16]

October, 1913

The First, Second and Third Destroyer Flotillas arrived at Longhope on 30 September and departed on 6 October to participate in combined exercises with the First Fleet in the North Sea.^[17]

November, 1913

The new destroyers Firedrake and Lurcher are temporarily assigned to this flotilla, Attentive has replaced Patrol, and the Venus is scheduled to be relieved by the depot ship Woolwich.^[18]

January, 1914

Lurcher has transferred to the Fourth Destroyer Flotilla while Firedrake remains attached to the flotilla. Attentive is now part of Seventh Destroyer Flotilla. Venus has gone to the Eleventh Cruiser Squadron. Fearless is now the flotilla cruiser and Woolwich the depot ship.^[19]

March, 1914

Firedrake has transferred to the Fourth Destroyer Flotilla.^[20]

July, 1914

Unchanged from March. The Commodore (T) directed First Fleet's four flotillas from the flagship, third class protected cruiser Amethyst.^[21]

This was very likely the composition at the outbreak of war, when it was less specifically described in other sources.^[22][23]

August, 1914

On 13 August, the First and Third Destroyer Flotillas were made part of Rear-Admiral Arthur Henry Christian's new Southern Force. The two flotillas operated out of Harwich under Commodore Tyrwhitt in operations to protect the Belgian coast.^[24]

September, 1914

The First Flotilla is still shown as before. The First Fleet's flotilla flagship is now light cruiser Arethusa.^[25]

During the month, it was decided that Faulknor should join as the half-flotilla leader and be fitted with a Mark II W/T set, longer mast, No. 2 set of flags and two additional signal ratings,^[26] a change that would limit this roster to applying for just September.

October, 1914

Faulknor has joined as the second flagship.^[27]

On 24 November 1914, while centred in Harwich, the leader and half-flotilla leader were changed to Galatea and Meteor.^[28]

December, 1914

The flagships have changed according to the command of 24 November. Also, three newly-completed "M" class destroyers have joined the formerly all-Acheron flotilla, while they await a more permanent posting.^[29]

January, 1915

Minos, Manly and Mastiff have been moved to the Third Destroyer Flotilla, pending a move to the still-forming Tenth Destroyer Flotilla. Galatea has also left for a temporary posting in the Second Destroyer Flotilla, replaced by Fearless who is returning from the same. The First Flotilla has also been placed under the command of Vice-Admiral commanding the Third Battle Squadron.^[30]

Battle of Dogger Bank

Fourteen Acheron class destroyers were attached to the Flotilla under light cruiser Aurora in the Battle of Dogger Bank on 24 January. One of these, Attack took Beatty from Lion when the battlecruiser was disabled.^[31]

The January roster would last until February or March.

February, 1915

Early in the month, the flotilla with Woolwich transferred from Harwich to South Queensferry to assist the Battle Cruiser Squadron based there.^[32]

March, 1915

The flotilla is now under the command of Commander-in-Chief Home Fleets, the roster remaining as in January.^[33]

April, 1915

The flotilla is now attached to the Grand Fleet. Botha has replaced Meteor as second-in-command; Meteor has been sent to the Tenth Destroyer Flotilla.^[34]

This roster would apply until June, 1916.^[35]

Battle of Jutland

Main article: First D.F. (Royal Navy) at the Battle of Jutland

Nine destroyers led by scout cruiser Fearless screened the Fifth Battle Squadron on its disengaged side during the Run to the South and then served the same duty for the First Battle Cruiser Squadron. Attack and Defender sustained hits from 11-in shells, but kept in the action.^[36]

It was organised as follows:^[37][38]

• scout cruiser Fearless, flagship, Captain (D) Charles D. Roper
  • Acheron, Commander Charles G. Ramsey
  • Ariel, Lieutenant-Commander Arthur G. Tippet
  • Attack, Lieutenant-Commander Charles H. N. James
  • Hydra, Lieutenant Francis G. Glossop
  • Badger, Commander Charles A. Fremantle
  • Goshawk, Commander Dashwood Fowler Moir
  • Defender, Lieutenant-Commander Laurence R. Palmer
  • Lizard, Lieutenant-Commander Edward Brooke
  • Lapwing, Lieutenant-Commander Alexander H. Gye

At the same time, Phoenix remained in harbour and the flotilla leader Botha and destroyers Jackal, Archer, Tigress and Phoenix were in dockyard hands.^[39]

June, 1916

Beaver, Defender, Druid, Ferret, Forester, Hind, Hornet and Sandfly have been detached to screen the Third Battle Squadron, relieving the Third Cruiser Squadron of this duty, as it is presumably now needed to make good cruiser loses of those screening the Battle Fleet at Jutland. Fearless is noted as being a temporary member.^[40]

July, 1916

Tigress has been detached to join the Second Destroyer Flotilla in Devonport, answering to Commander-in-Chief of that port. Fearless remains as a temporary member.^[41]

This roster would apply until September.^[42]

September, 1916

Fearless's temporary assignment as second-in-command has lapsed, and she next appears as flagship of the Twelfth Submarine Flotilla in early 1917.^[43][44]

This roster would apply until November.^[45]

November, 1916

The Flotilla is no longer screening the Grand Fleet, and Champion has moved to the Thirteenth Destroyer Flotilla, but those destroyers (now numbering seven – Defender is curiously not listed, though she'd been there in October and she'd reappear in December) operating with the Third Battle Squadron now are labelled as the First Destroyer Flotilla, tendered to Dido. Acheron, Archer, Ariel, Attack, Goshawk, Hydra and Lizard have been moved to the Second Destroyer Flotilla, under orders of the Commander-in-Chief of Devonport. Tigress seems to be with an unnamed assortment of ten Acorn class destroyers led by second class protected cruiser H.M.S. Eclipse.^[46]

This roster would apply just for November.

December, 1916

Defender has reappeared with the Flotilla, still working with the Third Battle Squadron and tender to Dido.^[47]

This roster would apply until April, 1917.^[48]

April, 1917

No longer working with the Third Battle Squadron, the Flotilla is in Portsmouth.^[49]

May, 1917

The Flotilla has been augmented by Lark and Linnet, arriving from the Sixth Destroyer Flotilla.^[50][51]

This roster would apply until July.^[52]

July, 1917

The Flotilla has received further "L" class destroyers Landrail and Lydiard from the neighboring escort flotilla in Portsmouth and Llewellyn and Lucifer from the Sixth Destroyer Flotilla.^[53][54]

August, 1917

Beaver, Druid and Forester have been sent off to the Fourth Destroyer Flotilla.^[55]

September, 1917

Defender, Hind, Hornet and Sandfly have also been sent off to the Fourth Destroyer Flotilla, leaving six destroyers.^[56] While the First had long been centered on the Acheron class, it now has just six Laforey class destroyers.

This roster would last until February, 1918.^[57]

February, 1918

The Flotilla's six destroyers have all left, replaced by eight "River" class destroyers.^[58]

March, 1918

The Flotilla is presumably still tender to Victory though this is not specified. Cossack has joined, but she is paid off.^[59]

This roster would last until June.^[60][61]

June, 1918

The Flotilla is presumably still tender to Victory though this is not specified. Cossack has left.^[62]

July, 1918

The Flotilla is in Portsmouth, presumably still tender to Victory though this is not specified. The former submarine (now converted to a surface patrol craft) Swordfish has joined.^[63]

This roster would last until sometime between September and November.^[64]

November, 1918

The Flotilla is in Portsmouth, presumably still tender to Victory though this is not specified. Swordfish has been dropped and Ettrick and Ure are temporarily detached to Immingham.^[65]

December, 1918

The Flotilla is presumably still tender to Victory though this is not specified. Ettrick and Ure are still temporarily detached to Immingham, and six new "M" class destroyers have joined from the Fourteenth Destroyer Flotilla: Medina, Nonpareil, Observer, Offa, Orestes, and Plucky.^[66][67]

January, 1919

The Flotilla is no more, with most its ships "temporarily" at various home ports: Arun, Medina, Nonpareil, Observer, Offa, Orestes and Plucky at Portsmouth, Cherwell, Liffey, Rother, Swale and Teviot at the Nore, and Ettrick and Ure sent to the Seventh Destroyer Flotilla at the Humber.^[68]

March, 1919

The Flotilla is reborn as one of seven flotillas of the post-war Grand Fleet, equipped with sixteen modern destroyers, two leaders and a depot ship.

Wallace has come from Devonport and bears the First's Captain (D). Valorous has come in as second-in-command from the Eleventh Destroyer Flotilla, bringing with her Vancouver, Vanessa, Vanity (which is paid off and would remain so until May), Versatile, Viscount Vivacious, Vortigern, Voyager, Walker, Watchman and Wryneck.