Robert Henry Taunton Raikes

Admiral SIR Robert Henry Taunton Raikes, C.V.O., D.S.O.*, K.C.B. (23 August, 1885 – 24 May, 1953) was an submarine commander in the Royal Navy.

Life & Career

Raikes was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 31 December, 1907.

Raikes was appointed in command of the submarine C 35 on 5 May, 1911.

On 2 September, 1913, he was appointed to the armoured cruiser Defence

Great War

Raikes remained in Defence until 1 August, 1915 on which date he was appointed to Vulcan for submarines.

Raikes was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander on 31 December, 1915. The following day, he was appointed to Dolphin for E 44, to take command upon her commissioning.

Raikes was awarded a D.S.O. for being in command of the submarine E 54 on 21 August, 1916 when she sank UC 10 "in difficult waters."

On 29 April and 1 May, 1917 E 54 was engaged with two or three enemy submarines, and on 1 May sank U 81. He received a bar for his D.S.O. for this second coup, gazetted 22 June, 1917. He was invested with the combined awards at Buckingham Palace on 16 January, 1918.

Raikes was promoted to the rank of Commander on 30 June, 1917.

On 9 September, 1918, he was appointed to the Staff of Commodore (S) Hall in Dolphin.

Post-War

Raikes was appointed to oversee the completion of the submarine H.M.S. X1 on 11 December, 1922. Though he was intended to commission her, it seems likely that Philip Esmonde Phillips took over before this.

Raikes was promoted to the rank of Captain on 30 June, 1923.

Raikes was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral on 22 July, 1935.

Raikes was promoted to the rank of Vice-Admiral on 14 January, 1939.

Raikes was promoted to the rank of Admiral on 29 October, 1942.

See Also

• Service Records
• Wikipedia

Naval Appointments
Preceded by Charles S. Benning	Captain of H.M.S. C 9 Aug, 1908 – 28 Mar, 1910	Succeeded by George H. Pownall
Preceded by Philip E. U. Townshend	Captain of H.M.S. A 1 28 Mar, 1910 – 4 Apr, 1910	Succeeded by Noel F. Laurence
Preceded by Charles W. Craven	Captain of H.M.S. A 3 4 Apr, 1910 – 8 Aug, 1910	Succeeded by Wilfrid B. Pirie
Preceded by David de B. Stocks	Captain of H.M.S. B 4 8 Aug, 1910 – 5 May, 1911	Succeeded by Claud L. Y. Dering
Preceded by Gilbert E. Venning	Captain of H.M.S. C 14 5 May, 1911 – 1 May, 1912	Succeeded by Cecil P. Talbot
Preceded by James C. Wahab	Captain of H.M.S. C 35 1 May, 1912 – 2 Sep, 1913	Succeeded by A. Gordon Hine
Preceded by ?	Captain of H.M.S. E 54 1 Apr, 1916 – 14 Nov, 1917	Succeeded by ?
Preceded by New Command	Captain of H.M.S. L 3 14 Nov, 1917 – 9 Sep, 1918	Succeeded by Alexander B. Greig
Preceded by Charles S. Benning	Captain of H.M.S. Vulcan 1 Jan, 1921 – 11 Dec, 1922	Succeeded by Robert R. Turner
Preceded by Charles G. Brodie	Captain of H.M.S. Titania Mar, 1925 – Mar, 1927	Succeeded by John B. Glencross
Preceded by Charles G. Brodie	Captain (S), Fourth Submarine Flotilla Mar, 1925 – Mar, 1927	Succeeded by John B. Glencross
Preceded by New Command	Captain of H.M.S. Sussex 1 Dec, 1928 – 10 Apr, 1930	Succeeded by Stuart S. Bonham-Carter
Preceded by ?	Director of the Staff College, Royal Naval College, Greenwich 2 May, 1932 – 20 Jun, 1934	Succeeded by ?
Preceded by Cecil P. Talbot	Rear-Admiral (S) 10 Dec, 1936 – 15 Dec, 1938	Succeeded by Bertram C. Watson
Preceded by Max K. Horton	Vice-Admiral, Northern Patrol 20 Dec, 1939 – 1 Aug, 1940	Succeeded by ?
Preceded by George H. D'O. Lyon as Commander-in-Chief, Africa Station	Commander-in-Chief, South Atlantic 1 Aug, 1940 – 15 Nov, 1941	Succeeded by Algernon U. Willis
Preceded by Charles G. Stuart	Flag Officer in Charge, Aberdeen 10 Apr, 1942 – 28 Jul, 1944	Succeeded by Lionel V. Wells