First Destroyer Flotilla (Royal Navy)
The First Destroyer Flotilla was a formation of destroyers of the Royal Navy. The flotilla changed composition often as ships were damaged, retired or transferred.
Between April and October, 1910 until 1911, it included the Beagle class destroyers.[1][2] On 1 November, 1911, the flotilla was comprised of:[3]
From 1912 through much of 1916, it was also comprised of twenty Acheron class destroyers armed with 21-in Mark II torpedoes.[4][5][6] Apparently, Blonde was flagship and Tyne a depot ship during that time.[7][8]
Contents
Outbreak of War, August, 1914
At outbreak of war, twenty Acherons under leader Fearless.[9]
Battle of Dogger Bank, January 1915
Fourteen Acheron class destroyers were attached to the Flotilla under flagship cruiser Aurora. One of these, Attack took Beatty from Lion when the battlecruiser was disabled.[10]
Battle of Jutland, June 1916
Nine destroyers under flagship 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.[11]
After Jutland, 1916
Captains (D)
Dates of appointment given:
- Captain Sir Robert K. Arbuthnot, 29 November, 1910. (Commodore, Second Class.)[12]
- Captain Arthur R. Hulbert, 10 May, 1912.[13][14] Hulbert drowned at Harwich on 12 January, 1913, having fallen from Blonde. [15]
Footnotes
- ↑ Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. p. 73.
- ↑ March. British Destroyers. p. 106.
- ↑ March. British Destroyers. p. 160.
- ↑ Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1916. p. 87.
- ↑ Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. p. 75.
- ↑ March. British Destroyers. p. 160.
- ↑ "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Monday, 13 January, 1913. Issue 40107, col B, p. 11.
- ↑ "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Tuesday, 14 January, 1912. Issue 40108, col F, p. 13.
- ↑ March. British Destroyers. p. 164.
- ↑ March. British Destroyers. p. 123.
- ↑ March. British Destroyers. p. 123.
- ↑ "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Thursday, 13 October, 1910. Issue 39402, col B, p. 9.
- ↑ "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Tuesday, 23 April, 1912. Issue 39880, col G, p. 16.
- ↑ March. British Destroyers. pp. 160-161.
- ↑ "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Monday, 13 January, 1913. Issue 40107, col B, p. 11.
Bibliography
- Dittmar, F.J.; Colledge, J.J. (1972). British Warships 1914–1919. London: Ian Allan.
- March, Edgar J. (1966). British Destroyers: A History of Development, 1892-1953. London: Seeley Service & Co. Limited. (on Bookfinder.com).
See Also
| British Destroyer Flotillas | |||
| First | Second | Third | Fourth | Fifth | Sixth | Seventh | Eighth | Ninth | Tenth | |||
| Eleventh | Twelfth | Thirteenth | Fourteenth | Fifteenth | Sixteenth | Seventeenth | Eighteenth | Nineteenth | |||
| Twentieth | Twenty-first | |||
| Local Defence Flotillas | |||
| Clyde | Devonport | Devonport & Falmouth | Falmouth | Firth of Forth | Gibraltar | |||
| Liverpool | Mersey | Newhaven | Nore | North Channel | Milford & Pembroke | Pembroke | |||
| Portland | Portsmouth | Queenstown | |||
