First Destroyer Flotilla (Royal Navy)

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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.

Composition

Between April and October, 1910 until 1911, it included the Beagle class destroyers.[1][2]

Late 1911

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 R.G.F. Mark II Torpedoes.[4][5][6][7] Apparently, Blonde was flagship and Tyne a depot ship during that time.[8][9]

July, 1914

Part of the First Fleet, the Flotilla was now comprised of twenty Acherons under destroyer Fearless with depot ship Woolwich. The Commodore (T) directed First Fleet's four flotillas from the flagship, third class protected cruiser Amethyst.[10]

destroyer Fearless
Acheron Archer Ariel Attack Badger
Beaver Defender Druid Ferret Forester
Goshawk Hind Hornet Hydra Jackal
Lapwing Lizard Phoenix Sandfly Tigress

This was very likely the composition at the outbreak of war, when it was less specifically described in other sources.[11][12]

September, 1914

The First Flotilla is still shown as before. The depôt ship is still Woolwich, but the First Fleet's flotilla flagship is now light cruiser Arethusa.[13]

destroyer Fearless
Acheron Archer Ariel Attack Badger
Beaver Defender Druid Ferret Forester
Goshawk Hind Hornet Hydra Jackal
Lapwing Lizard Phoenix Sandfly Tigress

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,[14] a change that would limit this roster to applying for just September.

October, 1914

Faulknor has joined as the second flagship.[15]

destroyer Fearless   destroyer Faulknor
Acheron Archer Ariel Attack Badger
Beaver Defender Druid Ferret Forester
Goshawk Hind Hornet Hydra Jackal
Lapwing Lizard Phoenix Sandfly Tigress

On 24 November 1914, while centred in Harwich, the leader and half-flotilla leader were changed to Galatea and Meteor.[16]

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.[17]

light cruiser Galatea   destroyer Meteor
Acheron Archer Ariel Attack Badger
Beaver Defender Druid Ferret Forester
Goshawk Hind Hornet Hydra Jackal
Lapwing Lizard Phoenix Sandfly Tigress
  Manly Mastiff Minos  

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.[18]

destroyer Fearless   destroyer Meteor
Acheron Archer Ariel Attack Badger
Beaver Defender Druid Ferret Forester
Goshawk Hind Hornet Hydra Jackal
Lapwing Lizard Phoenix Sandfly Tigress

This roster would last until February or March.

March, 1915

The flotilla is now under the command of Commander-in-Chief Home Fleets, the roster, flagships and depôt ship remaining as in January.[19]

destroyer Fearless   destroyer Meteor
Acheron Archer Ariel Attack Badger
Beaver Defender Druid Ferret Forester
Goshawk Hind Hornet Hydra Jackal
Lapwing Lizard Phoenix Sandfly Tigress

April, 1915

Botha has replaced Meteor as second-in-command; Meteor has been sent to the Tenth Destroyer Flotilla. The depôt ship remains Woolwich, as ever.[20]

destroyer Fearless   flotilla leader Botha
Acheron Archer Ariel Attack Badger
Beaver Defender Druid Ferret Forester
Goshawk Hind Hornet Hydra Jackal
Lapwing Lizard Phoenix Sandfly Tigress

This roster would apply until June, 1916.[21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33]

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.[34]

light cruiser Champion   destroyer Fearless
Acheron Archer Ariel Attack Badger
  Goshawk Hydra Jackal  
Lapwing Lizard   Phoenix Tigress

This roster would apply until July, 1916.

July, 1916

Tigress has been detached to join the Second Destroyer Flotilla in Devonport, answering to Commander-in-Chief of that port.[35]

light cruiser Champion   destroyer Fearless
Acheron Archer Ariel Attack Badger
  Goshawk Hydra Jackal  
  Lapwing Lizard Phoenix  

This roster would apply until September.[36]

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.[37][38]

light cruiser Champion
Acheron Archer Ariel Attack Badger
  Goshawk Hydra Jackal  
  Lapwing Lizard Phoenix  

This roster would apply until November.[39]

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 destroyer H.M.S. Eclipse.[40]

Operating with the Third Battle Squadron
Beaver Ferret Hornet Druid Forester Sandfly Hind

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.[41]

Operating with the Third Battle Squadron
Beaver Ferret Hornet Druid
Forester Sandfly Hind Defender

This roster would apply until April, 1917.[42][43]

April, 1917

No longer working with the Third Battle Squadron, the Flotilla is in Portsmouth, tender to Victory.[44]

Under C-in-C, Portsmouth
Beaver Ferret Hornet Druid
Forester Sandfly Hind Defender

This roster would apply only for the month.

May, 1917

The Flotilla is in Portsmouth, tender to Victory. it has been augmented by Lark and Linnet, arriving from the Sixth Destroyer Flotilla.[45][46]

Under C-in-C, Portsmouth
Beaver Defender Druid Forester Hind
Hornet Lark   Linnet Sandfly

This roster would apply until July.[47]

July, 1917

The Flotilla is in Portsmouth, tender to Victory. It 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.[48][49]

Under C-in-C, Portsmouth
Beaver Defender Druid Forester Hind
Hornet Landrail Lydiard Llewellyn Lark
&  Linnet Lucifer Sandfly  

This roster would change the next month.

August, 1917

The Flotilla is in Portsmouth, tender to Victory. Beaver, Druid and Forester have been sent off o the Fourth Destroyer Flotilla.[50]

Under C-in-C, Portsmouth
Defender Hind Hornet Landrail Lydiard
Llewellyn Lark Linnet Lucifer Sandfly

This roster would change the next month.

September, 1917

The Flotilla is in Portsmouth, tender to Victory. Defender, Hind, Hornet and Sandfly have also been sent off to the Fourth Destroyer Flotilla.[51] While the First had long been centered on the Acheron class, it now has just six Laforey class destroyers.

Under C-in-C, Portsmouth
Landrail Lydiard Llewellyn Lark Linnet Lucifer

This roster would last until February, 1918.[52][53][54][55]

February, 1918

The Flotilla is in Portsmouth, tender to Victory. Its six destroyers have all left, replaced by eight "River" class destroyers.[56]

Under C-in-C, Portsmouth
Arun Cherwell Ettrick Liffey Rother Swale Teviot Ure

This roster would last just the month.

March, 1918

The Flotilla is in Portsmouth, presumably still tender to Victory though this is not specified. Cossack has joined, but she is paid off.[57]

Under C-in-C, Portsmouth
Arun Cherwell Cossack* Ettrick Liffey Rother Swale Teviot Ure

This roster would last until June.[58][59]

June, 1918

The Flotilla is in Portsmouth, presumably still tender to Victory though this is not specified. Cossack has left.[60]

Under C-in-C, Portsmouth
Arun Cherwell Ettrick Liffey Rother Swale Teviot Ure

This roster would last just the month of June.

July, 1918

The Flotilla is in Portsmouth, presumably still tender to Victory though this is not specified. Swordfish has joined.[61]

Under C-in-C, Portsmouth
Arun Cherwell Ettrick Liffey Rother Swale Swordfish Teviot Ure

This roster would last until sometime between September and November.[62]

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.[63]

Under C-in-C, Portsmouth
Arun Cherwell Ettrick* Liffey Rother Swale Teviot Ure*

This roster would last just the month.

December, 1918

The Flotilla is in Portsmouth, 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.[64][65]

Under C-in-C, Portsmouth
Arun Cherwell Ettrick* Liffey Rother Swale Teviot
Ure* Medina Nonpareil Observer Offa Orestes Plucky

This roster would last just the month.

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.[66]

Battles

Battle of Dogger Bank

Fourteen Acheron class destroyers were attached to the Flotilla under flagship light cruiser Aurora. One of these, Attack took Beatty from Lion when the battlecruiser was disabled.[67]

Battle of Jutland

Nine destroyers led by destroyer 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.[68]

It was organised as follows:[69][70]

At the same time, Phoenix remained in harbour and the flotilla leader Botha and destroyers Jackal, Archer, Tigress and Phoenix were in dockyard hands.[71]

Captains (D)

Dates of appointment given:

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. p. 73.
  2. ↑ March. British Destroyers. p. 106.
  3. ↑ March. British Destroyers. p. 160.
  4. ↑ Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1912. p. 36.
  5. ↑ Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1916. p. 87.
  6. ↑ Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. p. 75.
  7. ↑ March. British Destroyers. p. 160.
  8. ↑ "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Monday, 13 January, 1913. Issue 40107, col B, p. 11.
  9. ↑ "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Tuesday, 14 January, 1912. Issue 40108, col F, p. 13.
  10. ↑ Admiralty Weekly Order No. 109 of 10 July 1914.
  11. ↑ March. British Destroyers. p. 164.
  12. ↑ Dittmar; Colledge. British Warships 1914–1919. p. 15.
  13. ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (September 1914). p. 11.
  14. ↑ Grand Fleet Conferences, 1914. p. 104.
  15. ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (October, 1914). p. 11.
  16. ↑ Grand Fleet Conferences, 1914. pp. 218-219.
  17. ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (December, 1914). p. 11.
  18. ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (January, 1915). p. 11.
  19. ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (March, 1915). p. 14.
  20. ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (April, 1915). pp. 11, 13.
  21. ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (May, 1915). p. 11.
  22. ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (June, 1915). p. 12.
  23. ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (July, 1915). p. 12.
  24. ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (August, 1915). p. 12.
  25. ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (September, 1915). p. 12.
  26. ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (October, 1915). p. 12.
  27. ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (November, 1915). p. 12.
  28. ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (December, 1915). p. 12.
  29. ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (January, 1916). p. 12.
  30. ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (March, 1916). p. 12.
  31. ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (March, 1916). p. 12.
  32. ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (April, 1916). p. 12.
  33. ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (May, 1916). p. 12.
  34. ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (June, 1916). pp. 12, 13.
  35. ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (July, 1916). pp. 12, 14.
  36. ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (August, 1916). p. 12.
  37. ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (September, 1916). p. 12.
  38. ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (January, 1917). p. 12.
  39. ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (October, 1916). p. 12.
  40. ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (November, 1916). pp. 12, 13, 14.
  41. ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (December, 1916). p. 13.
  42. ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (January, 1917). p. 13.
  43. ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (March, 1917). p. 13.
  44. ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (April, 1917). pp. 13, 14.
  45. ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (May, 1917). p. 14.
  46. ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (April, 1917). p. 15.
  47. ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (June, 1917). p. 14.
  48. ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (July, 1917). p. 14.
  49. ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (June, 1917). pp. 14,15.
  50. ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (August, 1917). p. 14.
  51. ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (September, 1917). p. 14.
  52. ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (October, 1917). p. 14.
  53. ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (November, 1917). p. 14.
  54. ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (December, 1917). p. 14.
  55. ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (January, 1918). p. 14.
  56. ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (February, 1918). p. 14.
  57. ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (March, 1918). p. 16.
  58. ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (April, 1918). p. 16.
  59. ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (May, 1918). p. 16.
  60. ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (June, 1918). p. 16.
  61. ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (July, 1918). p. 16.
  62. ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (August, 1918). p. 16. No Supplement for September or October was found.
  63. ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (November, 1918). p. 16.
  64. ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (December, 1918). p. 16.
  65. ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (November, 1918). p. 12.
  66. ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (January, 1919). pp. 15, 19, 20.
  67. ↑ March. British Destroyers. p. 123.
  68. ↑ March. British Destroyers. p. 123.
  69. ↑ Naval Operations. Volume III. pp. 429-30.
  70. ↑ Battle of Jutland Official Despatches. pp. 46-7.
  71. ↑ Naval Operations. Volume III. pp. 429-30.
  72. ↑ "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Thursday, 13 October, 1910. Issue 39402, col B, p. 9.
  73. ↑ "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Tuesday, 23 April, 1912. Issue 39880, col G, p. 16.
  74. ↑ March. British Destroyers. pp. 160-161.
  75. ↑ "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
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