Twenty-first Destroyer Flotilla (Royal Navy)

From The Dreadnought Project
Jump to: navigation, search

The Twenty-first Destroyer Flotilla was a formation of destroyers of the Royal Navy. It was created very shortly before the end of the war and did not exist for more than a few months.

In Command

Other Personnel

Gunnery Duties


History

Operation ZZ

Even though yet to appear in the Navy List, on 21 November's Operation ZZ, the flotilla allegedly had six destroyers present and four additional destroyers absent.[Citation needed]

December, 1918

The flotilla appears for the first time in the Navy List.[6] It is comprised entirely of expatriates from the Sixth Destroyer Flotilla.[7]

Attached to the Grand Fleet
Flotilla Leaders
Botha Seymour Swift
"M" class Destroyers
Mansfield Melpomene Milne Miranda Moorsom Murray
Nugent Phoebe

January, 1919

The flotilla is now based in Rosyth, "attached Woolwich". The roster is unchanged.[8]

Attached to the Grand Fleet, in Rosyth
Flotilla Leaders
Botha Seymour Swift
"M" class Destroyers
Mansfield Melpomene Milne Miranda Moorsom Murray
Nugent Phoebe

February, 1919

Mansfield, Melpomene, Milne, Moorsom, Murray and Nugent have gone to the Sixth Destroyer Flotilla and Phoebe has gone "temporarily" to home port in The Nore.

The young flotilla is down to three leaders and just one destroyer, "attached Woolwich".[9]

Attached to the Grand Fleet, in Rosyth
Flotilla Leaders
Botha Seymour Swift
"M" class Destroyers
Miranda

March, 1919

Flotilla is Dis-established

The formation has not survived the post-war restructuring of the Royal Navy.

Seymour has been given to the refashioned Fourth Destroyer Flotilla.

Botha has gone to The Nore, probably in Reserve, while Swift has been placed in Reserve at Portsmouth.

Miranda is at The Nore with a "miscellaneous" assignment.[10]

May, 1939

The Flotilla has been re-established some time between mid-1937 and May 1939 and is serving on the China Station with eight destroyers and a leader.[11]

Serving on the China Station
Leader
Duncan
Depot Ship
Tamar
Destroyers
Decoy Defender Dainty Diana
Delight Duchess Daring Diamond

Footnotes

  1. Kerr Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/53/137. f. 136.
  2. Kerr Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/53/137. f. 136.
  3. Back Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/56/78. f. ?.
  4. Back Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/56/78. f. ?.
  5. Back Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/56/78. f. ?.
  6. Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (December, 1918). p. 11.
  7. Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (November, 1918). p. 14.
  8. Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (January, 1919). p. 13.
  9. Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (February, 1919). pp. 13, 14, 19.
  10. Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (March, 1919). pp. 11, 17, 18.
  11. The Navy List. (May, 1939). p. 247.

Bibliography

  • Dittmar, F.J.; Colledge, J.J. (1972). British Warships 1914–1919. London: Ian Allan.

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