Difference between revisions of "Fourth Destroyer Flotilla (Royal Navy)"
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* Twenty-three "30 knotters" | * Twenty-three "30 knotters" | ||
− | ==Outbreak of War | + | ==July, 1914 - Outbreak of War== |
− | + | Part of the First Fleet, the Flotilla was now comprised of twenty [[Acasta Class Destroyer (1912)|''Acasta'' class destroyers]] under {{UK-Swift|f=t}} with depot ship ''Hecla''. The Commodore (T) directed First Fleet's four flotillas from the flagship, {{UK-Amethyst|f=t}}.<ref>Printed page "Fleets and Squadrons in Commission at Home and Abroad" in Albert Francis Barclay Bridges papers at The Caird Library at the National Maritime Museum. [BRG 1/1]</ref> It retained this composition at the start of the war,{{DittColl|p. 15}} making it uniformly capable of 30 knots.{{March|p. 164}} | |
+ | |||
+ | The destroyers' test runnings of the 21-in Mark II torpedoes in 1916 resulted in five bad runs.{{March|p. 131}}{{ARTS1916|p. 87}} | ||
+ | |||
+ | {|width=75% align=center border=1 | ||
+ | |align=center colspan=5|{{UK-Swift|f=t}} | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | |align=center|{{UK-Acasta}}||align=center|{{UK-Achates}}||align=center|{{UK-Ambuscade}}||align=center|{{UK-Ardent}}||align=center|{{UK-Christopher}} | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | |align=center|{{UK-Cockatrice}}||align=center|{{UK-Contest}}||align=center|{{UK-Fortune}}||align=center|{{UK-Garland}}||align=center|{{UK-Hardy}} | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | |align=center|{{UK-Lynx}}||align=center|{{UK-Midge}}||align=center|{{UK-Owl}}||align=center|{{UK-Paragon}}||align=center|{{UK-Porpoise}} | ||
+ | |- | ||
+ | |align=center|{{UK-Shark}}||align=center|{{UK-1Sparrowhawk}}||align=center|{{UK-Spitfire}}||align=center|{{UK-Unity}}||align=center|{{UK-Victor}} | ||
+ | |} | ||
==Battle of Jutland, June 1916== | ==Battle of Jutland, June 1916== | ||
− | The flotilla faced heavy losses in the night action when it met elements of the High Sea Fleet unexpectedly at short range. Its composition in the battle was as follows:{{UKNavalOpsIII|p. 432}} | + | The flotilla, with substantially the same membership ({{UK-Lynx}} had been lost earlier in the war, {{UK-Paragon}}, {{UK-Victor}} and {{UK-Cockatrice}} were absent perhaps due to being under refit, and the [["M" Class Destroyer (1914)|"M" class destroyer]] {{UK-Ophelia}} was attached), faced heavy losses in the night action when it met elements of the [[High Sea Fleet]] unexpectedly at short range. Its composition in the battle was as follows:{{UKNavalOpsIII|p. 432}} |
* {{UK-Tipperary}}, Flotilla leader (lost) | * {{UK-Tipperary}}, Flotilla leader (lost) | ||
* {{UK-Broke}}, flotilla leader | * {{UK-Broke}}, flotilla leader |
Revision as of 17:19, 14 October 2012
The Fourth Destroyer Flotilla was a formation of destroyers of the Royal Navy. The flotilla changed composition often as ships were damaged, retired or transferred.
Originally the Portsmouth Destroyer Flotilla, composed of nucleus crew vessels, it became the Fourth Destroyer Flotilla in April, 1910.[1]
Early History
On 1 November, 1911, the flotilla was comprised of:[2]
- Topaze (flag)
- Pathfinder, Skirmisher (scouts)
- Hecla (depot ship)
- Twenty-three "30 knotters"
July, 1914 - Outbreak of War
Part of the First Fleet, the Flotilla was now comprised of twenty Acasta class destroyers under flotilla leader Swift with depot ship Hecla. The Commodore (T) directed First Fleet's four flotillas from the flagship, third class protected cruiser Amethyst.[3] It retained this composition at the start of the war,[4] making it uniformly capable of 30 knots.[5]
The destroyers' test runnings of the 21-in Mark II torpedoes in 1916 resulted in five bad runs.[6][7]
flotilla leader Swift | ||||
Acasta | Achates | Ambuscade | Ardent | Christopher |
Cockatrice | Contest | Fortune | Garland | Hardy |
Lynx | Midge | Owl | Paragon | Porpoise |
Shark | Sparrowhawk | Spitfire | Unity | Victor |
Battle of Jutland, June 1916
The flotilla, with substantially the same membership (Lynx had been lost earlier in the war, Paragon, Victor and Cockatrice were absent perhaps due to being under refit, and the "M" class destroyer Ophelia was attached), faced heavy losses in the night action when it met elements of the High Sea Fleet unexpectedly at short range. Its composition in the battle was as follows:[8]
- Tipperary, Flotilla leader (lost)
- Broke, flotilla leader
- Achates
- Porpoise
- Spitfire
- Unity
- Garland
- Ambuscade
- Ardent (lost)
- Fortune (lost)
- Sparrowhawk (lost)
- Contest
- Shark (lost)
- Acasta
- Ophelia
- Christopher
- Owl
- Hardy
- Midge
After Jutland, 1916
Captains (D)
Dates of appointment given:
- Captain Reginald Y. Tyrwhitt, 10 August, 1909.[9]
- Captain Wilfred Henderson, 1 May, 1912.[10]
Footnotes
- ↑ "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Wednesday, 20 April, 1910. Issue 39251, col A, p. 9.
- ↑ March. British Destroyers. p. 160.
- ↑ Printed page "Fleets and Squadrons in Commission at Home and Abroad" in Albert Francis Barclay Bridges papers at The Caird Library at the National Maritime Museum. [BRG 1/1]
- ↑ Dittmar; Colledge. British Warships 1914–1919. p. 15.
- ↑ March. British Destroyers. p. 164.
- ↑ March. British Destroyers. p. 131.
- ↑ Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1916. p. 87.
- ↑ Naval Operations. Volume III. p. 432.
- ↑ Tyrwhitt Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 125.
- ↑ "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Thursday, 25 April, 1912. Issue 39882, col E, p. 10.
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 |
[[Category:Royal Navy {{{1}}}]][[Category:{{{1}}}]]