Eleventh Destroyer Flotilla (Royal Navy)

The Eleventh Destroyer Flotilla was a formation of destroyers of the Royal Navy first instituted in September, 1915.

History

In 1916, it was comprised of M class destroyers whose 104 torpedo test runs in the first half of that year proved 91% probable to endanger the enemy.

A photo in March claims to show ships of the flotilla some time in 1917. While Prince may be incorrectly identified as a member of the flotilla, that photo seems to show:

• Kempenfelt G.10 (flagship)
• Marne GO.5 (or G.05 per Dittmar/Colledge)
• Prince G.43
• Marmion
• Morning Star

September, 1915

The flotilla appears for the first time in the Supplement to the Monthly Navy List, becoming the fourth flotilla attached to the Grand Fleet. Its small initial size (a flotilla leader, seven "M" class destroyers, and a depot ship shared with the Second Destroyer Flotilla) augurs future growth. The ships all appear to be new in service, though Kempenfelt, Mandate and Michael were listed with a miscellaneous status in the August edition.

Attached to the Grand Fleet
Flotilla Leader
Kempenfelt
Depot Ship shared with Second Destroyer Flotilla
Blake
"M" class Destroyers
Mandate	Marmion	Marne	Michael	Mons	Moon
Morning Star

October, 1915

New destroyers Manners, Martial and Milbrook have brought the strength to a flotilla leader, ten "M" class destroyers, and a depot ship shared with the Second Destroyer Flotilla.

Attached to the Grand Fleet
Flotilla Leader
Kempenfelt
Depot Ship shared with Second Destroyer Flotilla
Blake
"M" class Destroyers
Mandate	Manners	Marmion	Marne	Martial	Michael
	Milbrook	Mons	Moon	Morning Star

November, 1915

The newly completed H.M.S. Castor has come to act as flotilla cruiser. Mounsey, Mystic and Ossory arrive to bring the strength to a cruiser, a flotilla leader, thirteen "M" class destroyers, and a shared depot ship.

Attached to the Grand Fleet
Flotilla Cruiser
Castor
Flotilla Leader
Kempenfelt
Depot Ship shared with Second Destroyer Flotilla
Blake
"M" class Destroyers
Mandate	Manners	Marmion	Marne	Martial	Michael
Milbrook	Mons	Moon	Morning Star	Mounsey	Mystic
Ossory

December, 1915

Magic and Minion arrive to bring the strength to a cruiser, a flotilla leader, fifteen "M" class destroyers, and a shared depot ship.

Attached to the Grand Fleet
Flotilla Cruiser
Castor
Flotilla Leader
Kempenfelt
Depot Ship shared with Second Destroyer Flotilla
Blake
"M" class Destroyers
Magic	Mandate	Manners	Marmion	Marne	Martial
Michael	Milbrook	Minion	Mons	Moon	Morning Star
Mounsey		Mystic		Ossory

January, 1916

Musketeer joins to bring the strength to a cruiser, a flotilla leader, sixteen "M" class destroyers, and a shared depot ship.

Attached to the Grand Fleet
Flotilla Cruiser
Castor
Flotilla Leader
Kempenfelt
Depot Ship shared with Second Destroyer Flotilla
Blake
"M" class Destroyers
Magic	Mandate	Manners	Marmion	Marne	Martial
Michael	Milbrook	Minion	Mons	Moon	Morning Star
	Mounsey	Musketeer	Mystic	Ossory

This arrangement would apply until April, 1916.

April, 1916

Broke has joined to bring the strength to a cruiser, two flotilla leaders, sixteen "M" class destroyers, and a depot ship which appears to be now exclusively the Eleventh's.

Attached to the Grand Fleet
Flotilla Cruiser
Castor
Flotilla Leaders
Kempenfelt			Broke
Depot Ship
Blake
"M" class Destroyers
Magic	Mandate	Manners	Marmion	Marne	Martial
Michael	Milbrook	Minion	Mons	Moon	Morning Star
	Mounsey	Musketeer	Mystic	Ossory

May, 1916

Castor now bears Commodore (F) and Kempenfelt is designated as second-in-command. Broke has departed to become second-in-command of the Fourth Destroyer Flotilla.

Flotilla strength is now a cruiser, a flotilla leader, sixteen "M" class destroyers, and a depot ship.

Attached to the Grand Fleet
Flotilla Cruiser, Commodore (F)
Castor
Flotilla Leader, second-in-command
Kempenfelt
Depot Ship
Blake
"M" class Destroyers
Magic	Mandate	Manners	Marmion	Marne	Martial
Michael	Milbrook	Minion	Mons	Moon	Morning Star
	Mounsey	Musketeer	Mystic	Ossory

The flotilla would emerge from the Battle of Jutland with some ships damaged but without loss, allowing this arrangement to apply until September, 1916.

Battle of Jutland

Main article: Eleventh D.F. (Royal Navy) at the Battle of Jutland

Only Marmion and Musketeer missed participating in the battle, giving the flotilla 14 "M" class destroyers and two leaders, organised as follows under the commanders given in the Official Despatches.

• light cruiser Castor, Commodore (F) James R. P. Hawksley
• destroyer Kempenfelt, Commander Harold E. Sulivan
  • Ossory, Commander Harold V. Dundas
  • Mystic, Commander Claud F. Allsup
  • Moon, Commander (Acting) William D. Irvin
  • Morning Star, Lieutenant-Commander Hugh U. Fletcher
  • Magic, Lieutenant-Commander Gerald C. Wynter
  • Mounsey, Lieutenant-Commander Ralph V. Eyre
  • Mandate, Lieutenant-Commander Edward McC. W. Lawrie
  • Marne, Lieutenant-Commander George B. Hartford
  • Minion, Lieutenant-Commander Henry C. Rawlings
  • Manners, Lieutenant-Commander Gerald C. Harrison
  • Michael, Lieutenant-Commander Claude L. Bate
  • Mons, Lieutenant-Commander Robert Makin
  • Martial, Lieutenant-Commander Julian Harrison
  • Milbrook, Lieutenant Charles G. Naylor

At 10.5 at night, the Eleventh was five miles from the Second Battle Squadron, bearing about Green 169 when it encountered the German battlecruisers. Castor, Marne and Magic exchanged fire at just 2,000 yards and each fired a torpedo and turned away to port. Castor lost her W/T and was unable to direct the flotilla to attack more generally. Compounding this, some destroyers worried that the battlecruisers were British.

At 0.15 a.m., Castor encountered a destroyer on her bow and fired on it with gusto at point blank range. Its disappearance was taken as a sign that it was surely sunk.

September, 1916

"R" class destroyers Romola and Sarpedon have joined.

Flotilla strength is now a cruiser, a flotilla leader, eighteen destroyers, and a depot ship.

Attached to the Grand Fleet
Flotilla Cruiser, Commodore (F)
Castor
Flotilla Leader, second-in-command
Kempenfelt
Depot Ship
Blake
"M" class Destroyers
Magic	Mandate	Manners	Marmion	Marne	Martial
Michael	Milbrook	Minion	Mons	Moon	Morning Star
	Mounsey	Musketeer	Mystic	Ossory
"R" class Destroyers
Romola			Sarpedon

October, 1916

Broke has again joined, curiously listed as a "flotilla cruiser" and bearing the Captain (D).

Flotilla strength is now a cruiser, two flotilla leaders, eighteen destroyers, and a depot ship.

Attached to the Grand Fleet
Flotilla Cruiser, Commodore (F)
Castor
Flotilla "Cruiser", Captain (D)
Broke
Flotilla Leader, second-in-command
Kempenfelt
Depot Ship
Blake
"M" class Destroyers
Magic	Mandate	Manners	Marmion	Marne	Martial
Michael	Milbrook	Minion	Mons	Moon	Morning Star
	Mounsey	Musketeer	Mystic	Ossory
"R" class Destroyers
Romola			Sarpedon

This arrangement would apply until December, 1916.

January, 1917

The flotilla leader Seymour has replaced Castor as "flotilla cruiser", as Castor, with Commodore (F) embarked, now is overseeing four of the five flotillas attached to the [Grand Fleet]]: the Eleventh, Twelfth, Fourteenth and Fifteenth.

Flotilla strength is now two flotilla leaders, eighteen destroyers, and a depot ship.

Attached to the Grand Fleet
Flotilla "Cruiser", Captain (D)
Seymour
Flotilla Leader, second-in-command
Kempenfelt
Depot Ship
Blake
"M" class Destroyers
Magic	Mandate	Manners	Marmion	Marne	Martial
Michael	Milbrook	Minion	Mons	Moon	Morning Star
	Mounsey	Musketeer	Mystic	Ossory
"R" class Destroyers
Romola			Sarpedon

This arrangement would apply until July, 1917.

July, 1917

Skate and Tyrant have joined, but Musketeer has been removed for unknown reasons, destined to be restored to the roster in August.

Flotilla strength is now two flotilla leaders, nineteen destroyers, and a depot ship.

Attached to the Grand Fleet
Flotilla "Cruiser", Captain (D)
Seymour
Flotilla Leader, second-in-command
Kempenfelt
Depot Ship
Blake
"M" class Destroyers
Magic	Mandate	Manners	Marmion	Marne	Martial
Michael	Milbrook	Minion	Mons	Moon	Morning Star
Mounsey		Mystic		Ossory
"R" class Destroyers
	Romola	Sarpedon	Skate	Tyrant

August, 1917

Musketeer has returned from her month away. Marne and Ossory have been dropped, destined to appear with the Second Destroyer Flotilla in September.

Newly-completed Sturgeon, Tenacious and Tormentor have been added.

Valorous has replaced Kempenfelt, which would eventually appear with the Sixth Destroyer Flotilla of the Dover Patrol in September.

Flotilla strength is now two flotilla leaders, twenty-one destroyers (14 "M"s, 7 "R"s), and a depot ship.

Attached to the Grand Fleet
Flotilla Leader, Captain (D)
Seymour
Flotilla Leader, second-in-command
Valorous
Depot Ship
Blake
"M" class Destroyers
Magic	Mandate	Manners	Marmion	Martial	Michael
Milbrook	Minion	Mons	Moon	Morning Star	Mounsey
Musketeer			Mystic
"R" class Destroyers
Romola	Sarpedon	Skate	Sturgeon	Tenacious	Tormentor
Tyrant

September, 1917

The trend of replacing "M" destroyers with "R"s continues.

Mandate Martial Michael Milbrook have departed to follow Marne and Ossory to the Second Destroyer Flotilla and Tancred has joined.

Flotilla strength is now two flotilla leaders, eighteen destroyers (10 "M"s, 8 "R"s), and a depot ship.

Attached to the Grand Fleet
Flotilla Leader, Captain (D)
Seymour
Flotilla Leader, second-in-command
Valorous
Depot Ship
Blake
"M" class Destroyers
Magic	Manners	Marmion	Minion	Mons	Moon
	Morning Star	Mounsey	Musketeer	Mystic
"R" class Destroyers
Romola	Sarpedon	Skate	Sturgeon	Tancred	Tenacious
Tormentor			Tyrant

This arrangement would apply until November, 1917.

November, 1917

Marmion has been dropped, lost in a collision with Tirade on 21 October.

Flotilla strength is now two flotilla leaders, seventeen destroyers (9 "M"s, 8 "R"s), and a depot ship.

Attached to the Grand Fleet
Flotilla Leader, Captain (D)
Seymour
Flotilla Leader, second-in-command
Valorous
Depot Ship
Blake
"M" class Destroyers
Magic	Manners	Minion	Mons	Moon	Morning Star
Mounsey		Musketeer		Mystic
"R" class Destroyers
Romola	Sarpedon	Skate	Sturgeon	Tancred	Tenacious
Tormentor			Tyrant

This roster would apply until January, 1918.{SMNLDec17|p. 12 and Supplements through January}}

January, 1918

"V" class destroyer Vivacious has joined.

Flotilla strength is now two flotilla leaders, eighteen destroyers (9 "M"s, 8 "R"s, a "V"), and a depot ship.

Attached to the Grand Fleet
Flotilla Leader, Captain (D)
Seymour
Flotilla Leader, second-in-command
Valorous
Depot Ship
Blake
"M" class Destroyers
Magic	Manners	Minion	Mons	Moon	Morning Star
Mounsey		Musketeer		Mystic
"R" class Destroyers
Romola	Sarpedon	Skate	Sturgeon	Tancred	Tenacious
Tormentor			Tyrant
"V" class Destroyers
Vivacious

February, 1918

Newly minted destroyers Versatile, Vortigern, Walker and Watchman have joined. Flotilla strength is now three flotilla leaders, twenty-two destroyers (9 "M"s, 8 "R"s, 3 "V"s and 2 "W"s), and a depot ship.

Attached to the Grand Fleet
Flotilla Leader, Captain (D)
Seymour
Flotilla Leader, second-in-command
Valorous
Flotilla Leader, temporarily
Nimrod
Depot Ship
Blake
"M" class Destroyers
Magic	Manners	Minion	Mons	Moon	Morning Star
Mounsey		Musketeer		Mystic
"R" class Destroyers
Romola	Sarpedon	Skate	Sturgeon	Tancred	Tenacious
Tormentor			Tyrant
"V" class Destroyers
Versatile		Vivacious		Vortigern
"W" class Destroyers
Walker			Watchman

March, 1918

New destroyers Vancouver, Viscount, Vittoria, and Walrus have joined.

Nimrod, Magic, Mons and Mystic have been detached, to appear with the Third Destroyer Flotilla "shortly".

Skate and Sturgeon have transferred to the Tenth Destroyer Flotilla of the [Harwich Force]].

Flotilla strength is now two flotilla leaders, twenty-one destroyers (6 "M"s, 6 "R"s, 6 "V"s and 3 "W"s), and a depot ship.

Attached to the Grand Fleet
Flotilla Leader, Captain (D)
Seymour
Flotilla Leader, second-in-command
Valorous
Depot Ship
Blake
"M" class Destroyers
Manners	Minion	Moon	Morning Star	Mounsey	Musketeer
"R" class Destroyers
Romola	Sarpedon	Tancred	Tenacious	Tormentor	Tyrant
"V" class Destroyers
Vancouver	Versatile	Viscount	Vittoria	Vivacious	Vortigern
"W" class Destroyers
Walker		Walrus		Watchman

April, 1918

A shake-up in the flotilla sent all but one of the "M" class destroyers away. Manners went to the Second Destroyer Flotilla, Minion and Morning Star to the Fourth Destroyer Flotilla (to be joined there by Mounsey in a month's time), and Moon was sent to help the {UK-SF|11}}.

Three flotilla leaders, Kempenfelt, Lightfoot and Marksman, joined from the Sixth Destroyer Flotilla as nominal destroyers.

Flotilla strength is now two flotilla leaders, nineteen destroyers (3 leaders, 1 "M", 6 "R"s, 6 "V"s and 3 "W"s), and a depot ship.

Attached to the Grand Fleet
Flotilla Leader, Captain (D)
Seymour
Flotilla Leader, second-in-command
Valorous
Depot Ship
Blake
Lightfoot class
Kempenfelt		Lightfoot		Marksman
"M" class Destroyer
Musketeer
"R" class Destroyers
Romola	Sarpedon	Tancred	Tenacious	Tormentor	Tyrant
"V" class Destroyers
Vancouver	Versatile	Viscount	Vittoria	Vivacious	Vortigern
"W" class Destroyers
Walker		Walrus		Watchman

May, 1918

Musketeer transferred to the Second Destroyer Flotilla, leaving the flotilla with no "M" class vessels.

Tyrant transferred to the Fourteenth Destroyer Flotilla, and Vanessa has joined.

Flotilla strength is now two flotilla leaders, eighteen destroyers (3 leaders, 5 "R"s, 7 "V"s and 3 "W"s), and a depot ship.

Attached to the Grand Fleet
Flotilla Leader, Captain (D)
Seymour
Flotilla Leader, second-in-command
Valorous
Depot Ship
Blake
Lightfoot class
Kempenfelt		Lightfoot		Marksman
"R" class Destroyers
Romola	Sarpedon	Tancred	Tenacious	Tormentor
"V" class Destroyers
Vancouver	Vanessa	Versatile	Viscount	Vittoria	Vivacious
Vortigern
"W" class Destroyers
Walker		Walrus		Watchman

June, 1918

Nimrod has joined temporily, detached from the Third Destroyer Flotilla.

Flotilla strength is now three flotilla leaders, eighteen destroyers (3 leaders, 5 "R"s, 7 "V"s and 3 "W"s), and a depot ship.

Attached to the Grand Fleet
Flotilla Leader, Captain (D)
Seymour
Flotilla Leader, second-in-command
Valorous
Flotilla Leader, temporarily
Nimrod
Depot Ship
Blake
Lightfoot class
Kempenfelt		Lightfoot		Marksman
"R" class Destroyers
Romola	Sarpedon	Tancred	Tenacious	Tormentor
"V" class Destroyers
Vancouver	Vanessa	Versatile	Viscount	Vittoria	Vivacious
Vortigern
"W" class Destroyers
Walker		Walrus		Watchman

July, 1918

Nimrod has returned to the Third Destroyer Flotilla after a single month here. Marksman has left to join the Northern Patrol and Lightfoot has just vanished, not to reappear in the List until November, in a paid off condition in the Southern Patrol Force.

Vanity and Voyager have joined.

Flotilla strength is now two flotilla leaders, eighteen destroyers (1 leader, 5 "R"s, 8 "V"s and 4 "W"s), and a depot ship.

Attached to the Grand Fleet
Flotilla Leader, Captain (D)
Seymour
Flotilla Leader, second-in-command
Valorous
Depot Ship
Blake
Lightfoot class
Kempenfelt
"R" class Destroyers
Romola	Sarpedon	Tancred	Tenacious	Tormentor
"V" class Destroyers
Vancouver	Vanessa	Vanity	Versatile	Viscount	Vittoria
Vortigern			Vivacious
"W" class Destroyers
	Voyager	Walker	Walrus		Watchman

August, 1918

Vancouver and Vanity paid off this month, to remain so until December and at least into February, respectively. Flotilla strength remains as two flotilla leaders, eighteen destroyers (1 leader, 5 "R"s, 8 "V"s and 4 "W"s), and a depot ship.

Attached to the Grand Fleet
Flotilla Leader, Captain (D)
Seymour
Flotilla Leader, second-in-command
Valorous
Depot Ship
Blake
Lightfoot class
Kempenfelt
"R" class Destroyers
Romola	Sarpedon	Tancred	Tenacious	Tormentor
"V" class Destroyers
Vancouver*	Vanessa	Vanity*	Versatile	Viscount	Vittoria
Vortigern			Vivacious
"W" class Destroyers
	Voyager	Walker	Walrus		Watchman

This roster would apply until December.

December, 1918

Douglas has replaced Seymour, which has transferred to join the new Twenty-first Destroyer Flotilla. Destroyer Vancouver is no longer paid off, but Vanity remains so.

Vittoria has moved over to the Twentieth Destroyer Flotilla.

The newly-commissioned Wryneck has joined.

Flotilla strength is two flotilla leaders, seventeen destroyers (1 leader, 5 "R"s, 7 "V"s and 5 "W"s), and a depot ship.

Attached to the Grand Fleet
Flotilla Leader, Captain (D)
Douglas
Flotilla Leader, second-in-command
Valorous
Depot Ship
Blake
Lightfoot class
Kempenfelt
"R" class Destroyers
Romola	Sarpedon	Tancred	Tenacious	Tormentor
"V" class Destroyers
Vancouver	Vanessa	Vanity*	Versatile	Viscount	Vivacious
Vortigern
"W" class Destroyers
Voyager	Walker	Walrus	Watchman	Wryneck

This roster would apply until January, 1919.

February, 1919

Romola and Tenacious have gone to Devonport to join a Torpedo and a Gunnery School there, respectively. Tormentor is gone, also to appear at the same Torpedo School in March.

Vanity remains paid off.

Flotilla strength is two flotilla leaders, fourteen destroyers (1 leader, 2 "R"s, 7 "V"s and 5 "W"s), and a depot ship.

Attached to the Grand Fleet
Flotilla Leader, Captain (D)
Douglas
Flotilla Leader, second-in-command
Valorous
Depot Ship
Blake
Lightfoot class
Kempenfelt
"R" class Destroyers
Sarpedon			Tancred
"V" class Destroyers
Vancouver	Vanessa	Vanity*	Versatile	Viscount	Vivacious
Vortigern
"W" class Destroyers
Voyager	Walker	Walrus	Watchman	Wryneck

March, 1919

The Royal Navy is vastly reorganized into the post-war navy, and the Eleventh is disbanded, its ships meted out to various new assignments.

Flotilla is Dis-established

The new First Destroyer Flotilla takes claim to the Valorous, all the "W" class destroyers and all the "V" class destroyers; the Vanity sleeps through the transition in her still-paid-off state! The depot ship Blake and the two "R" class destroyers join the new Fifth Destroyer Flotilla. Douglas goes to the Seventh Destroyer Flotilla.

Kempenfelt alone steps back from active service, proceeding to Portsmouth where she is placed into reserve.

Captains (D)

• Commodore (F) James R. P. Hawksley, in command at the Battle of Jutland.
• Captain (D) Brien Michael Money, in command at the surrender of the High Sea Fleet.^{[Citation needed]}

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).