Home Fleet (Royal Navy)

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Fleet in Home Waters

Vice-Admiral Gerard H. U. Noel was appointed Admiral Superintendent of Naval Reserves on 21 May, 1900,[1]

A Seagoing Home Fleet, 1903-1905

In 1903 the Fleet in Home waters was reorganised, and the command of the Home Fleet was divorced from that of the Naval Reserves. Accordingly, Vice-Admiral Sir Arthur K. Wilson was appointed in command.[2] He hoisted his flag in the Revenge on 21 May.[3] Under the terms of the Admiralty Memorandum of 6 December, 1904, the Home Fleet was renamed the Channel Fleet[4] on 1 January, 1905.[5]

Seconds-in-Command

Rear-Admiral Edmund S. Poë was appointed as Second-in-Command on 8 May, 1903.[6] Rear-Admiral Charles J. Barlow succeeded Rear-Admiral Poë as Second-in-Command of the Home Fleet on 9 May, 1904.[7]

Portsmouth Division

Rear-Admiral Robert L. Groome hoisted his flag in command of the reserve division on 3 January, 1903.[8]

Devonport Division

On 3 January, 1905 Rear-Admiral Charles G. Robinson hoisted his flag in command of the Devonport Division of ships in commission in Reserve.[8] Rear-Admiral Edward H. Gamble took command on 3 January, 1906.[9]

Nore Division

A Reconstituted Home Fleet, 1907-1912

The reconstitution of the Home Fleet, based on Sheerness, was announced by the Admiralty on 24 October, 1906. Under the command of a flag officer with the status of a Commander-in-Chief, the fleet was to be formed out of the ships in commission in reserve.[10] On 30 October it was announced that the King had approved the appointment of Rear-Admiral Francis C. B. Bridgeman.[11] On 17 December it was announced that Admiralty House, Sheerness, would become the residence of the Commander-in-Chief of the Home Fleet, after the Commander-in-Chief at the Nore vacated it on 1 January, 1907.[12] Vice-Admiral Bridgeman hoisted his flag in the battleship Majestic at Sheerness at 09:00 on 5 March, 1907.[13] On 10 January, 1908 Captain the Hon. Alexander E. Bethell was appointed Chief of Staff to Bridgeman.[14]

In the Statement Explanatory of the Navy Estimates, 1909—1910 issued on 12 March, 1909, a redistribution of the Royal Navy in home waters was announced. The Channel Fleet was absorbed into the Home Fleet, making for a total of sixteen fully-manned battleships divided into two divisions, each division being associated with a cruiser squadron of five armoured cruisers. Also attached to the two fully manned divisions were ten cruisers and scouts and forty-eight destroyers. The remainder of nucleus-crew vessels were organised into the Third and Fourth Divisions, under a Vice-Admiral. The Atlantic Fleet continued to be an independent command, with six battleships and a cruiser squadron.[15] On 24 March, Vice-Admiral Sir William H. May succeeded Bridgeman as Commander-in-Chief.[16] Vice-Admiral Sir Berkeley Milne became Vice-Admiral Commanding the Second Division of the Home Fleet.[17] Vice-Admiral George Neville hoisted his flag in the Magnificent at Sheerness as Vice-Admiral Commanding, Third and Fourth Divisions of the Home Fleet.[18] Milne was succeeded on 9 August, 1910 by Vice-Admiral Sir George A. Callaghan.[19]

Vice-Admiral Prince Louis of Battenberg relieved Neville in command of the Third and Fourth Divisions on 24 March, 1911 at Sheerness.[20] Bridgeman took command of the Home Fleet on 25 March, flying his flag in the Bellerophon.[21] Callaghan assumed command of the Home Fleet with the rank of Acting Admiral on 5 December, 1911,[19] hoisting his flag in the battleship Hercules at Portland. Acting Vice-Admiral Frederick T. Hamilton succeeded Battenberg in command of the Third and Fourth Divisions of the fleet at Sheerness on the same date.[22]

Destroyers

It had been decided in 1906 that on 5 March, 1907, the Rear-Admiral Commanding, Torpedo Craft and Submarine Flotillas would come under the orders of the Commander-in-Chief, Home Fleet.[23] On 5 March Captain Lewis Bayly was appointed Commodore, Second Class in command of destroyers in full commission in home waters.[24] In August, 1907 the Home Fleet flotillas under Commodore Bayly ceased to be the responsibility of Rear-Admiral Montgomerie, who with the First and Second Flotillas was transferred to the Channel Fleet[25] and became Rear-Admiral (D).[26] Bayly was superseded by Captain Edward F. B. Charlton as Commodore (T) on 27 November, 1908.[27] Charlton was succeeded by Captain Sir Robert K. Arbuthnot on 6 December, 1910.[28]

Portsmouth Division

Devonport Division

On 3 January, 1907 Rear-Admiral Harry S. F. Niblett succeeded Rear-Admiral Gamble in command of the Devonport Division of the Home Fleet.[29] He was succeeded by Rear-Admiral John Denison on 3 January, 1908.[30] Rear-Admiral Cecil Burney relieved Denison on 4 January, 1909.[31] Rear-Admiral Arthur A. C. Galloway succeeded Rear-Admiral Burney on 5 January, 1910.[32]

On 5 January, 1912 Rear-Admiral Henry Loftus Tottenham succeeded Rear-Admiral Farquhar, hoisting his flag in the King Alfred on 6 January.[33]

Nore Division

Rear-Admiral Frank Finnis succeeded Adair as Rear-Admiral in the Home Fleet at Sheerness-Chatham on 3 January, 1907.[29] Rear-Admiral the Hon. Stanley C. J. Colville succeeded Finnis on 3 January, 1908, hoisting his flag at Chatham.[34]

Footnotes

  1. "Naval & Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Wednesday, 9 May, 1900. Issue 36137, col C, pg. 12.
  2. "Important Naval Appointments" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Friday, 20 February, 1903. Issue 37073, col E, pg. 12.
  3. "Naval & Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Friday, 22 May, 1903. Issue 37087, col A, pg. 9.
  4. Bradford. The Life of Admiral of the Fleet Sir Arthur Knyvet Wilson. p. 197.
  5. "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Saturday, 24 October, 1908. Issue 38786, col E, pg. 11.
  6. "Naval & Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Wednesday, 6 May, 1903. Issue 37073, col E, pg. 12.
  7. "Naval & Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Tuesday, 10 May, 1904. Issue 37390, col C, pg. 11.
  8. 8.0 8.1 "Naval & Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Wednesday, 4 January, 1905. Issue 37595, col C, pg. 8.
  9. "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Thursday, 4 January, 1906. Issue 37908, col C, pg. 8.
  10. "Redistribution of Naval Strength" (News). The Times. Wednesday, 24 October, 1906. Issue 38159, col A, pg. 11.
  11. "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Tuesday, 30 October, 1906. Issue 38164, col A, pg. 12.
  12. "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Monday, 17 December, 1906. Issue 38205, col D, pg. 10.
  13. "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Wednesday, 6 March, 1907. Issue 38273, col B, pg. 11.
  14. "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Saturday, 21 December, 1907. Issue 38522, col B, pg. 10.
  15. "The Navy Estimates" (News). The Times. Saturday, 13 March, 1909. Issue 38906, col A, pg. 7.
  16. "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Wednesday, 24 March, 1909. Issue 38915, col B, pg. 9.
  17. Milne Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/39. p. 893.
  18. "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Thursday, 25 March, 1909. Issue 38916, col B, pg. 9.
  19. 19.0 19.1 Callaghan Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/38. p. 202.
  20. "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Saturday, 25 March, 1911. Issue 39542, col B, pg. 7.
  21. "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Monday, 27 March, 1911. Issue 39543, col E, pg. 4.
  22. "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Wednesday, 6 December, 1911. Issue 39761, col F, pg. 14.
  23. "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Tuesday, 11 December, 1906. Issue 38200, col F, pg. 5.
  24. "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Tuesday, 5 March, 1907. Issue 38272, col A, pg. 12.
  25. "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Tuesday, 13 August, 1907. Issue 38410, col B, pg. 10.
  26. "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Monday, 25 November, 1907. Issue 38499, col C, pg. 4.
  27. "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Friday, 27 November, 1908. Issue 38815, col F, pg. 6.
  28. Arbuthnot Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. p. 202.
  29. 29.0 29.1 "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Thursday, 3 January, 1907. Issue 38220, col C, pg. 4.
  30. "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Saturday, 4 January, 1908. Issue 38534, col A, pg. 9.
  31. "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Tuesday, 5 January, 1909. Issue 38848, col D, pg. 7.
  32. Hazell's Annual, 1911. p. 191.
  33. "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Saturday, 6 January, 1912. Issue 39788, col F, pg. 11.
  34. "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Friday, 3 January, 1908. Issue 38533, col A, pg. 4.

Bibliography