Fifth Destroyer Flotilla (Royal Navy)

The Fifth Destroyer Flotilla was a formation of destroyers of the Royal Navy. Originally called the Devonport Flotilla and comprised of Nucleus Crew vessels, it was re-designated as the Fifth Destroyer Flotilla in April, 1910.

History

During the Dardanelles campaign, sixteen Beagle class were amongst those comprising the Fifth in the Mediterranean.

In 1916, it was comprised of River, Beagle and Acorn class destroyers, whose torpedo test runnings in the first half of that year resulted in shots that were 79%, 82% and 80% likely to be dangerous to the enemy.

1 November, 1911

The flotilla was comprised of:

• Sapphire (flag)
• Sentinel (scout)
• Leander, Tyne (depot ships)
• Twenty-four "30 knotters"

July, 1914

The flotilla was based in the Mediterranean, and each of the sixteen destroyers were allotted a larger store of rifles and associated landing party supplies, roughly double the previous total, bring the number of rifles to 24.

September, 1914

There are sixteen Beagles with a depot ship, but no Captain (D) is mentioned, and there are no leaders.

This roster and tasking would persist until November or December, 1914.

December, 1914

There are now twelve Beagles. The flotilla is marked as "joining squadrons", which seems odd. Beagle, Bulldog, Pincher and Rattlesnake are gone, and are individually noted as "joining squadrons". They would appear in the local defence flotilla at Portsmouth in February or March, 1915.

January, 1915

The flotilla is reformed in the Mediterranean with seven "River" class destroyers under third class protected cruiser Sapphire. Ribble, Usk, Chelmer, Colne, Jed and Kennet had come from the China Station, and Waveney from the Ninth Destroyer Flotilla.

Supporting the Mediterranean Fleet
Flotilla Cruiser
Sapphire
Depot Ship
Blenheim
Destroyers
Colne	Chelmer	Jed	Kennet	Ribble	Usk	Waveney

March, 1915

Sapphire is no longer directly a part of the flotilla, but is one of the light cruisers attached to the Mediterranean Fleet. Seven Beagles formerly of this flotilla have rejoined. Wear has joined from Gibraltar. Welland, of the China Station as recently as December, has also joined.

April, 1915

The flotilla continues to gain strength, now reaching 24 destroyers. Although they'd been slated to join the Tenth Destroyer Flotilla, Beagle, Bulldog, Foxhound, Harpy, Pincher, Rattlesnake, Savage and Scourge have joined from the Portsmouth Defence Flotilla.

This roster would remain until July, 1915.

July, 1915

The newly-acquired destroyer Arno has joined.

August, 1915

Six torpedo boats that had perviously been loosely affiliated with the Mediterranean Fleet now appear to be attached.

This roster would apply until October, 1915.

October, 1915

Four "L" class destroyers have joined from the Third Destroyer Flotilla and four more torpedo boats have joined.

November, 1915

T.B. 97 has left to go to Gibraltar.

December, 1915

Louis has been removed, as she was mined in late October, and Foxhound has gone on to work "in Home Waters or on detached service." Comet, Fury, Redpole and Staunch have joined from a detached status with the Second Destroyer Flotilla.

January, 1916

Grampus, Harpy, Mosquito, Redpole, Renard and Savage have left to work "in Home Waters or on detached service." Acorn, Minstrel, Rifleman and Sheldrake have followed the previous detached group over from the Second Destroyer Flotilla, and now are tender to Egmont. It is possible that these destroyers are based in Malta,^[Inference] as this Egmont group would be explicitly dubbed the "Malta Flotilla" in May, 1917. Torpedo Boats 17, 18, 29 and 30 are now tenders to Aquarius.

February, 1916

Welland has left for work "in Home Waters or on detached service" and T.B. 044 and T.B. 046 have also been removed, though 044 would return in March. 046 had been wrecked in tow and would never return. Foxhound has joined from the Portsmouth Defence Flotilla.

March, 1916

T.B. 044 has returned from her month's absence. Renard, Mosquito, Grampus have joined, recently working "in Home Waters or on detached service" while Laforey has departed to the same vague assignment.

April, 1916

Savage has joined from working "in Home Waters or on detached service".

May, 1916

Basilisk, Lawford and Lydiard have left for work "in Home Waters or on detached service" and Welland and Harpy have joined from the same vague assignment.

June, 1916

Basilisk has returned. Additionally, the four Torpedo Boats formerly tenders to Aquarius are now tenders to St. George.

July, 1916

Redpole has joined from work "in Home Waters or on detached service".

August, 1916

Wolverine has been removed for work "in Home Waters or on detached service" (though she'd return the next month) while Bulldog, Scorpion and Rifleman has been removed for some reason, to return in October.

September, 1916

Wolverine has reappeared.

October, 1916

Rifleman, Bulldog and Scorpion have joined from undiscovered points of origin.

November, 1916

Ribble and {{UK-Pincher}] have gone, now "in Home Waters or on Detached Service." They'd remain so until rejoining in January, 1917.

This same roster would apply until January.

January, 1917

Ribble and {{UK-Pincher}] have rejoined, bringing the strength back up to 33 destroyers and eight torpedo boats.

This roster would apply until February or March.

March, 1917

Four more Acorns have joined from the Adriatic Squadron, increasing strength to 37 destroyers and eight torpedo boats.

This roster would apply until May.

May, 1917

The roster has not changed, but the eight Acorns under Egmont are now dubbed the "Malta Flotilla", and we will treat them as an autonomous defence flotilla and detach them here. It is not clear whether that flotilla also includes the torpedo boats.

This roster would apply until August.

August, 1917

The six Australian Acherons have all joined, Huon, Swan and Torrens coming from the China Station and the others from Australia.

September, 1917

Four Acherons (Acheron, Archer, Hydra and Phoenix) have joined from the Second Destroyer Flotilla at Devonport. Grasshopper and Scourge have left to join the Fourth Destroyer Flotilla in Devonport. Foxhound has also left, to join the Second Destroyer Flotilla by October, while Mosquito and Racoon would appear there in November.

[TO BE CONTINUED - TONE]

Captains (D)

Dates of appointment given:

• Captain Herbert E. Holmes-à-Court, in command on 27 June, 1910..
• Captain Noel Grant, 20 December, 1910.
• Captain Edward G. Lowther-Crofton, 1 May, 1912.
• Captain Charles P. R. Coode, 1 February, 1914.
• Captain George K. Chetwode, 15 August, 1917.

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).