Fourth Destroyer Flotilla (Royal Navy)
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]
Contents
Early History
On 1 November, 1911, the flotilla was comprised of:[2]
- Topaze (flag)
- Pathfinder, Skirmisher (scouts)
- Hecla (depot ship)
- Twenty-three "30 knotters"
Outbreak of War, August, 1914
From August 1914 into at least 1916, it was comprised of Acasta class destroyers under leader Swift,[3] all capable of 30 knots.[4] The destroyers' test runnings of the 21-in Mark II torpedoes in 1916 resulted in 5 bad runs.[5][6]
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:[7]
- 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.[8]
- Captain Wilfred Henderson, 1 May, 1912.[9]
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.
- ↑ 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 | |||
