Fourth Destroyer Flotilla (Royal Navy)

The Fourth Destroyer Flotilla was a formation of destroyers of the Royal Navy.

Originally called the Portsmouth Flotilla and composed of Nucleus Crew vessels, it was re-designated as the Fourth Destroyer Flotilla in April, 1910 though it seems that it was often still called the Portsmouth Flotilla as late as the Test Mobilisation of July 1914.

The flotilla distinguished itself by its bold and costly torpedo attacks on the German battle line during the night action at the Battle of Jutland.

Composition

1 November, 1911

The flotilla was comprised of:

• Topaze (flag)
• Pathfinder, Skirmisher (scouts)
• Hecla (depot ship)
• Twenty-three "30 knotters"

May, 1912

An extensive reorganisation of the flotillas made the Fourth one of four running flotillas, along with four patrol flotillas with nucleus crews. The new complement of the flotilla was comprised of the Tribal class and four later destroyers.

July, 1914 - Test Mobilisation

The Portsmouth Flotilla was included in the Test Mobilisation with the following vessels:

• Angler, Conflict, Desperate, Spiteful, Surly, Velox
• T.B. 025, T.B. 027, T.B. 034, T.B. 042, T.B. 057, T.B. 065, T.B. 066, T.B. 068, T.B. 076, T.B. 077, T.B. 078
• T.B. 80, T.B. 81, T.B. 82, T.B. 85, T.B. 86, T.B. 87, T.B. 98, T.B. 101, T.B. 109, T.B. 110, T.B. 116

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. It retained this composition at the start of the war, making it uniformly capable of 30 knots.

The destroyers' test runnings of the 21-in Mark II torpedoes in 1916 resulted in five bad runs.

September, 1914

The flotilla is supporting Home and Atlantic Waters, tender to depot ship Hecla. The roster is the same as before the war.

In September 1914, it was considered that Aurora should become flotilla leader and that Swift should become the half-flotilla leader, but no Supplements to the Monthly Navy List indicated that Aurora ever came over.

On 24 November, as Swift required a refit, Faulknor came to lead the half-flotilla, and Caroline would soon be coming to temporarily replace Swift

This roster lasted until November or December.

December, 1914

The flotilla is supporting Home and Atlantic Waters, tender to depot ship Hecla. Faulknor has joined to help lead.

January, 1915

The flotilla is supporting Home and Atlantic Waters, tender to depot ship Hecla. The flotilla is under Commander-in-Chief, Home Fleets, and Caroline has started her temporary stint as leader.

This roster would apply until February or March.

March, 1915

The flotilla is supporting Home and Atlantic Waters, tender to depot ship Hecla. The flotilla is under Commander-in-Chief, Home Fleets for March, but this is not mentioned thereafter. Swift is back as leader, as Caroline has returned to the First Light Cruiser Squadron.

This roster would apply until September, 1915.

September, 1915

The flotilla is supporting the Grand Fleet, tender to depot ship Hecla. Swift has been removed to answer directly to the Grand Fleet, being swapped with the light cruiser Carysfort in that posting. Lynx has been removed, as she was mined in mid-August.

This roster would apply until May, 1916.

May, 1916

The flotilla is supporting the Grand Fleet, tender to depot ship Hecla. Carysfort has vacated to the Fifth Light Cruiser Squadron and Tipperary is now bearing the Captain (D), coming from the Ninth Destroyer Flotilla. Broke is now second-in-command, coming from a recent posting with the Second Destroyer Flotilla, while Faulknor has gone to lead the Twelfth Destroyer Flotilla.

June, 1916

The flotilla is supporting the Grand Fleet, tender to depot ship Hecla. It suffered heavy losses at the Battle of Jutland, bringing its strength down to 15 destroyers when it was recently 20. Broke has been promoted to replace the lost Tipperary as leader. The lost destroyers Ardent, Fortune, Shark and Sparrowhawk have been dropped from the roster.

July, 1916

The flotilla is supporting the Grand Fleet, tender to depot ship Hecla. The flotilla has been further reduced by the departure of Acasta and Spitfire for unknown purposes (they would reappear in August). Broke has been removed, as well.

[TO BE CONTINUED - TONE]

Battles

Battle of Jutland

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:

• 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

July, 1918'
The Flotilla was operating out of Devonport and had achieved an epic size: fifty destroyers with Captain (D) in Eclipse and serviced by depôt ship Apollo:

• Achates, Ambuscade, Beagle, Bulldog, Christopher, Cockatrice, Foxhound, Garland, Grasshopper
• Hardy, Harpy, Laertes, Lance, Laurel, Laverock, Lawford, Lennox, Leonidas
• Liberty, Lochinvar, Lookout, Loyal, Lysander, Midge, Minion, Morning Star, Mosquito
• Narwhal, Nepean, Nereus, Nerissa, Obdurate, Obedient, Oberon, Onslow, Oracle
• Oriana, Oriole, Orpheus, Owl, Pasley, Pincher, Porpoise, Rival (paid off), Savage
• Scorpion, Scourge (paid off), Spitfire, Unity, Victor

Captains (D)

Dates of appointment given:

• Captain Reginald Y. Tyrwhitt, 10 August, 1909.
• Captain Mortimer L'Estrange Silver, 2 August, 1910.
• Captain Wilfred Henderson, 1 May, 1912.
• Captain Raymond A. Nugent, 8 August, 1912.
• Captain Charles John Wintour, at the Battle of Jutland, where he was killed in action.
• Captain Charles Donnison Roper, likely placed in charge from new flagship Botha immediately after the Battle of Jutland, thence to Fourteenth Destroyer Flotilla.

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

• Composition of the Grand Fleet

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