Twelfth Destroyer Flotilla (Royal Navy)

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The Twelfth Destroyer Flotilla was a formation of destroyers of the Royal Navy. The flotilla changed composition often as ships were damaged, retired or transferred.

Formed early in 1916, it was comprised of M class destroyers whose 200 21-in Mark II torpedo test runs through March of that year were 90% probable to endanger the enemy.[1]

Captains (D)

Composition

November, 1915[2]
One of five flotillas attached to the Grand Fleet (and oddly anemic), relying on depot ship Blake.

Battle of Jutland
Its composition in the battle was 14 "M" class destroyers and two leaders:[3]

Drill and Practice

In 1917, the flotilla undertook a practice torpedo attack on four ships of the First Battle Squadron, achieving the following results.[4] The target ships were in line ahead in this order: Marlborough, Royal Oak, Emperor of India, followed by an unidentified ship.

The six destroyers of the first half-flotilla and their leader had their torpedoes set to 15,000 yards/23 knots. The target battleships sighted them at 25,000 yards on red 20. The attackers pressed in to 15,000 yards and fired their torpedoes from red 36, four destroyers aiming at Royal Oak, and the other three ships at Emperor of India. It was thought unlikely that the target ships would observe torpedoes being fired at this range, and the torpedo tracks were hard to see. Two torpedoes passed just ahead of Marlborough, 1 passed just ahead of Royal Oak, two hit Emperor of India, and the last two appeared to run poorly.

The five destroyers of the second half-flotilla and their leader had their torpedoes set to 10,000 yards/29 knots. The target battleships sighted them at 21,000 yards on red 20. The attackers pressed in to 5,500 yards from {{UK-Marlborough}], and fired their torpedoes from an undisclosed bearing: three destroyers aiming at Royal Oak, and the other three at Emperor of India. These firings were observed by all target ships, and the torpedo tracks seemed clear. Three torpedoes struck Marlborough, one passed under or ahead of Marlborough, one hit Emperor of India and one passed 90 yards ahead of Royal Oak.

In all, 11 of the 13 shots were judged dangerous to the enemy (in that they crossed the enemy line), and five hit. It was felt that the torpedoes on 29 knot settings produced clear tracks that may have made them easy to avoid, and that these same torpedoes had to be fired at ranges at which their splash of entry would leave the enemy forewarned of the attack.

Footnotes

  1. Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1916. p. 87. Data reflects runs from formation of flotilla to March 1916.
  2. Supplement to the Monthly Navy List (November, 1915).  p. 12.
  3. Naval Operations. Volume III. p. 432.
  4. Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1917. p. 122.

Bibliography

  • Dittmar, F.J.; Colledge, J.J. (1972). British Warships 1914–1919. London: Ian Allan.

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
[[Category:Royal Navy {{{1}}}]][[Category:{{{1}}}]]