The British 5th Destroyer Flotilla, or Fifth Destroyer Flotilla, was a
naval formation of the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
from 1910 to 1942 and again from 1947 to 1951.
History
The flotilla was formed in February 1910 and disbanded in 1942. Its first commander was Captain Herbert E. Holmes-à-Court and its final pre-war commander was Captain Llewellyn V. Morgan. It was reformed in June 1939 under the commannd of Captain
Louis Mountbatten
Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma (25 June 1900 – 27 August 1979) was a British naval officer, colonial administrator and close relative of the British royal family. Mountbatten, who was of German ...
and was composed of new
J- and K-class destroyers which were still under construction. The flottila participated in the
Norwegian campaign and Operation Medium, the bombardment of Cherbourg in October 1940, transferring to the Mediterranean in April 1941. By the end of May 1941, the ships of the "Fighting Fifth" had been either dispersed or sunk during the
Battle of Crete
The Battle of Crete (german: Luftlandeschlacht um Kreta, el, Μάχη της Κρήτης), codenamed Operation Mercury (german: Unternehmen Merkur), was a major Axis airborne and amphibious operation during World War II to capture the island ...
. The flotilla was briefly reformed at
Alexandria
Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...
composed of s.
The flotilla was reactivated in March 1947 until December 1951. In January 1952 it was re-designated
5th Destroyer Squadron.
Organizational Changes
Note: Command structure organizational changes took place within Royal Navy post war period the term Flotilla was previously applied to a tactical unit until 1951 which led to the creation of three specific Flag Officers, Flotillas responsible for the Eastern, Home and Mediterranean fleets the existing destroyer flotillas were re-organized now as administrative squadrons.
Operational deployments
Administration
Captains (D) afloat 5th Destroyer Flotilla
Incomplete list of post holders included:
* Captain
Herbert Edward Holmes à Court
Vice-Admiral the Hon. Herbert Edward Holmes à Court (16 February 1869 – 21 October 1934) was an officer of the Royal Navy. His commands included HMS ''Revenge'', HMS ''St Vincent'', and the Royal Naval College, Osborne.
Early life
Holmes ...
, 8 February 1910
* Captain Noel Grant, 20 December 1910 – 20 December 1912
* Captain Edward G. Lowther-Crofton, 1 May 1912 ] – 27 January 1914
* Captain Charles P. R. Coode, 1 February 1914 – 15 May 1917
* Captain F. Clifton Brown, 30 May 1917 – 15 August 1917
* Captain
George Chetwode, George K. Chetwode, 15 August 1917
* Captain Kerrison Kiddle, 1 March 1919 – 1 October 1919
* Captain Theodore E. J. Bigg, 25 June 1921 – 16 August 1922
* Captain
Cyril St. C. Cameron, 16 August 1922 – 30 April 1924
* Captain Edward O. B. S. Osborne, 28 April 1924
* Commander Reginald V. Holt, January, 1925 – 8 February 1925
* Captain Edward O. B. S. Osborne, 10 February 1925
* Captain Kenneth MacLeod, 1 April 1925 – 4 July 1926
* Captain James V. Creagh, 11 May 1925 – 10 October 1925
* Captain Lewis G. E. Crabbe, 4 July 1926 – 16 August 1927
* Captain Lewis G. E. Crabbe, June, 1927
* Captain Frank Elliott, 16 August 1927 – 16 August 1929
* Captain Ronald H. C. Hallifax, 16 August 1929 – 16 August 1931
* Captain Geoffrey R. S. Watkins, 16 August 1931 – 24 April 1933
* Captain
Arthur L. St. G. Lyster, 11 November 1932 – 30 April 1935
* Captain
Harold M. Burrough, 30 April 1935 – 16 June 1937
* Captain Llewellyn V. Morgan, 16 June 1937 – 1 May 1939
* Captain Lord Louis Mountbatten, 1 June 1939 - 31 May 1941
Composition, First World War
Mediterranean Fleet, August 1914 to November 1918
* 16 x
G-class destroyers
Composition, Inter-war period
Atlantic Fleet, April 1925
* (Leader)
*
*
*
*
*
*
HMS ''Voyager''
*
*
Atlantic Fleet, October 1934
* (Leader)
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Home Fleet, July 1939
* (Leader)
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Composition, Second World War
Nore Command, Harwich Sub Command, June 1940
*
*
*
* at
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull, usually abbreviated to Hull, is a port city and unitary authority in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England.
It lies upon the River Hull at its confluence with the Humber Estuary, inland from the North Sea and south-east ...
, repairing to complete 23 September
*
*
* at
Tyneside
Tyneside is a built-up area across the banks of the River Tyne in northern England. Residents of the area are commonly referred to as Geordies. The whole area is surrounded by the North East Green Belt.
The population of Tyneside as published i ...
, repairing to complete 18 December
*
* at
Southampton
Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...
, repairing to complete 16 July
Western Approches Command, Plymouth, January 1941
* HMS ''Kelly'' (Leader)
*
* HMS ''Kipling''
* HMS ''Jaguar''
* HMS ''Jersey''
* HMS ''Kipling''
Mediterranean Fleet, Alexandria, January 1942
*
* at
Freetown
Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone. It is a major port city on the Atlantic Ocean and is located in the Western Area of the country. Freetown is Sierra Leone's major urban, economic, financial, cultural, educational and p ...
*
* at
Tobruk
Tobruk or Tobruck (; grc, Ἀντίπυργος, ''Antipyrgos''; la, Antipyrgus; it, Tobruch; ar, طبرق, Tubruq ''Ṭubruq''; also transliterated as ''Tobruch'' and ''Tubruk'') is a port city on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near th ...
* at Tobruk
*
* at Freetown
Composition. post-war period
Included:
, Home Fleet from March 1947
5th Destroyer Flotilla
* (Leader)
*
*
*
*
*
, Home Fleet 1947
5th Destroyer Flotilla
* HMS ''Solebay'' (Leader)
* HMS ''Cadiz''
* HMS ''Gabbard''
* HMS ''St. James''
* HMS ''St. Kitts''
* HMS ''Sluys''
, Home Fleet 1948
5th Destroyer Flotilla
* HMS ''Solebay'' (Leader)
* HMS ''Cadiz''
* HMS ''Gabbard''
* HMS ''St. James''
* HMS ''St. Kitts''
* HMS ''Sluys''
, Home Fleet 1949
5th Destroyer Flotilla
* HMS ''Solebay'' (Leader)
* HMS ''Cadiz''
* HMS ''Gabbard''
* HMS ''St. James''
* HMS ''St. Kitts''
* HMS ''Sluys''
, Home Fleet 1950
5th Destroyer Flotilla
* HMS ''Solebay'' (Leader)
* HMS ''Cadiz''
* HMS ''Gabbard'' - (September 1950)
* HMS ''St. James'' - (September 1950)
* HMS ''St. Kitts''
* HMS ''Sluys''
, Home Fleet 1951
5th Destroyer Flotilla
* HMS ''Solebay'' (Leader)
* HMS ''Cadiz'' - later replaced by HMS ''Gabbard''
* HMS ''St. Kitts'' - later replaced by HMS ''St. James''
* HMS ''Sluys''
References
Sources
* Harley, Simon; Lovell, Tony. (2018) "Fifth Destroyer Flotilla (Royal Navy) - The Dreadnought Project". www.dreadnoughtproject.org. Harley and Lovell.
*
*
* Whitby, Michael (2011). Commanding Canadians: The Second World War Diaries of A.F.C. Layard. Vancouver, Canada: UBC Press. .
* The Fifth Destroyer Flotilla on Patrol and Carrying Out Gunnery Practice at Sea. January 1941, On Board HMS Kashmir. Flotilla Leader HMS KellyY with her Flotilla For The First Time Since Her Refit". Imperial War Museums. Imperial War Museum UK.
1910 establishments in the United Kingdom
1942 disestablishments in the United Kingdom
Destroyer flotillas of the Royal Navy
Military units and formations established in 1910
Military units and formations disestablished in 1942
Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma
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