The British 3rd Destroyer Flotilla, also styled as Third 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 Fr ...
from 1909 to 1939 and again from 1945 to 1951.
History
In 1907 the
Channel Fleet
The Channel Fleet and originally known as the Channel Squadron was the Royal Navy formation of warships that defended the waters of the English Channel from 1854 to 1909 and 1914 to 1915.
History
Throughout the course of Royal Navy's history the ...
had a large Channel Flotilla of destroyers in February 1909 when it was divided to form the 1st and 3rd Destroyer Flotillas. From March 1909 to May 1912 the formation was part of the Nore Division,
3rd Division Home Fleet
The Home Fleet was a fleet of the Royal Navy that operated from the United Kingdom's territorial waters from 1902 with intervals until 1967. In 1967, it was merged with the Mediterranean Fleet creating the new Western Fleet.
Before the Firs ...
.
In May 1912, the Home Fleet was split into the
First Fleet
The First Fleet was a fleet of 11 ships that brought the first European and African settlers to Australia. It was made up of two Royal Navy vessels, three store ships and six convict transports. On 13 May 1787 the fleet under the command o ...
, with ships in full commission, and the Second and Third Fleets, composed of ships partly manned and laid up in reserve respectively. The 3rd Destroyer Flotilla remained part of the First Fleet until July 1914.
On the outbreak of the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
, the First Fleet became the
Grand Fleet
The Grand Fleet was the main battlefleet of the Royal Navy during the First World War. It was established in August 1914 and disbanded in April 1919. Its main base was Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands.
History
Formed in August 1914 from the F ...
, and the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla joined the newly formed
Harwich Force
The Harwich Force originally called Harwich Striking Force was a squadron of the Royal Navy, formed during the First World War and based in Harwich. It played a significant role in the war.
History
After the outbreak of the First World War, a ...
. In the summer of 1915 it was renumbered the
9th Destroyer Flotilla
The 9th Destroyer Flotilla, or Ninth Destroyer Flotilla, was a military formation of the British Royal Navy from January 1913 to December 1925 and again in January to July 1940.
History
Established in January 1913 when it was assigned to the Pa ...
. It was reformed again from March 1918 as part of the Grand Fleet till November 1918.
After the War the Flotilla joined the
Atlantic Fleet, forming part of that organisation from December 1918 until August 1923. It was then allocated to the
Mediterranean Fleet
The British Mediterranean Fleet, also known as the Mediterranean Station, was a formation of the Royal Navy. The Fleet was one of the most prestigious commands in the navy for the majority of its history, defending the vital sea link between t ...
until 1926 when it was temporarily assigned to the
China Station
The Commander-in-Chief, China was the admiral in command of what was usually known as the China Station, at once both a British Royal Navy naval formation and its admiral in command. It was created in 1865 and deactivated in 1941.
From 1831 to 18 ...
until 1927. It returned to the Mediterranean until 1938. By the beginning of World War Two in September 1939 it was still in the Mediterranean Fleet. It was re-allocated to the Home Fleet in October 1939 to November 1944 under the command of the Rear-Admiral, Destroyer Flotillas Home Fleet. The flotilla was sent back to join the Mediterranean Fleet in November 1944.
Throughout this period the term Flotilla had applied to a tactical unit. In 1951, instead, three specific Flag Officers, Flotillas, were created responsible for escorts up to cruisers for the Eastern, Home and Mediterranean fleets. The previous destroyer flotillas were redesignated squadrons, and thus the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla became the
3rd Destroyer Squadron in July 1951.
Operational deployments
Flotilla commander
The commander of the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla held the title of Captain (Destroyers), or 'Captain (D)'. Those officers included (incomplete list):
Composition 1945 to 1951
Included:
, Mediterranean Fleet 1945
3rd Destroyer Flotilla
* (Leader)
*
*
*
*
*
, Mediterranean Fleet 1946
3rd Destroyer Flotilla
* HMS ''Troubridge'' (Leader)
* HMS ''Venus''
* HMS ''Verulam''
* HMS ''Virago''
* HMS ''Volage''
* HMS ''Brissenden''
, Mediterranean Fleet 1947
3rd Destroyer Flotilla
* HMS ''Troubridge'' (Leader)
* HMS ''Venus''
* HMS ''Verulam''
* HMS ''Virago''
* HMS ''Volage''
* HMS ''Brissenden''
* - (October 1947)
* -(October 1947)
* - (October 1947)
, Mediterranean Fleet 1948
3rd Destroyer Flotilla
* HMS ''Troubridge'' (Leader)
* HMS ''Venus''
* HMS ''Verulam''
* HMS ''Virago''
* HMS ''Volage''
, Mediterranean Fleet 1949
3rd Destroyer Flotilla
* HMS ''Troubridge'' (Leader)
* HMS ''Venus''
* HMS ''Verulam''
* HMS ''Virago''
* HMS ''Volage'' - (July 1949)
* (Leader) (July 1949)
* - (July 1949)
* - (July 1949)
* - (July 1949)
, Mediterranean Fleet 1950
3rd Destroyer Flotilla
* HMS ''Saintes'' (Leader)
* HMS ''Armada''
* HMS ''Gravelines''
* HMS ''Vigo''
, Mediterranean Fleet 1951
3rd Destroyer Flotilla
* HMS ''Saintes'' (Leader)
* HMS ''Armada''
* HMS ''Gravelines''
* HMS ''Vigo''
References
Sources
*
* Harley, Simon; Lovell, Tony. (2018) "Third Destroyer Flotilla (Royal Navy) - The Dreadnought Project". www.dreadnoughtproject.org. Harley and Lovell, 29 May 2018. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
* Watson, Dr Graham. (2015) Royal Navy Organisation and Ship Deployments 1900-1914". www.naval-history.net. G. Smith.
* Watson, Dr Graham. (2015) "Royal Navy Organisation and Ship Deployment, Inter-War Years 1914-1918". www.naval-history.net. Gordon Smith.
* Watson, Dr Graham. (2015) "Royal Navy Organisation in World War 2, 1939-1945". www.naval-history.net. Gordon Smith.
{{Destroyer flotillas of the Royal Navy, state=collapsed
Destroyer flotillas of the Royal Navy
Military units and formations established in 1909
Military units and formations disestablished in 1939