RN Submarine Dispositions, 1916

Disposition of RN submarines, 1916

Another welcome contribution from Dave Perkins (jdperkins@hfx.eastlink.ca). In his own words:

Thought this might be of interest as it shows the flotillas at a very intense period of the war. Notice the ranks and seniority evident in the Overseas Flotillas. This listing also includes the Mediterrnaean, Adriatic and Baltic flotillas. A very busy time for RN submarines.

It will also give interested parties an idea of just how big a submarine organisation the Brits fielded in WW1. It must rival the Germans. I'll have to check that.

(corrected to 15 October 1999, with the assistance of Brian Head)

Taken from the Naval Staff Monographs, 1916, and the Nominal List of Officers Serving in Submarines, revised to 1 Sept 1916.

54. Reorganisation of Submarine Flotillas, June--August 1916

The increasing number of submarines called for a general reorganisation of the flotillas and on June 18 a scheme for the purpose was approved by the Admiralty. The reorganisation was not actually completed until August 20, when all the existing submarine flotillas, with one exception, received new numbers, resulted in the following distribution:

Submarine flotillas--August 1916

Flotilla	Location	Depot Ship & Flot SO	S/M	CO's
1^st	Firth of Forth	Hebe LCDR G. A. Saltren-Willett	B3 C23 C24 C25	Lt Colin Mayers Lt Thomas Kerr Lt Tristram Fox Lt Ronald W. Blacklock
2^nd	Tyne	Bonaventure Cdr. M. K. de M. Burgess	C7 C8 C9 C10 C12 C13 C14 C16	Lt Arthur W. Forbes Lt Thomas A. Powell Lt Henry F.M. Peto Lt Ronald A. Trevor Lt. John F. Tryon Lt Martin H. Collier Lt Guy D. Sharp Lt Robin B. Martin
3^rd	Immingham	Vulcan Cdr Wm. R.D. Crowther	D1 D3 D4 D6 D7 D8	Lt Geoffrey E. Burton LCdr Bernard L. Johnson, RNR Lt Eric E.C. Tufnell Lt Wm. R. Richardson Lcdr Henry D. Gill Lt Logan Hook
4^th	Queenborough	Thames Cdr Tom K. Triggs	C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6	Lt Arthur L. Noakes Lt Geo. D. Tweedy Lt Cyril G.B. Coltart Lt Noel W. Dixon Lt John H. Owen Lt Richard I. Pulleyne
5^th	Dover	Arrogant Cdr Henry Spencer	C15 C17 C18 C19 C20 C21 C22 C28 C30 C34	Lt Edward R. Lewes Lt T.B.S. Mcgregor-Robertson Lt D.M. Hervey-Macleay Lt Hugh R. Marrack Lt Francis J.H. Dawson Lt Ralph E. Snook Lt Oliver North Lt Reginald D. Howard Lt Charles H. Allen Lt. Richard D. Sandford
6^th	Portsmouth	Dolphin Capt Algernon H.C. Candy	B1 B5	Lt P.H. Bonham-Carter Lt Oswald E. Hallifax
7^th	Ardrossan	Pactolus Cdr Alexander G. Wright	A10 B4	- Lt Henry Carlyon-Britton
8^th	Yarmouth	Alecto Cdr Sir L.P. Vavasour, Bart.	F1 F3 H5 H7 H8 H9 H10 V1 V2 V3 V4	Lt Frederick H. Taylor, DSC Lt Norman D. Holbrook, VC Lt Cromwell H. Varley Lt Ernest H. Ebblewhite Lcdr Godfrey Herbert, DSO Lt F. A.P. Williams-Freeman, DSO Lt Gilbert E. Venning Lt Anthony B. Lockhart Lt Alfred Gordon-Hine Lt Colin Cantlie, DSC Lt Alan Poland
9^th	Harwich	Maidstone Capt Arthur K. Waistell	E23 E29 E30 E31 E35 E37 E38 E42 E43 E45 E53 E54 E55 E56 E32 E33 E46 E47	Lt Richard H.B. Everard Lcdr Herbert W. Shove Lcdr Geoffrey N. Biggs Lcdr Ferdinand E.B. Feilman Lcdr George P. Thompson Lcdr Robert F. Chisholm Lcdr John de B. Jessop Lcdr John G. Bower Lcdr Vincent M. Cooper Lcdr Geoffrey G.S. Watkins Lcdr John B. Glencross Lcdr Robert H.T. Raikes Lcdr Gilbert H. Kellett Lcdr Claude L.Y. Dering (completing) (completing) (completing) (completing)
10^th	Tees	Lucia Capt Leonard A.B. Donaldson	E44 G7 G8 G9 G11 G12 E39 G13	Lcdr Henry P. Hughes Lcdr Geoffrey Warburton Lcdr Charles de Burgh Lt Hon. Byron P. Cary Lcdr Andre Wilmot-Smith, DSO Lcdr Cornelius O. Regnart (completing) (completing)
11^th	Blyth	Titania Capt Stanley L. Willis	G1 G2 G3 G4 G5 G6 G10 J1 J2 J3 J4 J5 J6 S1	Lcdr Brownlow V. Layard Lcdr Reginald B. Darke Lcdr Donald I. Mcgillewie Lcdr John F. Hutchings Lcdr Fitzroy H.D. Byron Lcdr Claud C. Dobson, DSO Lcdr Bernard Acworth Cdr Noel F. Laurence, DSO Cdr Charles S. Benning Lcdr Henry J. Hearn Capt Martin E. Nasmith, VC Cdr Cecil P. Talbot, DSO Cdr Max K. Horton, DSO Lcdr Geoffrey Layton
12& 13^th	Scapa & Rosyth	Fearless	K1-12	(building)

Adriatic	Brindisi Venice	Adamant Cdr Charles G. Brodie Marco Polo (Italian) Capt W. Tompkinson	H1 H2 H4 B6 B7 B9 B11	Lcdr Wilfred B. Pirie, DSO Lt David M. Fell Lt Henry E. Smyth Lt Colin G. Macarthur, DSC Lt Kenneth Michell Lt Jermyn Rushbrooke Lt Frederick C.C. Kennedy
Med	Malta	Europa Cdr K. M. Bruce DSO	E2 E11 E12 E14 E21 E25	Lt Samuel M.G. Gravener Lcdr John G.A. Codrington Cdr K. M. Bruce DSO (& Cdr SM) Lt Geoffrey S. White Lcdr Thomas C.B. Harbottle Lcdr Robert B. Ramsay

Baltic	Revel	Dvina (Russian) Cdr F. N. A. Cromie, DSO	E1 E8 E9 E19 C26 C27 C32 C35	Lcdr Athelstan A.L. Fenner Cdr Francis H.H. Goodhart, DSO Lcdr Hubert Vaughan Jones Cdr F.N.H. Cromie, DSO (& Cdr SM) Lt Eric B. Todd Lt Douglas Sealy Lt Christopher P. Satow Lt Edward G. Stanley

Flotillas 1 to 7 were employed on coastal patrol work, and were largely used for training purposes. Flotillas 8 to 13 were known as the Overseas Flotillas. The 12^th and 13^th Flotillas were to be formed of K-class submarines when these became available. They were to be stationed at Scapa and Rosyth, as required by the Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Fleet, and, as they were to be considered as essential units of the Grand Fleet, were not to be permanently attached to any one base.

When the above scheme of reorganisation was submitted on May 29, it was suggested that, in order to prevent confusion with the destroyer flotillas, a more suitable name than Flotilla might be used in connection with submarine organisation. Some thought must have been given to the matter, for among the ingenious suggestions were: Aquarilla, Squadrilla, Subtilla, Platoon, Maniple, Shoal, Array and Armada. The name Submarilla was put forward, but was regarded as foreign to naval terminology. Cohort, too was favoured, but Commodore (S) thought that it would be "received with amusement", and the homely but familiar name of Flotilla remained in use.

Last Updated: 31 October, 1999.

Return to WWI The Maritime War

Return to WWI Archive main page.