Royal Navy Destroyer Deployment, 1914-1918

Contributed by Bill Maccormick (bmaccormick@cix.compulink.co.uk), the source being Warships of World War 1 - No 3 Destroyers by H M Le Fleming, published by Ian Allan Ltd, c1960.

1914 (September)

1st Flotilla (Harwich) 20 'I' class.
2nd Flotilla (Grand Fleet) Broke to join. 20 'H' class.
3rd Flotilla (Harwich) 16 'L' class.
4th Flotilla (Grand Fleet)/ Swift. Faulknor to join. 20 'K' class.
5th Flotilla (Mediterranean) 16 'G' class (+6 t.b.).
6th Flotilla (Dover Patrol) 10 'F' class, 12 'B', 'C' classes.
7th Flotilla (Humber Patrol) 22 'A'. 'B', 'C', 'D' classes (+ 2 t.b.).
8th Flotilla (Tyne Patrol) 12 'B', 'C' classes (+12 t.b.).
9th Flotilla (Forth Patrol) 17 'E' class.
Shetland Patrol 4 'C' class.
Attached to Channel Fleet 8 'E' class.
China Station 7 'E' class, 1 'D' class.
Australian Fleet 3 'I' (R.A.N.) class.
Gibraltar (10 t.b.).
Attached Submarines (Harwich) 2 '1' class.

1916 (May - before Jutland)

Attached to flagship (H. M S. Iron Duke) Abdiel (Oak).
1st Flotilla (Rosyth) Botha. 20 'I' class.
2nd Flotilla (temporarily at Plymouth) 10 'H' class.
4th Flotilla (Scapa) Tipperary, Broke, 19 'K' class.
6th Flotilla (Dover) Swift, 9 'F' class, I 'E' class, 12 'B', 'C',
'D' classes (+3t.b.,4p.).
7th Flotilla (Humber) 12 'E' class, 8 'B', 'C', 'D' classes.
8th Flotilla (Forth) 7 'B', 'C', 'D' classes (+ 10 t.b.).
9th Flotilla (Harwich) Lightfoot, 21 'L' class.
10th Flotilla (Harwich and Dover) Nimrod, 2 'T' class, 15 'M' class.
11th Flotilla (Cromarty) Kempenfelt, 16 'M' class.
12th Flotilla (Scapa) Faulknor, Marksman, 16 'M' class.
13th Flotilla (Rosyth) 11 'M' class (+ 5 to Join).
14th Flotilla (Scapa) Being formed of new 'M' class.
Mediterranean 12 ' G ' class, 2 'H' class, 6 'E' class (+7 t.b.).
Malta 3 'G' class, 5 'H' class, 3 'E' class.

Local Defence Flotillas

The Nore 9 'A', 'B', 'C', 'D' classes (+16 t.b.,3 p.).
Portsmouth 10 'E' class, 9 'A', 'B', 'C', 'D' classes (+21 t.b.).
Devonport 2 'E' class, 4 'A', 'B', 'C', 'D' classes (+8 t b.).
Newhaven (4 t.b.), Portland (5 t.b.), Pembroke (4 t.b.),
Queenstown (4 t.b.).
North Channel Patrol (Larne) 2 'E' class, 2 'B', 'C' or 'D' class.
Tenders to H.M.S. Leander (Scapa) 10 'B' 'C', 'D' classes.,
Tenders to H.M.S. Tyne (Cromarty) 5 'B', 'C', 'D' classes.
Australian Fleet 4 'I' (R.A.N.) class.
Hong Kong 3 'B', 'C', 'D' classes.
Cape of Good Hope (2 t.b.).

1918 (October)

Attached to flagship (H.M.S. Queen Elizabeth). (Oak).
1st Flotilla (Portsmouth) 9 'E' class (+31 p.).
2nd Flotilla (N. Ireland) 20 'M' crass, 5 'G' class.
3rd Flotilla (Grand Fleet) Nimrod, Talisman, 11 'M' class.
4th Flotilla (Devonport) 9 'M' and 'R' classes, 2 'K' class, 2 U.S. destroyers.
5th Flotilla (Mediterranean) 3 'S', 2 'M', 14 'I', 6 'I' (R.A.N.),
14 'H', I 'G' and 8 'E' class.
Gibraltar 1 'I' class, I 'H' class (+9 t.b.).
Aegean (4 t.b.).
Adriatic (4 t.b.)).
6th Flotilla (Dover) Douglas, Whirlwind, Velox, Botha, Swift, 2 'S' class, 2 'T' class, 14 'M' class, 5 'F' class, 6 'B', 'C' classes ( +2 t.b., 10 p., c.m.b.).
Attached submarine flotillas 1 'M' class, 2 'I' class.
7th Flotilla (Immingham) 14 'E' class, 14 'A', 'B', C", 'D' classes (+6 t.b )
8th Flotilla (Firth of Forth) (10 t.b.).
10th Flotilla (Harwich) Spencer, Shakespeare, Bruce, Montrose, 24 'R' class
11th Flotilla (Grand Fleet) Seymour, Valorous, Kempenfelt, 12 'VW' class, 5 'R' class.
12th Flotilla (Grand Fleet) Saumarez, Valhalla, 5 'VW' class, 13 'S'
13th Flotilla (Grand Fleet) Valentine, Valkyrie, 20 VW' class, 7 'U' class, I 'M' class
14th Flotilla (Grand Fleet) Vampire, Anzac, 2 'S' class, 23 'M' class
15th Flotilla (Grand Fleet) Parker, Grenville, 4 'U' class, I 'R' class, 13 'M' class.
20th Flotilla (Immingham - Minelayers) Abdiel, Gabriel, 3 'V' class, 2 'R' class, 1 'L' class, 2 'I' class.
Northern Patrol (Kirkwall). Marksman.
Southern Patrol (Falmouth) Lightfoot (+1 t.b.).
North Channel Patrol (Lame) 4 'A', 'B', 'C' or 'D' class.
Irish Sea Hunting Flotilla 11 'A', 'B', 'C' or 'D' class.
Portsmouth 5 'A', 'B', 'C' or 'D' class (+ 19 t.b, 6 c.m.b.)
Attached to Vernon 1 'M', I 'K' and I 'C' class (+ I t.b.).
Devonport 3 'A', 'B', 'C' or 'D' class (+8 t.b.).
The Nore 6 'A', 'B', 'C' or 'D' class (+13 t.b.).
Portland (5 t.b., 6 c.m.b.).
Methil Convoy Flotilla 6 L' class.
Pembroke (3 t.b., 19 p.c.). Newhaven (5 t.b.). Queenstown (4 t.b.).
China Station I 'B', I 'C' and I 'D' class (+4 t.b.).
Cape of Good Hope (2 t.b.)

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Last Updated: 21 January, 1999.