Annual Manoeuvres of 1893
The Royal Navy's Annual Manoeuvres of 1893 involved a number of ships called into special commission on 11 July.[1] This was a considered a "partial mobilization" of the Fleet in that it not all ships in Reserve were made ready.[2]
Overall Plan
The Manoeuvres were held in the Irish Sea as the nation digested news of the loss of H.M.S. Victoria in the Mediterranean. In the Manoeuvres, one side composed of two fleets trying to take command of the sea from the opposing side also composed of two fleets. The Red side, intended to represent Britain, was larger than the Blue side, which was to represent France or a similar challenger. However, one of the two Blue fleets was larger than the smaller of the Red fleets, and the Blue side would be able to overpower either Red fleet should Blue be able to concentrate its two fleets. Blue also had a considerable force of torpedo boats – a type missing in the Red side.
The area for the manoeuvres were between 49° and 56° North and 3° to 13° West; the British coast would be Red territory and the Irish coast Blue.
Ships Involved
Sheerness Command
- second class protected cruiser Andromache Captain George Fowler King-Hall
- second class protected cruiser Apollo Captain George Anson Primrose
- third class protected cruiser Barracouta Commander Philip Francis Tillard
- second class battleship Benbow Captain Burges Watson, Commander The Hon. Walter George Stopford
- first class protected cruiser Blenheim Captain William Henry Hall (lent), Commander Reginald Purves Cochran
- second class protected cruiser Brilliant Captain Edmund Samuel Poë
- torpedo gunboat Circe Commander Henry Joseph Keane
- torpedo gunboat Gleaner Commander Leslie Creery Stuart
- torpedo gunboat Gossamer Commander Rowland Edward Berkeley
- torpedo gunboat Grasshopper Lieutenant & Commander Arthur Barry (lent)
- torpedo gunboat Jaseur Commander Stanley Talbot Dean-Pitt
- torpedo gunboat Jason Commander Frederick Gilbert Charles Langdon
- gunboat Raven Lieutenant & Commander Alexander Eckstein Stewart
- torpedo gunboat Salamander Commander Algernon Horatio Anson
- second class protected cruiser Sappho Captain Henry Charles Bigge
- torpedo gunboat Sheldrake Commander Alfred Fulling Welldon
- torpedo gunboat Skipjack Commander James Pipon Montgomery
- second class protected cruiser Terpsichore Captain Arthur Calvert Clarke
- second class protected cruiser Tribune Captain Robert Leonard Groome
- T.B. 63 Sub-lieutenant in Command Cecil Henry Fox (lent)
- T.B. 64 acting Sub-lieutenant in Command John Barff Hancock (lent)
- T.B. 67 Lieutenant & Commander George Barrett (lent; recorded as "George H. Barrett" in The Times)
- T.B. 68 acting Sub-lieutenant in Command Hubert Henry Holland (lent)
- T.B. 72 Lieutenant & Commander (T) Dudley Rawson Stratford de Chair (lent)
- T.B. 73 Sub-lieutenant in Command Arthur Edward Phillipps
Portsmouth Command
- third class protected cruiser Barossa Commander John Edward Bearcroft
- second class battleship Hero Captain George Lambart Atkinson, Commander Thomas Philip Walker
- second class protected cruiser Indefatigable Captain Richard Bingham
- second class protected cruiser Intrepid Captain John Salwey Hallifax
- second class protected cruiser Iphigenia Captain Francis Charles Bridgeman Bridgeman-Simpson
- second class protected cruiser Iris Captain John Harvey Rainier
- special service vessel Magnet Lieutenant & Commander James Webber (lent)
- second class protected cruiser Naiad, Captain Michael Pelham O'Callaghan
- torpedo gunboat Rattlesnake, Lieutenant & Commander Lewis Bayly (lent)
- torpedo gunboat Seagull Lieutenant & Commander (T) Arthur Ward Torlesse (lent)
- T.B. 59 Lieutenant & Commander Clement Greatorex (lent)
- T.B. 60 Sub-lieutenant in Command Arthur Kipling Waistell
- T.B. 66 acting Sub-lieutenant in Command Henry Strickland (lent)
- T.B. 77 acting Sub-lieutenant in Command Thomas Parry Bonham (lent)
- T.B. 79 Lieutenant & Commander Gordon Colquhoun Fraser (lent)
- T.B. 81 Lieutenant & Commander (T) Reginald Hugh Spencer Bacon (lent)
- T.B. 82 Lieutenant & Commander William Reginald Hall (lent)
- T.B. 83 Lieutenant & Commander Sir Robert Keith Arbuthnot
- T.B. 84 Lieutenant & Commander George Walter Smith (lent)
Devonport Command
- second class protected cruiser Æolus Captain Walter Hodgson Bevan Graham
- gunvessel Curlew Commander John Locke Marx
- second class battleship Conqueror Captain Sir Baldwin Wake Walker, Commander Frederick Henry Peere Williams Freeman
- second class protected cruiser Forth Captain Charles Philip Giffin Hicks, Commander William Francis Tunnard
- second class protected cruiser Pique Captain Orford Churchill
- second class protected cruiser Rainbow Captain Count Frederick Cosmeto Metaxa
- second class protected cruiser Retribution Captain Charles James Barlow
- torpedo gunboat Spider Lieutenant & Commander Henry John Oldfield (lent)
- second class protected cruiser Thames Captain Robert William Craigie, Commander Ian Mackenzie Fraser
- ex-tug and special service vessel Traveller Lieutenant & Commander Richard Archibald Cathie (lent)
- T.B. 34 Lieutenant & Commander Spencer Allen Hickley (lent)
- T.B. 45 Sub-lieutenant in Command Robert Gwynne Corbett
- T.B. 52 Sub-lieutenant in Command Louis Charles Stirling Woollcombe
- T.B. 53 acting Sub-lieutenant in Command Berkeley Holme-Sumner (lent)
- T.B. 57 Sub-lieutenant in Command Henry Rawdon Veale
- T.B. 58 Lieutenant & Commander Cecil Irby Prowse
- T.B. 80 Lieutenant & Commander (T) William Lowther Grant (lent)
- T.B. 85 Lieutenant & Commander Thomas Legge Barnardiston (lent)
- T.B. 87 Lieutenant & Commander Robert Falcon Scott (lent)
Order of Battle
The objectives of the Manoeuvres and the order of battle were spelled out in The Times on 11 July.[3]
Red Side
The Red Side was under the overall command of Vice-Admiral Henry Fairfax, who personally commanded the component "A" Fleet, with a second "B" Fleet under command of a subordinate.
- "A" Fleet – under command of Fairfax, assembled at Portland and Torbay
- "B" Fleet – under command of Rear-Admiral E. H. Seymour, assembled at Milford Haven and Lamlash
- Group "a"
- Group "b"
- Group "c"
Blue Side
The Blue Side was under the overall command of Rear-Admiral R. O'B. Fitzroy, who personally commanded the first component Fleet, with two subordinate Fleets.
- "C" Fleet – under command of Fitzroy, assembled at Torbay and Berehaven
- Group "a"
- Group "b"
- "D" Fleet – under command of Rear-Admiral A. T. Dale, assembled at Berehaven and Black Sod Bay
- Group "a"
- Group "b"
- Coast of Ireland Squadron – under command of Rear-Admiral H. C. St. John. Assembled at Falmouth and other stations.
- Group "c" – stationed at Falmouth
- Torpedo Boats – stationed at Larne, Belfast, Carlingford, Kingstown, Wicklow and Waterford, and immune to capture when in Strangford, Dundalk, Howth and Wexford
Footnotes
- ↑ "Naval & Military Intelligence." The Times (London, England), Monday, Jul 10, 1893; pg. 10; Issue 33999.
- ↑ "The Naval Manoeuvres of 1893." The Times (London, England), Tuesday, Jul 11, 1893; pg. 11; Issue 34000.
- ↑ "The Naval Manoeuvres of 1893." The Times (London, England), Tuesday, Jul 11, 1893; pg. 11; Issue 34000.
| Annual Manoeuvres of the Royal Navy |
| 1880s |
| 1880 | 1881 | 1882 | 1883 | 1884 | 1885 | 1886 | 1887 | 1888 | 1889 |
| 1890s |
| 1890 | 1891 | 1892 | 1893 | 1894 | 1895 | 1896 | 1897 | 1898 | 1899 |
| 1900s |
| 1900 | 1901 | 1902 | 1903 | 1904 | 1905 | 1906 | 1907 | 1908 | 1909 |
| 1910s |
| 1910 | 1911 | 1912 | 1913 | 1914 |
