Category:Royal Navy Destroyer Flotillas

Generally,^[1] the Royal Navy's Destroyer Flotillas were comprised of twenty destroyers each, organised in five divisions of four destroyers. A Light Cruiser or Flotilla Leader might serve as the flagship, and one or two Scout Cruisers might also be attached. These generalities changed over time, especially in remote locales or when obsolescent destroyers were organized into "Patrol Flotillas" for mundane duties near port facilities and in the Channel. For instance, at the outset of war, the Sixth Destroyer Flotilla was comprised of Tribals and earlier boats and was deemed a "Patrol Flotilla" at Portsmouth.^[2]

Doctrine called for four divisions to be fit for action and the fifth division docked or with a depot ship for minor repairs and maintenance. One of the ready divisions had steam up, a second at an hour's notice, and the other two at three hours' notice for weighing anchor.

A ten-day dock refit every sixth month was for major repairs and bottom-scraping. This refit period was intensified to one week every four months during the war to maintain readiness.

Footnotes

Bibliography

• March, Edgar J. (1966). British Destroyers: A History of Development, 1892-1953. London: Seeley Service & Co. Limited. (on Bookfinder.com).