Nore Local Defence Flotilla

The Nore Local Defence Flotilla was a formation of destroyers and torpedo boats of the Royal Navy.

History

By mid-1918, the ships in this flotilla were, along with the destroyers of several early classes, approved to receive "alarm circuits".

Test Mobilisation, July 1914

Eleven destroyers and twenty torpedo boats participated in the Test Mobilisation. These vessels were to long comprise the bulk of this formation.

September, 1914

Vulture has joined, and a submarine flotilla has been attached. It is now comprised of an eponymous destroyer flotilla of twelve older T.B.Ds, 20 T.Bs. and the six submarines of the Fifth Submarine Flotilla.

It would remain in this form until June, 1915.

June, 1915

Administratively just as before, but Recruit has been dropped after being torpedoed on May 1st, bringing the destroyer strength down to eleven, plus the same 20 T.Bs. and the same six submarines of the Fifth Submarine Flotilla.

July, 1915

T.B. 10 and T.B. 12 have been dropped as both were mined on 10 June, leaving the flotilla with eleven destroyers, eighteen T.Bs. and the six submarines of the Fifth Submarine Flotilla.

August, 1915

Lightning has been dropped after being mined on 30 June, leaving the flotilla with ten destroyers, eighteen T.Bs. and the six submarines of the Fifth Submarine Flotilla.

This roster would apply until October.

October, 1915

T.B. 2 has joined from the Newhaven Defence Flotilla. T.B. 17 and T.B. 18 have been sent off to join the Fifth Destroyer Flotilla in the Mediterranean, leaving the flotilla with ten destroyers, seventeen T.Bs. and the six submarines of the Fifth Submarine Flotilla.

This roster would apply until April, 1916.

April, 1916

Coquette and T.B. 11 have been dropped after being mined on 7 March. Offsetting these losses in part, patrol boats P15 and P26 have joined, leaving the flotilla with nine destroyers, sixteen T.Bs., two patrol boats and the six submarines of the Fifth Submarine Flotilla.

May, 1916

P29 has replaced P26, leaving the flotilla with nine destroyers, sixteen T.Bs., two patrol boats and the six submarines of the Fifth Submarine Flotilla.

June, 1916

Fervent has been dropped for unknown reasons, destined to return in August, reducing the flotilla to eight destroyers, sixteen T.Bs., five patrol boats and the six submarines of the Fifth Submarine Flotilla.

This roster would apply until August.

August, 1916

Fervent has returned and patrol boats P16 and P20 and gunboat Cockchafer have arrived, bringing the flotilla's strength to nine destroyers, sixteen T.Bs., seven patrol boats, one gunboat and the six submarines of the Fifth Submarine Flotilla.

September, 1916

Patrol boat P13 has joined and T.B. 9 has been dropped after being lost in a collision on 26 July. Zephyr has been dropped for unknown reasons, destined to return in November, but Fervent has returned. These changes brought the flotilla's strength to eight destroyers, fifteen T.Bs., eight patrol boats, one gunboat and the same six submarines, though their flotilla has been newly redesignated the Fourth Submarine Flotilla.

October, 1916

P14 has joined while T.B. 6 has left. These changes brought the flotilla's strength to eight destroyers, fourteen T.Bs., nine patrol boats, one gunboat and the six submarines of the Fourth Submarine Flotilla.

November, 1916

Zephyr has returned, bringing the flotilla's strength to nine destroyers, fourteen T.Bs., nine patrol boats, one gunboat and the six submarines of the Fourth Submarine Flotilla.

This roster would last until January, 1917.

January, 1917

P33 has joined, bringing the flotilla's strength to nine destroyers, fourteen T.Bs., ten patrol boats, one gunboat and the six submarines of Fourth Submarine Flotilla.

This roster would last until February or March (no February Supplement was consulted).

March, 1917

Electra has been dropped, destined to return in one month's time. Submarines C 2, C 3 and C 4 have left the Fourth Submarine Flotilla, to attach to the Ninth Submarine Flotilla. The Southend Boarding Flotilla is now also operating in support. This brings the flotilla's strength to eight destroyers, fourteen T.Bs., ten patrol boats, one gunboat, three submarines and six boarding vessels.

April, 1917

Electra has rejoined, but destroyers Brazen has been dropped, destined to appear in the paravane department of the Portsmouth Local Defence Flotilla in June, and Cygnet has dropped though she'd return in the coming month. The Southend Boarding Flotilla now has an additional boarding vessel. This brings the flotilla's strength to seven destroyers, fourteen T.Bs., ten patrol boats, one gunboat, three submarines and seven boarding vessels.

May, 1917

Vulture has been removed. Cygnet has rejoined, and T.B. 23 and P26 have been dropped. This brings the flotilla's strength to seven destroyers, thirteen T.Bs., nine patrol boats, one gunboat, three submarines and seven boarding vessels.

June, 1917

T.B. 23 has returned to the group. In the attached submarine flotilla, C 6 has been detached to provide "special service" with the Pembroke and Milford Defence Flotilla, and has been replaced by the C 23, drawn from the Ninth Submarine Flotilla.

This brings the flotilla's strength to seven destroyers, fourteen T.Bs., nine patrol boats, one gunboat, three submarines and seven boarding vessels.

July, 1917

P16 has been dropped, but will reappear in thee next month. P29 and P33 have been dropped, to appear the next month in the Portsmouth Escort Flotilla. T.B. 117 has also been removed, and City of Belfast has left the boarding flotilla, to join the Downs Boarding Flotilla. In the attached submarine flotilla, C 1 has been detached to provide "special service" with the Pembroke and Milford Defence Flotilla, and has been replaced by the C 25, drawn from the Ninth Submarine Flotilla.

This brings the flotilla's strength to seven destroyers, thirteen T.Bs., six patrol boats, one gunboat, three submarines and six boarding vessels.

August, 1917

P13, P15 and P28 have dropped, but P16 has joined. The Southend Boarding Flotilla has lost Louvain. The Fourth Submarine Flotilla has been disbanded, its vessels now attached to the Ninth Submarine Flotilla. This brings the flotilla's strength to seven destroyers, thirteen T.Bs., four patrol boats, one gunboat and five boarding vessels.

September, 1917

All the patrol boats have left to join the Portsmouth Escort Flotilla. Destroyers, on the other hand, have been greatly increased. Earnest Panther Seal Thrasher Violet and Vixen have come in from the Seventh Destroyer Flotilla while Zephyr has left, destined to rejoin in December. In the Southend Boarding Flotilla, the Template:UK-Priscilla has joined, replacing Template:UK-ChesterIII.

This brings the flotilla's strength to twelve destroyers, thirteen T.Bs., one gunboat and five boarding vessels.

October, 1917

Vixen has been dropped, destined to rejoin in December. This reduces the flotilla's strength ever so slightly to eleven destroyers, thirteen T.Bs., one gunboat and five boarding vessels.

This roster would last until December.

December, 1917

Vixen and Zephyr have rejoined, and Porcupine has vanished to unknown ends. This brings the flotilla's strength to twelve destroyers, thirteen T.Bs., one gunboat and five boarding vessels.

January, 1918

Template:UK-Priscilla has been dropped from the Southend Boarding Flotilla, going who knows where. This reduces the flotilla's strength to twelve destroyers, thirteen T.Bs., one gunboat and four boarding vessels.

This roster would apply until March.

March, 1918

Earnest, Kestrel, Seal and Zephyr have left to join the Irish Sea Flotilla, reducing the flotilla's strength to eight destroyers, thirteen T.Bs., one gunboat and four boarding vessels.

April, 1918

Violet and Panther have left to join the Sixth Destroyer Flotilla, operating as part of the Dover Patrol, further reducing the flotilla's strength to six destroyers, thirteen T.Bs., one gunboat and four boarding vessels.

May, 1918

Template:UK-Aerolite has joined the Southend Boarding Flotilla, bringing the flotilla's strength to six destroyers, thirteen T.Bs., one gunboat and five boarding vessels.

June, 1918

Template:UK-Rosita has joined the Southend Boarding Flotilla, bringing the flotilla's strength to six destroyers, thirteen T.Bs., one gunboat and six boarding vessels.

July, 1918

Template:UK-Ironsides has joined the Southend Boarding Flotilla, bringing the flotilla's strength to six destroyers, thirteen T.Bs., one gunboat and seven boarding vessels.

This roster would apply through the end of the war until things would change dramatically in January, 1919.

January, 1919

The end of the war seems to have made the old flotilla worthless. The "flotilla" is now a single monitor – Erebus, recently operating with the Dover Patrol – slated to join "shortly", attached to Pembroke.

February, 1919

The Nore now has a defence flotilla of ten much more modern destroyers, nine recently of the Fourth Destroyer Flotilla, except Pigeon of the Second Destroyer Flotilla. Erebus has actually been attached to a Gunnery School at the Nore.

Captains (D)

Dates of appointment given:

• Commander Ambrose M. Peck, 14 April, 1913 – 6 April, 1914
• Commander Charles A. W. Wrightson, 6 April, 1914 – 30 April, 1915
• Captain John B. Sparks, 1 March, 1919 – 30 October, 1919
• Captain John F. Grant-Dalton, 30 October, 1919 – 1 February, 1921
• Captain Leonard L. P. Willan, 1 November, 1922 – 29 December, 1924
• Captain The Hon. Edward B. S. Bingham, 29 December, 1924 – 29 December, 1926
• Captain Richard A. A. Plowden, 29 December, 1926 – 29 June, 1928
• Captain Edmond J. G. Mackinnon, 29 June, 1928 – 15 February, 1929
• Captain Kenneth D. W. Macpherson, 15 February, 1929 – 24 October, 1929
• Captain Guy L. Coleridge, 24 October, 1929 – 27 June, 1931
• Captain Claude C. Dobson, 27 June, 1931 – 14 July, 1933

Bibliography

• Dittmar, F.J.; Colledge, J.J. (1972). British Warships 1914–1919. London: Ian Allan.
• March, Edgar J. (1966). British Destroyers: A History of Development, 1892-1953. London: Seeley Service & Co. Limited. (on Bookfinder.com).