Second Fleet Sweeping Flotilla (Royal Navy)
The Second Fleet Sweeping Flotilla was a formation of fleet minesweepers of the Royal Navy. It was one of several attached to the Grand Fleet during the war, before being dissolved in late 1918.
History
Before mid-1916, a growing number of minesweeping vessels had been attached to the Grand Fleet, but by 1 July the growth rate was such that it was deemed fit to break the assemblage into three flotillas: the First, Second and Third. The First would retain Lupin, which had long borne the Senior Officer and nine other sweeping sloops. The Second would be a mix of ten sweeping sloops and older torpedo gunboats, while the Third would be comprised of twelve paddle minesweepers. It is not clear whether the man in Lupin remained the Senior Officer for all three flotillas, or merely of the First.
June, 1916 – c. February, 1917
The Second is formed with a strength of ten vessels.[1] Speedwell would be detached briefly around September/October of 1916, but be back in place by 1 November.
| Attached to the Grand Fleet | ||||
| Godetia | Foxglove | Larkspur | Gentian | Circe |
| Gossamer | Jason | Leda | Skipjack | Speedwell* |
c. February, 1917 – March, 1917
The Senior Officer previously allotted to Lupin in the First Fleet Sweeping Flotilla is now borne in Godetia.[2]
| Attached to the Grand Fleet | |||||
| Senior Officer | |||||
| Godetia | |||||
| Sweeping Sloops and T.G.Bs. | |||||
| Foxglove | Larkspur | Gentian | Circe | Gossamer | Jason |
| Leda | Skipjack | Speedwell | |||
March, 1917 – July, 1917
In classic Royal Navy fashion, things get complicated. Godetia has been exchanged with Lupin from the First Fleet Sweeping Flotilla. In this new arrangement, Lupin bears the Senior Officer and Godetia now bears the "Captain in Charge", which I presume means "in charge of Grand Fleet Fleet Sweepers." In addition to this, the torpedo gunboat Jason would be mined and lost on 7 April.[3]
| Attached to the Grand Fleet | |||||
| Senior Officer | |||||
| Lupin | |||||
| Sweeping Sloops and T.G.Bs. | |||||
| Foxglove | Larkspur | Gentian | Circe | Gossamer | Leda |
| Skipjack | Speedwell | ||||
July, 1917 – August, 1917
Heythrop, Tedworth and Pytchley have joined, making the strength twelve.[4]
| Attached to the Grand Fleet | |||||
| Senior Officer | |||||
| Lupin | |||||
| Sweeping Sloops and T.G.Bs. | |||||
| Foxglove | Larkspur | Gentian | Circe | Heythrop | Gossamer |
| Leda | Skipjack | Speedwell | Tedworth | Pytchley | |
August, 1917 – September, 1917
Circe, Gossamer, Skipjack and Speedwell have left to work from Oban. This outflux was balanced by the arrival of Bicester, Croome, Garth and Zetland, maintaining a strength of twelve and homogenizing the composition around sweeping sloops.[5]
| Attached to the Grand Fleet | |||||
| Senior Officer | |||||
| Lupin | |||||
| Sweeping Sloops | |||||
| Foxglove | Larkspur | Gentian | Heythrop | Tedworth | |
| Pytchley | Bicester | Croome | Garth | Zetland | |
September, 1917 – October, 1917
Heythrop, Tedworth, Pytchley and Croome have left for the Third Fleet Sweeping Flotilla and Quorn has arrived, reducing the strength to eight.[6]
| Attached to the Grand Fleet | ||||||
| Senior Officer | ||||||
| Lupin | ||||||
| Sweeping Sloops and Minesweepers | ||||||
| Foxglove | Larkspur | Gentian | Bicester | Garth | Zetland | Quorn |
October, 1917 – X
Croome has swapped places with Garth in the Third Fleet Sweeping Flotilla, maintaining the strength ateight.[7]
| Attached to the Grand Fleet | ||||||
| Senior Officer | ||||||
| Lupin | ||||||
| Sweeping Sloops and Minesweepers | ||||||
| Foxglove | Larkspur | Gentian | Bicester | Croome | Quorn | Zetland |
Senior Officers
Footnotes
- ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (July, 1916). p. 12 and Supplements through March 1917, save February which was not found.
- ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (March, 1917). p. 12 and April's Supplement.
- ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (March, 1917). p. 12 and Supplements through August.
- ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (August, 1917). p. 12 and September's Supplement.
- ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (September, 1917). pp. 12, 14 and October's Supplement.
- ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (October, 1917). p. 12 and November's Supplement.
- ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (November, 1917). p. 12 and X Supplement.
Bibliography
- Dittmar, F.J.; Colledge, J.J. (1972). British Warships 1914–1919. London: Ian Allan.
See Also
| British Minesweeping Formations |
| Fleet Sweeping Flotillas (Great War) |
| First | Second | Third | Sixth | Seventh | Eighth | Ninth | Tenth |
| Eleventh | Twelfth | Thirteenth | Fifteenth | Sixteenth | Eighteenth | Nineteenth |
| Twentieth | Twenty-first | Twenty-second | Twenty-third | Twenty-fourth |
| Minesweeping Flotillas (World War II) |
| First | Second | Third | Fourth | Fifth | Sixth |
