Third Submarine Flotilla (Royal Navy)

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The Third Submarine Flotilla was a formation of submarines of the Royal Navy.

History

Test Mobilisation of July 1914

The flotilla was comprised of a depot ship and six coastal submarines.[1]

Test Mobilisation
Depot Ship
Forth
Submarines
B 3 B 4 B 5 C 14 C 15 C 16

September, 1914

The flotilla, with the same assets, is one of five assigned to the forces covering Home and Atlantic Waters.[2]

Serving in Home and Atlantic Waters
Depot Ship
Forth
Submarines
B 3 B 4 B 5 C 14 C 15 C 16

This roster and tasking would apply until January, 1915.[3]

January, 1915

It appears that the flotilla has been disbanded. Forth has gone over to the Tenth Submarine Flotilla while C 14 has gone to the Sixth Submarine Flotilla and the other five submarines to the Fourth Submarine Flotilla.[4]

Disbanded?
It would be re-instituted in September, 1916

September, 1916

The flotilla is re-instituted using the parent ship and D 1 and D 6 of the Tenth Submarine Flotilla.D 3 and D 4 have come over from the Eighth Submarine Flotilla and D 7 and D 8 from the Eleventh Submarine Flotilla.[5][6] The strength is now six modern submarines and their parent ship.

Under the Rear-Admiral Commanding East Coast of England
Parent Ship
Vulcan
Submarines
D 1 D 3 D 4 D 6 D 7 D 8

This roster would apply until February or March, 1917.[7]

March, 1917

Vulcan, D 3, D 7 and D 8 have left to become part of Vulcan's Flotilla, operating under Vice-Admiral, Queenstown. Hebe has come over to serve as parent ship.[8] Strength is now three submarines plus a parent ship.

Under the Rear-Admiral Commanding East Coast of England
Parent Ship
Hebe
Submarines, tender to Wallington
D 1 D 4 D 6

April, 1917

All three submarines have left to join Platypus and Vulcan's Flotillas operating under Vice-Admiral, Queenstown. They have been replaced by C 8 and C 9 from the Second Submarine Flotilla. Strength is now two submarines plus a parent ship.[9][10]

Under the Rear-Admiral Commanding East Coast of England
Parent Ship
Hebe
Submarines, tender to Wallington
C 8 C 9

This roster would apply until October.[11]

August, 1917

Operating submerged in tow of the sailing decoy ship H.M.S. Prize, D 6 was unable to intervene in time when her bait was attacked by day and then by night by a U-boat. Prize was sunk.[12]

October, 1917

C 19 and C 22 have joined from Tenth Submarine Flotilla. Strength is now four submarines plus a parent ship.[13][14]

Under the Rear-Admiral Commanding East Coast of England
Parent Ship
Hebe
Submarines, tender to Wallington*
  C 8 C 9 C 19 C 22

This roster would apply until some time between September and November, 1918, though explicit mention of support from Wallington ceased being noted in December, 1917.[15]

November, 1918

C 8 has left, to appear with the Sixth Submarine Flotilla in December, and C 9 has left for undiscovered purposes, replaced by C 13 from the Second Submarine Flotilla. Strength is now three submarines plus a parent ship.[16][17]

Under the Rear-Admiral Commanding East Coast of England
Parent Ship
Hebe
Submarines
C 13 C 19 C 22

This roster would apply until January, 1919.[18]

January, 1919

The war now over, C 19 and C 22 have left for undisclosed ends. Strength is now one submarine plus a parent ship.[19]

Under the Rear-Admiral Commanding East Coast of England
Parent Ship
Hebe
Submarines
C 13

February, 1919

The Flotilla is apparently disbanded, Hebe sent to the Humber, and C 13 to undisclosed ends.[20]

Disbanded?
Not to be re-instituted in the Dreadnought Era

March, 1919

Back as one of six flotillas supporting the Grand Fleet in the post-war navy, the flotilla has a depot ship, four assorted vessels and fifteen submarines of "E", H" and "L" classes..[21]

Supporting the Grand Fleet
one of six new flotillas
Depot Ship
Maidstone
Ships
  Firedrake Lurcher Pandora Orby
Submarines
E 29 E 31 E 38 E 43 E 51 E 52
E 53 E 55 E 56 H 21 H 22 L 9
L 14 L 15 L 17

In Command

Dates of appointment given:

The flotilla was disbanded in late 1926, and its submarines transferred to the Portsmouth and Portland Flotillas, and the depot ship Maidstone sent to the Second Submarine Flotilla.[37]

Footnotes

  1. Admiralty Weekly Order No. 109 of 10 July, 1914.
  2. Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (September 1914). p. 14.
  3. Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (October, 1914). p. 14 and Supplements through December.
  4. Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (January, 1915). p. 14.
  5. Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (September, 1916). p. 16.
  6. Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (August, 1916). pp. 12, 16.
  7. Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (October, 1916). p. 16 and Supplements until March, 1917. No Supplement for Feb 1917 was found.
  8. Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (March, 1917). p. 14, 16.
  9. Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (April, 1917). pp. 14, 16.
  10. Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (March, 1917). p. 16.
  11. Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (May, 1917). p. 16 and Supplements through September.
  12. The Technical History and Index, Vol. 1, Part 1. pp. 12, 13.
  13. Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (October, 1917). p. 16.
  14. Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (September, 1917). p. 12.
  15. Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (November, 1917). p. 16 and Supplements through Nov 1918 except Sep and Oct 1918.
  16. Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (November, 1918). p. 15.
  17. Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (August, 1918). p. 15.
  18. Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (December, 1918). p. 15.
  19. Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (January, 1919). p. 15.
  20. Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (February, 1919). p. 21.
  21. Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (March, 1919). p. 12.
  22. Dunbar-Nasmith Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/48/178. f. 583.
  23. Dunbar-Nasmith Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/90/89. f. 89.
  24. Candy Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/279. f. 279.
  25. Candy Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/279. f. 279.
  26. The Navy List. (January, 1921). p. 805.
  27. Layton Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/49/134. f. ?.
  28. The Navy List. (January, 1923). p. 780.
  29. Darke Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/50/88. Unnumbered folio.
  30. Superseded that day. Cantlie Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/263. f. 278.
  31. Cantlie Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/263. f. 278.
  32. Cantlie Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/51/263. f. 278.
  33. Macintyre Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/56/106. f. 108.
  34. Macintyre Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/56/106. f. 108.
  35. The Navy List. (February, 1929). p. 252.
  36. Macintyre Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/56/106. f. 108.
  37. "Naval & Military Intelligence." The Times (London, England), 20 Oct. 1926, p. 22.

Bibliography

See Also


British Submarine Flotillas
First Submarine Flotilla | Second Submarine Flotilla | Third Submarine Flotilla | Fourth Submarine Flotilla
Fifth Submarine Flotilla | Sixth Submarine Flotilla | Seventh Submarine Flotilla | Eighth Submarine Flotilla
Ninth Submarine Flotilla | Tenth Submarine Flotilla | Eleventh Submarine Flotilla | Twelfth Submarine Flotilla
Thirteenth Submarine Flotilla | Fourteenth Submarine Flotilla | Fifteenth Submarine Flotilla | Sixteenth Submarine Flotilla
Ambrose's Flotilla | Mediterranean Flotilla | Platypus's Flotilla | Vulcan's Flotilla | Hong Kong Flotilla