Twenty-first Destroyer Flotilla (Royal Navy)
The Twenty-first Destroyer Flotilla was a formation of destroyers of the Royal Navy. It was created very shortly before the end of the war and did not exist for more than a few months.
In Command
- Captain H. E. Sulivan, before November, 1918[Citation needed] (in command during the surrender of the High Sea Fleet)
- Captain Ralph Kerr, 6 September, 1935[1] – 13 May, 1936[2]
- Captain Harold Hickling, 1 May, 1939 – 16 August, 1939[3]
- Captain Geoffrey R. B. Back, 16 August, 1939[4] – 12 January, 1940[5]
Other Personnel
Gunnery Duties
History
Operation ZZ
Even though yet to appear in the Navy List, on 21 November's Operation ZZ, the flotilla allegedly had six destroyers present and four additional destroyers absent.[Citation needed]
December, 1918
The flotilla appears for the first time in the Navy List.[6] It is comprised entirely of expatriates from the Sixth Destroyer Flotilla.[7]
| Attached to the Grand Fleet | |||||
| Flotilla Leaders | |||||
| Botha | Seymour | Swift | |||
| "M" class Destroyers | |||||
| Mansfield | Melpomene | Milne | Miranda | Moorsom | Murray |
| Nugent | Phoebe | ||||
January, 1919
The flotilla is now based in Rosyth, "attached Woolwich". The roster is unchanged.[8]
| Attached to the Grand Fleet, in Rosyth | |||||
| Flotilla Leaders | |||||
| Botha | Seymour | Swift | |||
| "M" class Destroyers | |||||
| Mansfield | Melpomene | Milne | Miranda | Moorsom | Murray |
| Nugent | Phoebe | ||||
February, 1919
Mansfield, Melpomene, Milne, Moorsom, Murray and Nugent have gone to the Sixth Destroyer Flotilla and Phoebe has gone "temporarily" to home port in The Nore.
The young flotilla is down to three leaders and just one destroyer, "attached Woolwich".[9]
| Attached to the Grand Fleet, in Rosyth | |||||
| Flotilla Leaders | |||||
| Botha | Seymour | Swift | |||
| "M" class Destroyers | |||||
| Miranda | |||||
March, 1919
| Flotilla is Dis-established |
The formation has not survived the post-war restructuring of the Royal Navy.
Seymour has been given to the refashioned Fourth Destroyer Flotilla.
Botha has gone to The Nore, probably in Reserve, while Swift has been placed in Reserve at Portsmouth.
Miranda is at The Nore with a "miscellaneous" assignment.[10]
May, 1939
The Flotilla has been re-established some time between mid-1937 and May 1939 and is serving on the China Station with eight destroyers and a leader.[11]
| Serving on the China Station | |||
| Leader | |||
| Duncan | |||
| Depot Ship | |||
| Tamar | |||
| Destroyers | |||
| Decoy | Defender | Dainty | Diana |
| Delight | Duchess | Daring | Diamond |
Footnotes
- ↑ Kerr Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/53/137. f. 136.
- ↑ Kerr Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/53/137. f. 136.
- ↑ Back Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/56/78. f. ?.
- ↑ Back Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/56/78. f. ?.
- ↑ Back Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/56/78. f. ?.
- ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (December, 1918). p. 11.
- ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (November, 1918). p. 14.
- ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (January, 1919). p. 13.
- ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (February, 1919). pp. 13, 14, 19.
- ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (March, 1919). pp. 11, 17, 18.
- ↑ The Navy List. (May, 1939). p. 247.
Bibliography
- Dittmar, F.J.; Colledge, J.J. (1972). British Warships 1914–1919. London: Ian Allan.
See Also
| British Destroyer Flotillas | |||
| First | Second | Third | Fourth | Fifth | Sixth | Seventh | Eighth | Ninth | Tenth | |||
| Eleventh | Twelfth | Thirteenth | Fourteenth | Fifteenth | Sixteenth | Seventeenth | Eighteenth | Nineteenth | |||
| Twentieth | Twenty-first | |||
| Local Defence Flotillas | |||
| Clyde | Devonport | Devonport & Falmouth | Falmouth | Firth of Forth | Gibraltar | |||
| Liverpool | Mersey | Newhaven | Nore | North Channel | Milford & Pembroke | Pembroke | |||
| Portland | Portsmouth | Queenstown | |||
