Third Fleet Sweeping Flotilla (Royal Navy)
The Third 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.
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 – March, 1917
The flotilla is created of twelve paddle minesweepers. Despite the dangers one would assume the force would encounter, it operated without loss for months.[1]
| Attached to the Grand Fleet | |||||
| Ascot | Eridge | Melton | Haldon | Chepstow | Croxton |
| Plumpton | Kempton | Lingfield | Atherstone | Epsom | Hurst |
March, 1917 – June, 1917
Eridge, Haldon, Epsom and Hurst have been dropped from the roster and sent to work under the Vice-Admiral, Coast of Ireland Station.[2]
| Attached to the Grand Fleet | |||
| Ascot | Melton | Chepstow | Croxton |
| Plumpton | Kempton | Lingfield | Atherstone |
June, 1917 – August, 1917
Kempton was mined on 24 June off Dover and Plumpton has been dropped from the roster and sent to work under the Vice-Admiral, Coast of Ireland Station.[3]
| Attached to the Grand Fleet | |||||
| Ascot | Melton | Chepstow | Croxton | Lingfield | Atherstone |
August, 1917 – September, 1917
The flotilla has been completely re-invented at some point in August, with all the paddle sweepers departed: Melton and Lingfield to the Downs Boarding Flotilla and the others to join the Third Submarine Flotilla on the East Coast of England. They have been replaced by eight fresh players.[4]
| Attached to the Grand Fleet | ||||||
| Senior Officer | ||||||
| Holderness | ||||||
| Muskerry | Cotswold | Oakley | Dartmoor | Hambledon | Belvoir | Blackmorevale |
August, 1917 – X
Tedworth, Pytchley, Heythrop and Croome have joined from the Second Fleet Sweeping Flotilla, increasing the Third's strength to twelve.[5]
| Attached to the Grand Fleet | |||||
| Senior Officer | |||||
| Holderness | |||||
| Sweeping Sloops | |||||
| Muskerry | Cotswold | Oakley | Tedworth | Pytchley | Dartmoor |
| Hambledon | Belvoir | Blackmorevale | Heythrop | Croome | |
October, 1917 – April, 1918
Garth has swapped places with Croome in the Second Fleet Sweeping Flotilla, maintaining the strength at twelve. Muskerry would pay off in February, and Blackmorevale and Hambledon in March.[6]
| Attached to the Grand Fleet | |||||
| Senior Officer | |||||
| Holderness | |||||
| Sweeping Sloops | |||||
| Belvoir | Blackmorevale* | Cotswold | Dartmoor | Hambledon* | Heythrop |
| Muskerry* | Oakley | Garth | Pytchley | Tedworth | |
April, 1918 – X
No change in the roster, but Cotswold paid off some time in April as Blackmorevale and Hambledonleft their paid off condition. Muskerry remains paid off.[7]
| Attached to the Grand Fleet | |||||
| Senior Officer | |||||
| Holderness | |||||
| Sweeping Sloops | |||||
| Belvoir | Blackmorevale | Cotswold* | Dartmoor | Hambledon | Heythrop |
| Muskerry* | Oakley | Garth | Pytchley | Tedworth | |
Senior Officers
- Acting Captain Hugh Seymour, 15 February, 1917[8] – 19 November, 1919[9]
- Commander Charles C. Bell, 18 February, 1919 – 20 January, 1920
Footnotes
- ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (July, 1916). p. 12 and Supplements through March, 1917.
- ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (April, 1917). pp. 12, 14 and Supplements through July.
- ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (July, 1917). p. 12 and Supplements through September.
- ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (September, 1917). pp. 12, 15, 16 and September's Supplement.
- ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (October, 1917). p. 12 and Supplements through X.
- ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (November, 1917). p. 12 and Supplements through May, 1918.
- ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (May, 1918). p. 12 and Supplements through X.
- ↑ Seymour Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/45/56. f. 56.
- ↑ Seymour Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/45/56. f. 56.
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 |
