Ninth Destroyer Flotilla (Royal Navy)
The Ninth Destroyer Flotilla was a formation of destroyers of the Royal Navy.
History
July 1914 Test Mobilisation
The Ninth was deemed a "Patrol Flotilla" and served as part of the Nore Command with the Eighth flotilla, based out of Chatham.[1] Operating with depot ship St. George, the flotilla was to mobilise with:[2]
| Scout Cruiser | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Patrol | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| River Class | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Eden | Ettrick | Foyle | Itchen | Kale | Liffey | Moy | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nith | Ouse | Rother | Stour | Test | Teviot | Waveney | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Additional Rivers to join Late | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Arun | Boyne | Cherwell | Dee | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Erne | Exe | Swale | Ure | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
September, 1914
The flotilla is one of four patrol flotillas in Home and Atlantic Waters. The strength is two flotilla cruisers (Forward is detached), thirteen destroyers, and four torpedo boats.[3]
| A Patrol Flotilla in Home and Atlantic Waters | |||||
| Flotilla Cruisers | |||||
| Forward* | Patrol | ||||
| Depot Ship | |||||
| St. George | |||||
| Destroyers | |||||
| Derwent | Doon | Eden | Ettrick | Itchen | Kale |
| Ness | Nith | Ouse | Rother | Stour | Test |
| Waveney | |||||
| First-class T.B.s | |||||
| T.B. 4 | T.B. 13 | T.B. 22 | T.B. 24 | ||
October, 1914
Forward has departed to join the Seventh Destroyer Flotilla. The strength is one cruiser, thirteen destroyers, and four torpedo boats.[4]
| A Patrol Flotilla in Home and Atlantic Waters | |||||
| Flotilla Cruiser | |||||
| Patrol | |||||
| Depot Ship | |||||
| St. George | |||||
| Destroyers | |||||
| Derwent | Doon | Eden | Ettrick | Itchen | Kale |
| Ness | Nith | Ouse | Rother | Stour | Test |
| Waveney | |||||
| First-class T.B.s | |||||
| T.B. 4 | T.B. 13 | T.B. 22 | T.B. 24 | ||
This arrangement would last until November or December.[5]
December, 1914
The four torpedo boats have all gone over to the Seventh Destroyer Flotilla. St. George has gone with them, but the destroyers of the Ninth are still tenders to her. Moy has joined. The strength is one cruiser and fourteen destroyers.[6]
| A Patrol Flotilla in Home and Atlantic Waters | |||||
| Flotilla Cruiser | |||||
| Patrol | |||||
| Destroyers | |||||
| Derwent | Doon | Eden | Ettrick | Itchen | Kale |
| Moy | Ness | Nith | Ouse | Rother | Stour |
| Test | Waveney | ||||
January, 1915
The four torpedo boats have returned from the Seventh Destroyer Flotilla. The strength is one cruiser, fourteen destroyers and four torpedo boats.[7]
| A Patrol Flotilla in Home and Atlantic Waters | |||||
| Flotilla Cruiser | |||||
| Patrol | |||||
| Destroyers | |||||
| Derwent | Doon | Eden | Ettrick | Itchen | Kale |
| Moy | Ness | Nith | Ouse | Rother | Stour |
| Test | Waveney | ||||
| First-class T.B.s | |||||
| T.B. 4 | T.B. 13 | T.B. 22 | T.B. 24 | ||
This arrangement would last until February or March.[8]
March, 1915
The four torpedo boats have again disappeared, T.B. 4, T.B. 13 and T.B. 24 to the Sixth Destroyer Flotilla and T.B. 22 to the Portsmouth Defence Flotilla. St. George has rejoined, though she is being shared with the Seventh Destroyer Flotilla. The strength is one cruiser and fourteen destroyers.[9]
| A Patrol Flotilla in Home and Atlantic Waters | |||||
| Flotilla Cruiser | |||||
| Patrol | |||||
| Depot Ship (shared w/ D.F. 7) | |||||
| St. George | |||||
| Destroyers | |||||
| Derwent | Doon | Eden | Ettrick | Itchen | Kale |
| Moy | Ness | Nith | Ouse | Rother | Stour |
| Test | Waveney | ||||
April, 1915
Forward has returned from the Seventh Destroyer Flotilla. Derwent and Eden have left to join the Seventh Destroyer Flotilla. Ettrick has gone to the Portsmouth Defence Flotilla and Rother has gone, and would join Ettrick in Portsmouth in May. The Ninth's strength is now two cruisers and ten destroyers.[10]
| A Patrol Flotilla in Home and Atlantic Waters | |||||
| Flotilla Cruisers | |||||
| Patrol | Forward | ||||
| Depot Ship (shared w/ D.F. 7) | |||||
| St. George | |||||
| Destroyers | |||||
| Doon | Itchen | Kale | Moy | Ness | Nith |
| Ouse | Stour | Test | Waveney | ||
This arrangement would apply until June.[11]
June, 1915
Forward has departed to join the Sixth Light Cruiser Squadron. The Ninth's strength is now one cruisers and ten destroyers.[12]
| A Patrol Flotilla in Home and Atlantic Waters | |||||
| Flotilla Cruiser | |||||
| Patrol | |||||
| Depot Ship (shared w/ D.F. 7) | |||||
| St. George | |||||
| Destroyers | |||||
| Doon | Itchen | Kale | Moy | Ness | Nith |
| Ouse | Stour | Test | Waveney | ||
This arrangement would apply until September.[13]
September, 1915
The Ninth is dissolved, all the ships except Waveney have been transferred immediately to the Seventh Destroyer Flotilla, but she, too, would appear there in the coming month.
The designation of Ninth Flotilla is soon to be re-used.[14]
| Flotilla is Disestablished Ships merging into Seventh Destroyer Flotilla, Flotilla name to be given to former Third Destroyer Flotilla in October |
October, 1915
The flotilla formerly known as the Third Destroyer Flotilla was renamed the Ninth Flotilla some time in September, and was listed as the Ninth in the Navy List. The changes discussed here are, then, relative to the roster of 3DF in June, 1915.
Part of the Harwich Striking Force, under the command of Commodore (T) in light cruiser Arethusa. Tipperary has been replaced as second-in-command, eventually to go to the Second Destroyer Flotilla. She has been replaced by flotilla leader Lightfoot, which probably just entered service. Laforey, Lawford, Louis and Lydiard have been sent over to the Fifth Destroyer Flotilla, and the newly-completed Lassoo has been added.[15]
| Part of the Harwich Force | |||||
| Flotilla Cruiser | |||||
| Undaunted | |||||
| Flotilla Leader (2nd in command) | |||||
| Lightfoot | |||||
| Deport Ship | |||||
| Dido | |||||
| Destroyers | |||||
| Laertes | Lance | Landrail | Lark | Lassoo | Laurel |
| Laverock | Legion | Lennox | Leonidas | Liberty | Linnet |
| Llewellyn | Lookout | Loyal | Lucifer | Lysander | |
This roster and tasking would last until December, 1915.[16]
December, 1915
Part of the Harwich Striking Force, with the depot ship Dido and under the command of Commodore (T) in light cruiser Arethusa. The newly-completed Lochinvar has been added.[17]
| light cruiser Undaunted | flotilla leader Lightfoot, 2nd in command | |||
| Laertes | Lance | Landrail | Lark | Lassoo |
| Laurel | Laverock | Legion | Lennox | Leonidas |
| Liberty | Linnet | Llewellyn | Lochinvar | Lookout |
| Loyal | Lucifer | Lysander | ||
This roster and tasking would last until April, 1916.[18][19][20]
[TO BE CONTINUED - TONE]
In 1916, it was comprised of Laforey class destroyers, whose torpedoes proved only 64% likely to be dangerous to the enemy in limited test runs of that year.[21]
Battle of Jutland
Four destroyers from the flotilla were at the Battle of Jutland:[22]
- Lydiard, Commander Malcolm L. Goldsmith
- Liberty, Lieutenant-Commander Philip W. S. King
- Landrail Lieutenant-Commander Francis E. H. G. Hobart
- Laurel, Lieutenant Henry D. C. Stanistreet
Captains (D)
Dates of appointment given:
- Captain Alan C. Bruce, 27 January, 1914.[23]
- Captain Sidney Robert Bailey,
- Captain Edward George Lowther-Crofton,
Footnotes
- ↑ March. British Destroyers. p. 164.
- ↑ Admiralty Weekly Order No. 109 of 10 July, 1914.
- ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (September 1914). p. 12.
- ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (October, 1914). p. 12.
- ↑ There was no Monthly Supplement to the Navy List printed for November, 1914.
- ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (December, 1914). p. 12.
- ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (January, 1915). p. 12.
- ↑ No Monthly Supplement to the Navy List was consulted for February, 1915.
- ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (March, 1915). pp. 15, 16.
- ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (April, 1915). pp. 15, 16.
- ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (May, 1915). p. 15, and Supplements through June, 1915.
- ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (June, 1915). p. 16.
- ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (July, 1915). p. 15, and Supplements through September.
- ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (September, 1915). p. 16.
- ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (October, 1915). pp. 13, 20.
- ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (November, 1915). p. 13.
- ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (December, 1915). p. 13.
- ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (January, 1916). p. 13.
- ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (March, 1916). p. 13.
- ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (March, 1916). p. 13.
- ↑ Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1916. p. 87.
- ↑ Battle of Jutland Official Despatches. p. 47.
- ↑ "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Wednesday, 21 January, 1914. Issue 40426, col G, p. 10.
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).
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 | |||
