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| − | ==History==
| + | #REDIRECT [[North America and West Indies Station]] |
| − | On 6 December, 1906, the [[First Lord of the Admiralty]], [[William Waldegrave Palmer, Second Earl of Selborne|the Earl of Selborne]], announced a redistribution of fleets affecting the whole Navy. The cruisers outside European waters were divided into groups: the Eastern; Cape of Good Hope; and the Western.
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| − | :The Western Group of cruisers will consist of the cruisers under the command of the [[North America and West Indies Station|Commander-in-chief of the North American and West Indian Station]] and the mobilized cruisers with which he will be reinforced in time of war. At present the cruisers under the command of the Commander-in-chief of the North American and West Indian Station consist of his flag-ship, a first-class protected cruiser, and certain second and third-class cruisers. The Board have decided to withdraw from the station the less effective of those ships and to add to it the ships of the new Particular Service Squadron which they have decided to constitute and of which the Commander-in-chief of this station will be given command.<ref>''Navy—Distribution and Mobilization of the Fleet'' (1905). Cd. 2335. p. 3.</ref>
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| − | The situation was clarified in a further command paper on fleet dispositions, dated 15 March, 1905:
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| − | <blockquote>The constitution of the Particular Service Squadron under the command of the Commander-in-Chief, North America and West Indies Station, composed of the Flag Ship on that Station, and the five sea-going training ships for cadets, youths, and boys. This forms the Fourth Cruiser Squadron.<ref>''Redistribution of the Fleet—Arrangements Consequent on the Redistribution of the Fleet'' (1905). Cd. 2430. p. 3.</ref></blockquote>
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| − | Further:
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| − | <blockquote>The Fourth Cruiser (Particular Service) Squadron which compromises the Flagship of the Vice-Admiral in command of the North America and West Indies Station, and the several seagoing training ships, will make three cruises annually in the West Indies and in Home and adjacent waters, returning home after each cruise at the dates fixed for changing the classes under training.<br><br>Under this arrangement it is estimated that the Fourth Cruiser Squadron will be cruising for 30 weeks, and will be at Home for 22 weeks.<br><br>The refit and docking of the ships, and the leave to officers and men, will take place in the course of the time spent in Home waters.<ref>''Redistribution of the Fleet—Arrangements Consequent on the Redistribution of the Fleet'' (1905). Cd. 2430. p. 5.</ref></blockquote>
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| − | From 8 February, 1907 to 8 February, 1909, Rear-Admiral [[Frederick Samuel Inglefield|Frederick S. Inglefield]] was in command of the squadron, flying his flag in {{UK-Euryalus}}.<ref>Inglefield Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/19}}. f. 473.</ref> By this time the command-in-chief status and the allusion to the North America and West Indies Station seems to have been abandoned.{{INF}} Inglefield was succeeded at Portsmouth by Rear-Admiral [[Arthur Murray Farquhar|Arthur M. Farquhar]] on 8 February, 1909.<ref name=Times09>"Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). ''The Times''. Friday, 5 February, 1909, 1914. Issue '''38875''', col B, p. 7.</ref> Rear-Admiral [[Edward Eden Bradford|Edward E. Bradford]] was appointed in command on 8 February, 1911, and struck his flag on 8 February, 1913.<ref>Bradford Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/38}}. f. 168.</ref> He was succeeded on the same day by Rear-Admiral [[Christopher George Francis Maurice Cradock|Sir Christopher G. F. M. Cradock]].<ref>Cradock Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/42}}. f. 89.</ref> On 1 May, 1912, the Fourth Cruiser Squadron was renamed the Training Squadron.<ref>M. 11735/12. 29 March, 1912. {{TNA|ADM 1/8271}}. f. 2 of Admiralty letter.</ref> With Cradock's appointment in 1913 the Fourth Cruiser Squadron ceased to be a training squadron and became part of the [[First Fleet (Royal Navy)|First Fleet]].<ref name=Times13>"Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). ''The Times''. Tuesday, 21 January, 1913. Issue '''40114''', col C, p. 10.</ref> It was intended that it should be able to join the Commander-in-Chief in Home waters for manœuvres, but it was in effect permanently detached to protect British interests in Mexico.{{UKNavalOpsI|pp. 11-13}}
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| − | ==Composition==
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| − | '''December, 1912'''<ref>Albert Francis Barclay Bridges papers at The Caird Library at the National Maritime Museum. [BRG 1/1]</ref>
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| − | *{{UK-Suffolk}}
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| − | *{{UK-Berwick}}
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| − | *{{UK-Donegal}}
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| − | '''December, 1913'''<ref>Albert Francis Barclay Bridges papers at The Caird Library at the National Maritime Museum. [BRG 1/1]</ref>
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| − | The West Atlantic squadron has gained a cruiser in net strength. {{UK-Donegal}} left for an assignment I've yet to discover. New arrival {{UK-Essex}}'s point of origin is likewise a mystery.
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| − | *{{UK-Suffolk}} [[File:RAdm.png|border|25px]]
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| − | *{{UK-Berwick}}
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| − | *{{UK-Essex}}
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| − | *{{UK-Lancaster}} (joined from {{UK-CS|5}})
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| − | *{{UK-Hermione}} (joined from {{UK-CS|11}})
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| − | '''July, 1914'''<ref>Printed page "Fleets and Squadrons in Commission at Home and Abroad" in Albert Francis Barclay Bridges papers at The Caird Library at the National Maritime Museum. [BRG 1/1]</ref>
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| − | <br>A light cruiser has replaced {{UK-Hermione}}.
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| − | *{{UK-Suffolk}}
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| − | *{{UK-Berwick}}
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| − | *{{UK-Essex}}
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| − | *{{UK-Lancaster}}
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| − | *{{UK-Bristol|f=t}}
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| − | '''5 August''', 1914{{DittColl|p. 16}}
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| − | Based in the West Atlantic, the formation was a cruiser squadron in name only, as it was comprised of:
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| − | *{{UK-Suffolk|f=t}}
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| − | *{{UK-Berwick|f=t}}
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| − | *{{UK-Bristol|f=t}}
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| − | *{{UK-Essex|f=t}}
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| − | *{{UK-Lancaster|f=t}}
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| − | *{{UK-Glory|f=t}}
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| − | *{{UK-Niobe|f=t}}
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| − | * an auxiliary merchant cruiser
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| − | ==Rear-Admirals Commanding==
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| − | Dates of appointment given:
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| − | *Rear-Admiral [[Frederick Samuel Inglefield|Frederick S. Inglefield]], 8 February, 1907.<ref>"Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). ''The Times''. Thursday, 10 January, 1907. Issue '''38226''', col D, p. 5.</ref>
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| − | *Rear-Admiral [[Arthur Murray Farquhar|Arthur M. Farquhar]], 8 February, 1909.<ref name=Times09/>
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| − | *Rear-Admiral [[Edward Eden Bradford|Edward E. Bradford]], 8 February, 1911.<ref>"Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). ''The Times''. Tuesday, 10 January, 1911. Issue '''39478''', col B, p. 4.</ref>
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| − | *Rear-Admiral [[Christopher George Francis Maurice Cradock|Sir Christopher G. F. M. Cradock]], 8 February, 1913.<ref name=Times13/>
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| − | ==Footnotes==
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| − | {{reflist}}
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| − | ==Bibliography==
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| − | {{refbegin}}
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| − | *{{UKNavalOpsI}}
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| − | {{refend}}
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| − | {{RNCruiserSquadrons|sort=4}}
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