Reserve Fleet (United Kingdom)

Last updated

Reserve Fleet
Reserve Fleet.jpg
Ships of the Royal Navy reserve fleet in Penarth Docks (1954)
Active1919–1960
CountryFlag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
BranchNaval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg  Royal Navy
Type Fleet
Garrison/HQ Portsmouth

The Reserve Fleet was a Royal Navy formation of decommissioned vessels which could be brought to a state of readiness at time of war.

Contents

In the early years of the 18th century ships were "laid up in ordinary" at various British naval bases forming a repository for serviceable but decommissioned ships. [1] Sir John Fisher's reforms made these reserve ships more ready for combat, in the lead up to the First World War. [2]

Whilst warships had been laid up in ordinary routinely, the establishment of a Reserve Fleet as a separate, formally established naval formation dated to the change in title and appointment of Vice Admiral Henry Oliver in November 1919. With the breakup of the Grand Fleet in April 1919, Royal Navy forces in home waters was divided between a new Atlantic Fleet consisting of the most powerful naval units, and a Home Fleet consisting of ships with nucleus crews and other vessels. [3] On 8 April Admiral Sir Charles E. Madden became Commander-in-Chief, Home and Atlantic Fleets, and Vice-Admiral Sir Henry F. Oliver was appointed in command of the Home Fleet. The Home Fleet then consisted of the 3rd Battle Squadron of six ships, and the Fourth and Fifth Destroyer Flotillas totaling 35 destroyers and destroyer leaders. This arrangement lasted until 1 October 1919, when the Fleet was reduced to a reserve basis, and "Home Fleet" was dropped from the Commander-in-Chief's title. On 1 November Vice-Admiral Oliver's title was changed to Vice-Admiral Commanding, Reserve Fleet. [4]

It continued to exist in the inter-war years but in 1930 the Admiralty reduced it in size on the basis that war was unlikely in the next ten years, under the Government's Ten Year Rule. [5] At the start of the Second World War the Reserve Fleet, under the command of Vice Admiral Sir Max Horton, [6] was again brought to a state of readiness. [7] Some 15,000 men were called up in May 1939 to man the Reserve Fleet which became ready for service on 15 June 1939. [8] During the 1950s ships were regularly 'cocooned' for the Reserve Fleet [9] and it ceased to exist in 1960. [10]

Commanding admirals

Admirals commanding included: [11]

command then disbanded until 1944

Flag Officers commanding

Included: [12]

Reserve divisions

Subordinate officers included: [13] [14]

Portsmouth Division

Rear Admiral Commanding Portsmouth Reserve

Devonport Division

Rear Admiral Commanding Devonport Reserve

Captain Commanding

Nore Division

Rear Admiral Commanding Nore Reserve

Captain Commanding Nore Reserve

Rosyth Division

Vice-Admiral/Rear Admiral Commanding Rosyth Reserve

Portland Division

Rear Admiral Commanding Portland Reserve

Vice-Admiral Reserve Fleet destroyers

Vice-Admiral Commanding

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naval Intelligence Division (United Kingdom)</span> Intelligence agency

The Naval Intelligence Division (NID) was created as a component part of the Admiralty War Staff in 1912. It was the intelligence arm of the British Admiralty before the establishment of a unified Defence Intelligence Staff in 1964. It dealt with matters concerning British naval plans, with the collection of naval intelligence. It was also known as "Room 39", after its room number at the Admiralty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Second Sea Lord</span> British Royal Navy senior admiral

The Second Sea Lord and Deputy Chief of Naval Staff is deputy to the First Sea Lord and the second highest-ranking officer currently to serve in the Royal Navy and is responsible for personnel and naval shore establishments. Originally titled Second Naval Lord in 1830, the post was restyled Second Sea Lord in 1904. They are based at Navy Command, Headquarters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Controller of the Navy (Royal Navy)</span> British naval officer

The post of Controller of the Navy was originally created in 1859 when the Surveyor of the Navy's title changed to Controller of the Navy. In 1869 the controller's office was abolished and its duties were assumed by that of the Third Naval Lord whose title then changed to Third Naval Lord and Controller of the Navy. In 1904 the title was changed again to Third Sea Lord and Controller of the Navy. In 1965 the office of the Third Sea Lord was abolished. The post-holder is responsible for procurement and matériel in the British Royal Navy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Home Fleet</span> Former naval fleet of the Royal Navy

The Home Fleet was a fleet of the Royal Navy that operated from the United Kingdom's territorial waters from 1902 with intervals until 1967. In 1967, it was merged with the Mediterranean Fleet creating the new Western Fleet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fourth Sea Lord</span> Senior British naval officer in charge of logistics

The Fourth Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Supplies, originally known as the Fourth Naval Lord, was formerly one of the Naval Lords and members of the Board of Admiralty, which controlled the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom. The post is currently known as Chief of Materiel (Fleet). As of 2017, it is also known as Chief of Fleet Support, Chief of Materiel (Ships), then as of 2020, Director General Ships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Commander-in-Chief, The Nore</span> Military unit

The Commander-in-Chief, The Nore, was an operational commander of the Royal Navy. His subordinate units, establishments, and staff were sometimes informally known as the Nore Station or Nore Command. The Nore is a sandbank at the mouth of the Thames Estuary and River Medway. In due course the Commander-in-Chief became responsible for sub-commands at Chatham, London, Sheerness, Harwich and the Humber.

The 1st Battle Squadron was a naval squadron of the British Royal Navy consisting of battleships. The 1st Battle Squadron was initially part of the Royal Navy's Grand Fleet. After World War I the Grand Fleet was reverted to its original name, the Atlantic Fleet. The squadron changed composition often as ships were damaged, retired or transferred.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2nd Battle Squadron</span> Battleship formation of the Royal Navy

The 2nd Battle Squadron was a naval squadron of the British Royal Navy consisting of battleships. The 2nd Battle Squadron was initially part of the Royal Navy's Grand Fleet. After World War I the Grand Fleet was reverted to its original name, the Atlantic Fleet. The squadron changed composition often as ships were damaged, retired or transferred.

The 3rd Battle Squadron was a naval squadron of the British Royal Navy consisting of battleships and other vessels, active from at least 1914 to 1945. The 3rd Battle Squadron was initially part of the Royal Navy's Home Fleet. During the First World War, the Home Fleet was renamed the Grand Fleet. During the Second World War, the squadron covered Atlantic convoys.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">4th Battle Squadron</span> Military unit

The 4th Battle Squadron was a squadron of the British Royal Navy consisting of battleships. The 4th Battle Squadron was initially part of the Royal Navy's Home Fleet (1912–14) and then the Grand Fleet after the outbreak of the First World War. The squadron changed composition often as ships were damaged, retired or transferred.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Commander-in-Chief, Africa (Royal Navy)</span> Military unit

The Commander-in-Chief, Africa was the last title of a Royal Navy's formation commander located in South Africa from 1795 to 1939. Under varying titles, it was one of the longest-lived formations of the Royal Navy. It was also often known as the Cape of Good Hope Station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Kelly (Royal Navy officer)</span> Royal Navy Admiral of the Fleet (1871-1936)

Admiral of the Fleet Sir John Donald Kelly was a Royal Navy officer. He served in the First World War as commanding officer of the cruiser HMS Dublin which came close to intercepting the German battlecruiser SMS Goeben. After the War he took charge of a naval force dispatched to strengthen the Mediterranean Fleet during the Chanak Crisis. After serving as Fourth Sea Lord and then commander of the 1st Battle Squadron, Kelly, known for his skill in personnel matters, was asked to take command of the Atlantic Fleet in the aftermath of the Invergordon Mutiny. He rapidly restored discipline and issued a report which was quite critical of the Admiralty Board's handling of the pay cuts issue in the first place. He went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Pizey</span> Royal Navy Admiral (1899–1993)

Admiral Sir Charles Thomas Mark Pizey was a Royal Navy officer who served as the last Commander-in-Chief and first Chief of Naval Staff of the Indian Navy from 1951 to 1955.

Admiral Sir Geoffrey John Audley Miles, KCB, KCSI was a senior Royal Navy admiral who served as Deputy Naval Commander, South East Asia Command under Lord Mountbatten during the Second World War, as the Senior British Representative on the Tripartite Naval Commission and as the last Commander-in-Chief, Indian Navy of the unified Royal Indian Navy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Naval College, Greenwich</span> Royal Navy training establishment

The Royal Naval College, Greenwich, was a Royal Navy training establishment between 1873 and 1998, providing courses for naval officers. It was the home of the Royal Navy's staff college, which provided advanced training for officers. The equivalent in the British Army was the Staff College, Camberley, and the equivalent in the Royal Air Force was the RAF Staff College, Bracknell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operations Division (Royal Navy)</span>

The Operations Division was a former directorate of the Admiralty Naval Staff responsible for the creation and implementation of long-term policy in regards to the composition of all Royal Navy fleets, squadrons and commands and including operational planning and monitoring from 1912 to 1961.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Department of the Director of Naval Equipment</span>

The Department of the Director of Naval Equipment also known as the Directorate of Naval Equipment was the former British Admiralty department responsible for managing the progress of all naval construction at royal naval dockyards, and annually planning programmes of works for additions, alterations, repairs and modernisation established in 1912 until 1960 when it was replaced by the Naval Equipment Division of the Ship Department.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Admiral Commanding, Reserves</span> Senior Royal Navy post

The Admiral Commanding, Reserves, was a senior Royal Navy post that existed from 1875 to 1976.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Naval Barracks, Chatham</span> Military unit

The Royal Naval Barracks, Chatham, also known as HMSPembroke, was a UK naval barracks that was built between the Victorian Steam Yard and Brompton Barracks from 1897 to 1902. It was built on the site of a prison built in 1853 to house over 1,000 convicts, with the intention that they would be used to build the Dockyard extension.

References

  1. Pinnock, William (2012). The Guide to Knowledge, Volume 1. Rare Books Club. p. 420. ISBN   978-1153734462.
  2. "Admiral of the Fleet Sir John Fisher, 1st Baron Fisher of Kilverstone 1841–1920". National Archives. Archived from the original on 20 November 2008. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
  3. Harley, Simon. "Home Fleet (Royal Navy)". The Dreadnought Project (Grateful Acknowledgement Given, CC BY-NC-ND 2.5, Some Rights Reserved). Retrieved 31 March 2022.
  4. Heathcote 2002, p. 203
  5. Moretz, p. 82
  6. "Reserve Fleet". Orbat. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
  7. "Britain's Reserve Fleet 1939". British Pathe. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
  8. "Maritime War-The British Shore Organisation". The War at Sea. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
  9. "Reserve Fleet 1950". British Pathe. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
  10. "Royal Navy Maintenance and Supply Ships". Royal Navy Ships. Retrieved 23 September 2012.
  11. Senior Royal Navy Appointments Archived 15 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  12. "Naval Commands and Flag Officers". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) . Hansard, vol 421 cc1897-9. 10 April 1946. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  13. Harley, Simon; Lovell, Tony. "Reserve Fleet (Royal Navy)". dreadnoughtproject.org. The Dreadnought Project.Org, 5 September 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  14. Mackie, Colin. "Royal Navy Senior Appointments from 1865" (PDF). gulabin.com. Colin Mackie, pp.143-144, December 2017. Retrieved 29 December 2017.

Sources