Twenty-first Fleet Sweeping Flotilla (Royal Navy)
The Twenty-first Fleet Sweeping Flotilla was a formation of fleet minesweepers of the Royal Navy that operated out of Kirkwall late in the war. It was sometimes referred to as the Kirkwall Fleet Sweeping Flotilla.
History
The formation was created some time between August and November, 1918.[1]
November, 1918 – X
The formation is based at Kirkwall. Nailsea is marked as to join "shortly", but would be certainly on hand in December.[2]
| Operating from Kirkwall | |
| Minesweepers | |
| Nailsea* | Yeovil |
December, 1918
The formation is based at Kirkwall, but is temporarily detached to Oban. Dorking and Mallaig are marked as to join "shortly", and would be on hand in January.[3]
| Operating from Kirkwall | |||
| Minesweepers | |||
| Dorking* | Nailsea | Yeovil | Mallaig* |
January, 1919
The formation is based in Kirkwall, but is temporarily detached to Oban. The expected arrivals are now on duty.[4]
| Operating from Kirkwall | ||||
| Minesweepers | ||||
| Dorking | Nailsea | Mallaig | Tralee | Yeovil |
February, 1919 – March, 1919
The formation is based in the Clyde, rather than Kirkwall/Oban, but this may be a matter of a new printing format.[5]
| Operating from the Clyde | ||||
| Minesweepers | ||||
| Dorking | Nailsea | Mallaig | Tralee | Yeovil |
April, 1919
The formation is based in the Clyde. Dorking is gone, and Yeovil bears the Senior Officer.[6]
| Operating from the Clyde | |||
| Minesweepers | |||
| Nailsea | Mallaig | Tralee | Yeovil(S.O.) |
May, 1919
The formation is now enlarged to eight sweepers and is based in Norway, supported by the depot ship Tyne. Dorking has returned, and none are designated as bearing the Senior Officer.[7]
| Operating from Norway | |||
| Minesweepers | |||
| Croome | Dorking | Garth | Gretna |
| Mallaig | Nailsea | Tralee | Yeovil |
June, 1919 – onward
From June, 1919 onward, the organization of Britain's minesweepers becomes indistinct, as they are simply listed together as "Vessels Employed on Mine Clearance Service" in the Navy List. There is allegedly a separate Mine Clearance Service Weekly Return for closer detail, but we do not have any of those.[8]
Senior Officers
- Lieutenant-Commander George N. Gilbertson, 23 October, 1918[9] – 2 December, 1919[10]
Footnotes
- ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (November, 1918). p. 17 is first appearance. Absent in August's edition, and Sep and Oct were not available to us.
- ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (November, 1918). p. 17 and December.
- ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (December, 1918). p. 17 and January.
- ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (January, 1919). p. 17.
- ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (February, 1919). p. 17 and Supplements through April.
- ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (April, 1919). p. 17 and Supplements through X.
- ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (May, 1919). p. 15.
- ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (June, 1919). p. 15.
- ↑ Gilbertson Service Record The National Archives. ADM 196/51/46. f. 51.
- ↑ Gilbertson Service Record The National Archives. ADM 196/51/46. f. 51.
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 |
