Thirteenth Destroyer Flotilla (Royal Navy)

The Thirteenth Destroyer Flotilla was a formation of destroyers of the Royal Navy first created in April, 1916.

Captains (D)

• Captain J. U. Farie, in command at the Battle of Jutland.
• Captain Arthur Brandreth Scott Dutton, November, 1917.^[Inference]
• Captain Hugh Justin Tweedie, ?.^{[Fact Check]}

History

April, 1916

The flotilla appears for the first time in the Supplement to the Monthly Navy List, attached to the Grand Fleet. The flotilla would started with nine newly constructed "M" class destroyers and a depot ship shared another flotilla.

Attached to the Grand Fleet
Depot Ship, shared w/ First Destroyer Flotilla
Woolwich
"M" class Destroyers
Moresby	Nepean	Nerissa	Nestor	Nicator	Nomad
Obdurate		Onslow		Pelican

May, 1916

The flotilla gains Champion as a flotilla cruiser, and destroyers Narborough, Nereus, Ophelia and Partridge. Strength is now a cruiser, thirteen destroyers and a shared depot ship.

Attached to the Grand Fleet
Flotilla Cruiser
Champion
Depot Ship, shared w/ First Destroyer Flotilla
Woolwich
"M" class Destroyers
Moresby	Narborough	Nepean	Nereus	Nerissa	Nestor
Nicator	Nomad	Obdurate	Onslow	Ophelia	Partridge
Pelican

Battle of Jutland

Main article: Thirteenth D.F. (Royal Navy) at the Battle of Jutland

Ten destroyers of the Thirteenth under the lead of the light cruiser Champion screened the First Battle Cruiser Squadron during the battle, bolstered by two destroyers temporarily detached from the Tenth Destroyer Flotilla. Eight of these vessels delivered a torpedo attack against the enemy battle cruisers at about 4.15pm, after gun and torpedo battle with enemy destroyers who were similarly tasked.

They were organised as follows:

• light cruiser Champion, flagship, Captain (D) James U. Farie
  • Nestor (lost), Commander E. B. S. Bingham
  • Nomad (lost), Lieutenant-Commander Paul Whitfield
  • Narborough, Lieutenant-Commander Geoffrey Corlett
  • Obdurate, Lieutenant-Commander Cecil H. H. Sams
  • Petard, Lieutenant-Commander Evelyn C. O. Thomson
  • Pelican, Lieutenant-Commander Kenneth A. Beattie
  • Nerissa, Lieutenant-Commander Montague G. B. Legge
  • Onslow, Lieutenant-Commander John C. Tovey
  • Moresby, Lieutenant-Commander Roger V. Alison
  • Nicator, Lieutenant Jack E. A. Mocatta
  • Termagant, Lieutenant-Commander Cuthbert P. Blake (temporarily attached)
  • Turbulent, Lieutenant-Commander Dudley Stuart (lost. temporarily attached)

At the same time, Nepean remained in harbour and Paladin, Negro, Nereus, Penn and Penn were in dockyard hands.

June, 1916

Nestor and Nomad have been removed, owing to their loss at Jutland. Ophelia has left to join the Fourteenth Destroyer Flotilla and Partridge has disappeared, to appear in the Fourteenth in July.

Gabriel joins as a flotilla leader, as well as new destroyers Negro, Paladin, Penn, Petard and Pigeon.

Strength is now a shared cruiser, a flotilla leader, fourteen destroyers and a shared depot ship.

Attached to the Grand Fleet
Flotilla Cruiser, shared w/ First Destroyer Flotilla
Champion
Flotilla Leader
Gabriel
Depot Ship, shared w/ First Destroyer Flotilla
Woolwich
"M" class Destroyers
Moresby	Narborough	Negro	Nepean	Nereus	Nerissa
Nicator	Obdurate	Onslow	Paladin	Pelican	Penn
Petard			Pigeon

This roster would apply until August, 1916.

August, 1916

New destroyers Medway, Oracle, Pasley and Patrician have joined.

Strength is now a shared cruiser, a flotilla leader, eighteen destroyers and a shared depot ship.

Attached to the Grand Fleet
Flotilla Cruiser, shared w/ First Destroyer Flotilla
Champion
Flotilla Leader
Gabriel
Depot Ship, shared w/ First Destroyer Flotilla
Woolwich
"M" class Destroyers
Medway	Moresby	Narborough	Negro	Nepean	Nereus
Nerissa	Nicator	Obdurate	Onslow	Oracle	Paladin
Pasley	Patrician	Pelican	Penn	Petard	Pigeon

This roster would apply until October.

October, 1916

New destroyers Rival and Orpheus have joined. Partridge has gone to the Fourteenth Destroyer Flotilla.

Strength is now a shared cruiser, a flotilla leader, twenty destroyers and a shared depot ship.

Attached to the Grand Fleet
Flotilla Cruiser, shared w/ First Destroyer Flotilla
Champion
Flotilla Leader
Gabriel
Depot Ship, shared w/ First Destroyer Flotilla
Woolwich
"M" class Destroyers
Medway	Moresby	Narborough	Negro	Nepean	Nereus
Nerissa	Nicator	Obdurate	Onslow	Oracle	Orpheus
Paladin	Pasley	Patrician	Pelican	Penn	Petard
Pigeon			Rival

November, 1916

The new flotilla leader Hoste has joined. It appears that Champion and Woolwich are no longer helping out the First Destroyer Flotilla.

The new destroyers Norseman Oriana and Oriole have joined.

Strength is now a cruiser, two flotilla leaders, twenty-three destroyers and a depot ship.

December, 1916

The new destroyers Octavia, Rosalind, Osiris, Oberon and Pylades have joined. Partridge has departed, to appear in the Fourteenth Destroyer Flotilla in January.

Strength is now a cruiser, two flotilla leaders, twenty-eight destroyers and a depot ship.

Attached to the Grand Fleet
Flotilla Cruiser
Champion
Flotilla Leader
Gabriel			Hoste
Depot Ship
Woolwich
"M" class Destroyers
Medway	Moresby	Narborough	Negro	Nepean	Nereus
Nerissa	Nicator	Norseman	Obdurate	Oberon	Octavia
Onslow	Oracle	Oriana	Oriole	Orpheus	Osiris
Paladin	Pasley	Patrician	Pelican	Penn|align=center|Petard
Pigeon		Pylades		Rival
"R" class Destroyers
Rosalind

January, 1917

Hoste and Negro have been dropped, having collided together on 21 December. Rosalind has left to join the Fifteenth Destroyer Flotilla.

Strength is now a cruiser, a flotilla leader, twenty-six destroyers and a depot ship.

This roster applied until April.

April, 1917

Oriole has left to join the Fourth Destroyer Flotilla in Devonport.

Flotilla strength is a cruiser, a flotilla leader, twenty-five destroyers and a depot ship.

[TO BE CONTINUED - TONE]

July, 1918

The Flotilla is one of six attached to the Grand Fleet under overall command of Commodore (F) in Castor. The flotilla is tender to depot ship Columbine.

• light cruiser Champion, Captain (D)
• flotilla leader Valentine
• flotilla leader Valkyrie
  • Osiris
  • Paladin
  • Patrician
  • Tower
  • Tristram
  • Ulster
  • Umpire
  • Urchin
  • Ursa
  • Ursula
  • Vectis
  • Vega
  • Vendetta
  • Venetia
  • Verdun
  • Verulam
  • Vesper
  • Viceroy
  • Vidette
  • Vimiera
  • Violent
  • Wakeful
  • Wessex
  • Westcott
  • Westminster
  • Winchelsea
  • Wolfhound
  • Woolston

1 August, 1918

While operating with the Battle Cruiser Force, the flotilla was comprised as follows.

• light cruiser Champion, flagship
• flotilla leader Valentine, half-flotilla leader
• flotilla leader Valkyrie, half-flotilla leader
• 1st Division
  • Vimiera
  • Vega
  • Vectis
  • Violent
• 2nd Division
  • Vendetta
  • Verulam
  • Wakeful
  • Westminster
• 4th Division
  • Verdun
  • Viceroy
  • Vesper
  • Venetia
• 5th Division
  • Wolfhound
  • Ursa
  • Ursula
  • Urchin
• 6th Division
  • Umpire
  • Ulster
  • Tower
  • Tristram
• 7th Division
  • Vidette
  • Winchelsea
  • Westcott
• Spares
  • Windsor
  • Whitley
  • Woolston
  • Walpole
  • Paladin
  • Patrician
  • Osiris

Drill and Practice

In 1916, sixty-six test runs of the flotilla's 21-in Mark II torpedos in the first half of that year proved 77% probable to endanger the enemy.

Bibliography

• Dittmar, F.J.; Colledge, J.J. (1972). British Warships 1914–1919. London: Ian Allan.