Tenth Cruiser Squadron (Royal Navy)
The Tenth Cruiser Squadron was also known as Cruiser Force B from 1914.
Napier hauled down his flag at Sheerness on 26 July, 1914.[1]
During the course of its service the squadron intercepted 12,979 ships at sea while 2,039 ships reported to a port of examination. 642 evaded the blockade. The losses incurred were nine armed merchant cruisers sunk at the cost of 1,165 officers and men.[2]
In Command
Dates of appointment given:
- Captain Edmund R. Pears, 15 July, 1913[3] (Commodore, Second Class, for manœuvres)
- Rear-Admiral Sir Dudley R. S. de Chair, 1 August, 1914[4] – 4 December, 1914[5] (as Rear-Admiral Commanding, Cruiser Force B)
- Rear-Admiral Sir Dudley R. S. de Chair, 4 December, 1914[6] – 6 March, 1916[7] (as Rear-Admiral Commanding, Tenth Cruiser Squadron)
- Vice-Admiral Sir Reginald G. O. Tupper, 6 March, 1916[8]
Second in Command
The officers who were second in command were generally given direct control of the Second Division.
- Captain Robert E. R. Benson, 11 November, 1914[9] (appointed Commodore, Second Class in 1915)
- Captain John S. Luard, April, 1916[10] (as Commodore, Second Class)
- Rear-Admiral Morgan Singer, 2 April, 1917[11]
Third in Command
The officers who were third in command were generally given direct control of the Third Division.
- Captain Edward L. Booty, 12 November, 1914[12] (appointed Commodore, Second Class in 1915)
Composition
December, 1912
The Supplement to the Monthly Navy List shows a strength of six older Edgar class protected cruisers.[13]
| Crescent | Edgar | Gibraltar | Grafton | Hawke |
| Royal Arthur | ||||
This same roster would appear in The December, 1913 list as well.[14]
July - 5 August, 1914
The formation is attached to the Third Fleet, part of the Northern Patrol. Strength has been increased to eight by the arrival of Theseus and Endymion.[15]
| Crescent | Edgar | Gibraltar | Grafton | Hawke |
| Royal Arthur | Theseus | Endymion |
September, 1914
The formation is listed under Home and Atlantic Waters as "Cruiser Force B". The torpedo gunboat Dryad (fitted as a minesweeper) and the Armed Merchant Cruisers Alsatian and Mantua have been attached to bring the strength to eight armoured cruisers, two A.M.Cs. and a torpedo gunboat. Crescent is designated as the flagship.[16]
| In Home and Atlantic Waters | |||||
| Armoured Cruisers | |||||
Crescent  |
Grafton | Edgar | Hawke | Gibraltar | |
| Royal Arthur | Theseus | Endymion | |||
| Torpedo Gunboat / Minesweeper | |||||
| Dryad | |||||
| Armed Merchant Cruisers | |||||
| Alsatian | Mantua | ||||
October, 1914
Hawke has been removed, sunk by U 9 on 15 October.[17] The armed merchant cruiser Teutonic has been added, having been commissioned in Liverpool on 12 September.[18]
| In Home and Atlantic Waters | |||||
| Armoured Cruisers | |||||
| Crescent |
Grafton | Edgar | Gibraltar | Royal Arthur | |
| Theseus | Endymion | ||||
| Torpedo Gunboat / Minesweeper | |||||
| Dryad | |||||
| Armed Merchant Cruisers | |||||
| Alsatian | Mantua | Teutonic | |||
This roster would last only a moment, as a huge influx of newly commissioned Armed Merchant Cruisers would be assigned to the Squadron as the armoured cruisers got swapped out.[19]
December, 1914
The seven Edgars have all been removed from the formation[20] and twenty newly fitted Armed Merchant Cruisers have joined, transforming the Squadron to a format better suited to long patrols in high seas where significant opposition is expected to be the exception. The Squadron is twenty-three A.M.Cs. and a single torpedo gunboat.[21]
| In Home and Atlantic Waters | |||||
| Armed Merchant Cruisers | |||||
| Alsatian |
Eskimo | Patia | Patuca | Bayano | |
| Caribbean | Orotava | Clan MacNaughton | Viknor | Digby | |
| Motagua | Mantua | Teutonic | Virginian | Cedric | |
| Otway | Changuinola | Calyx | Ambrose | Oropesa | |
| Columbella | Hildebrand | Hilary | |||
| Torpedo Gunboat / Minesweeper | |||||
| Dryad | |||||
This roster would apply until February or March.[22]
March, 1915
Dryad has left to be refit or join a squadron, and A.M.C. strength has frittered to nineteen.[23] Eskimo and Calyx have been dropped for unknown reasons, and two have been lost to mines: Viknor on 13 January, and Clan MacNaughton on 3 February.[24]
| In Home and Atlantic Waters | |||||
| Armed Merchant Cruisers | |||||
| Alsatian |
Patia | Patuca | Bayano | Caribbean | |
| Orotava | Digby | Motagua | Mantua | Teutonic | |
| Virginian | Cedric | Otway | Changuinola | Ambrose | |
| Oropesa | Columbella | Hildebrand | Hilary | ||
April, 1915
Bayano has been lost, torpedoed on 11 March,[25] reducing the strength to eighteen A.M.Cs..[26]
| In Home and Atlantic Waters | |||||
| Armed Merchant Cruisers | |||||
| Alsatian |
Ambrose | Caribbean | Changuinola | Cedric | |
| Columbella | Ambrose | Caribbean | Changuinola | Cedric | |
| Virginian | Digby | Hilary | Hildebrand | Mantua | |
| Motagua | Oropesa | Orotava | Otway | Patia | |
| Patuca | Teutonic | Virginian | |||
November, 1915
The composition now seems to be armed merchant cruisers.[27]
- First Division
- Second Division
- Third Division
Footnotes
- ↑ "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Monday, 27 July, 1914. Issue 40586, col B, p. 4.
- ↑ Osborne. Britain's Economic Blockade of Germany, 1914-1919. p. 166.
- ↑ "Naval and Military Intelligence" (Official Appointments and Notices). The Times. Tuesday, 1 July, 1913. Issue 40252, col D, p. 6.
- ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (March, 1916). p. 7.
- ↑ De Chair Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 259.
- ↑ De Chair Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 259.
- ↑ De Chair Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 259.
- ↑ The Navy List. (December, 1916). p. 401jj.
- ↑ The Navy List. (October, 1915). p. 401h.
- ↑ The Navy List. (December, 1916). p. 398oo.
- ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (September, 1917). p. 7.
- ↑ The Navy List. (December, 1916). p. 401v.
- ↑ Albert Francis Barclay Bridges papers at The Caird Library at the National Maritime Museum. [BRG 1/1]
- ↑ Albert Francis Barclay Bridges papers at The Caird Library at the National Maritime Museum. [BRG 1/1]
- ↑ Albert Francis Barclay Bridges papers at The Caird Library at the National Maritime Museum. [BRG 1/1]
- ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (September 1914). p. 9.
- ↑ Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905. p. 66.
- ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (October, 1914). p. 9.
- ↑ There was no edition of the Supplement issued in November 1914.
- ↑ TODO: determine where the Edgars went.
- ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (December, 1914). p. 9.
- ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (January, 1915). p. 9. No Supplement was found for February, 1915.
- ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (March, 1915). pp. 11, 13.
- ↑ Dittmar; Colledge. British Warships 1914–1919. pp. 119, 121.
- ↑ Dittmar; Colledge. British Warships 1914–1919. p. 119.
- ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (April, 1915). p. 10.
- ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (November, 1915). p. 10.
Bibliography
