Thirteenth Destroyer Flotilla (Royal Navy)
The Thirteenth Destroyer Flotilla was a formation of destroyers of the Royal Navy. The flotilla changed composition often as ships were damaged, retired or transferred.
In 1916, it was comprised of "M" class destroyers whose sixty-six 21-in Mark II torpedo test runs in the first half of that year proved 77% probable to endanger the enemy.[1]
Captains (D)
- Captain J. U. Farie, in command at the Battle of Jutland.[2]
- Captain Arthur Brandreth Scott Dutton, November, 1917.[3][Inference]
- Captain Hugh Justin Tweedie, ?.[Fact Check]
History
Battle of Jutland
- Main article: Thirteenth D. F. at the Battle of Jutland
Ten destroyers under the lead of the light cruiser Champion screened the First Battle Cruiser Squadron. 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:[4][5]
- light cruiser Champion, flagship, Captain (D) J. 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
At the same time, Nepean remained in harbour and Paladin, Negro, Nereus, Penn and Penn were in dockyard hands.[6]
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.[7]
1 August, 1918
While operating with the Battle Cruiser Force, the flotilla was comprised as follows.[8]
- light cruiser Champion, flagship
- flotilla leader Valentine, half-flotilla leader
- flotilla leader Valkyrie, half-flotilla leader
- 1st Division
- 2nd Division
- 4th Division
- 5th Division
- 6th Division
- 7th Division
- Spares
Footnotes
- ↑ Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1916, p. 87.
- ↑ Battle of Jutland Official Despatches. p. 46.
- ↑ The Navy List (December, 1918). p. 756.
- ↑ Naval Operations. Volume III. p. 430.
- ↑ Battle of Jutland Official Despatches. p. 46.
- ↑ Naval Operations. Volume III. p. 430.
- ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List (July, 1918). p. 12.
- ↑ Battlecruiser Force Signal Orders, The National Archives. ADM 137/2135.
Bibliography
- Dittmar, F.J.; Colledge, J.J. (1972). British Warships 1914–1919. London: Ian Allan.
See Also
| British Destroyer Flotillas | |||
| First | Second | Third | Fourth | Fifth | Sixth | Seventh | Eighth | Ninth | Tenth | |||
| Eleventh | Twelfth | Thirteenth | Fourteenth | Fifteenth | Sixteenth | Seventeenth | Eighteenth | Nineteenth | |||
| Twentieth | Twenty-first | |||
| Local Defence Flotillas | |||
| Clyde | Devonport | Devonport & Falmouth | Falmouth | Firth of Forth | Gibraltar | |||
| Liverpool | Mersey | Newhaven | Nore | North Channel | Milford & Pembroke | Pembroke | |||
| Portland | Portsmouth | Queenstown | |||
