The Atlantic Fleet was a major fleet formation of the Royal Navy. There have been two main formations in the Royal Navy officially called the Atlantic Fleet. The first was created in 1909 and lasted until 1914. The second lasted from 1919 until 1932.
History
On 14 December 1904 the Channel Fleet was re-styled the 'Atlantic Fleet'.[1] The Atlantic Fleet lasted until 1912 when rising tensions with Germany forced the Royal Navy to relook at fleet formations and the Atlantic Fleet became the 3rd Battle Squadron.[2] The Atlantic Fleet was based at Gibraltar to reinforce either the Channel Fleet or the Mediterranean Fleet, from January 1905 to February 1907. It remained at Gibraltar until April 1912.[3]
The Atlantic Fleet was again formed after the end of World War I, when British naval forces were reorganised to reflect the changed economic and political situation in Europe. The fleet was created upon the disbandment of the Grand Fleet in April 1919, absorbing many, but not all of its elements. It was placed under a Commander-in-Chief, who for part of that year held the title of Commander-in-Chief Atlantic and Home Fleets, before the Home Fleet became the Reserve Fleet and a totally separate command. HMS Queen Elizabeth became the Fleet's flagship and served in that capacity until 1924.[4]
The fleet never fought in a naval battle in its short history. The fleet's only point of note in history was in 1931, during the Invergordon Mutiny. Sailors of the fleet openly refused to obey orders over a dispute on pay sparked by the government at the time.[5] The fleet's short history ended in 1932, when the Admiralty having been shaken by the events of the Invergordon Mutiny, renamed the fleet, as the Home Fleet.[6]
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Components |
- 8-9 Battleships
not assigned to a squadron - (12.04-07.14)
- 2nd Cruiser Squadron
(12.04-07.14)
- Atlantic Fleet Flotilla
(12.04-07.14)
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- Included:[8]
- Notes:The Fleet was commanded by the designated tile of "Commander-in-Chief, Atlantic Fleet" between 1910-1912 the post was sometimes styled as "Vice-Admiral Commanding, Atlantic Fleet".
Rear-Admiral, Second-in-Command, Atlantic Fleet
- First Formation included:[13]
Chief of Staff, Atlantic Fleet
- Second Formation included [15]
| Rank | Flag | Name | Term |
Chief of Staff, Atlantic Fleet |
1 | Commodore 1st Class | | Cyril T. M. Fuller | 1 May 1920 – 14 August 1922 |
2 | Rear-Admiral | | Arthur J. Davies | 14 August 1922 – 15 August 1927 (initially-Cdre, 1.Cls) |
Components
- Distribution of the Fleet first formation included:[16]
| Unit | Date | Notes |
1 | 2nd Cruiser Squadron | January 1905 – March 1909 | replaced by 5th CSQ [17] |
2 | 5th Cruiser Squadron | March 1909 – April 1912 | [18] |
3 | Atlantic Fleet Flotilla | 1906–1907 | no destroyers after 1907 [19] |
4 | 8 battleships | January 1905 – March 1909 | distributed [20] |
4 | 7 pre-dreadnoughts | March 1909 – April 1912 | distributed [21] |
- Distribution of the Fleet second formation included:[22]
References
- ↑ National Archives records
- ↑ "Navy Estimates 1912-13". Hansard. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
- ↑ Smith, Gordon. "Royal Navy Organisation and Ship Deployments 1900-1914". www.naval-history.net. Gordon Smith, 8 August 2015. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
- ↑ "HMS Queen Elizabeth". Retrieved 2 September 2012.
- ↑ "The Invergordon Mutiny". Retrieved 2 September 2012.
- ↑ "Home Fleet listing for 1933". Archived from the original on 26 October 2009. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
- ↑ Watson, Dr Graham. "Royal Navy Organisation and Ship Deployments 1900-1914: January 1904-February 1907". www.naval-history.net. Graham Smith. 8 August 2015. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
- ↑ Senior Royal Navy Appointments Archived 15 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ Government, H.M. (October 1913). "Flag Officers - Vice Admirals". The Navy List. H.M. Stationary Office. p. 87.
- ↑ Watson, Dr Graham. "Royal Navy Organisation and Ship Deployments 1900-1914: January 1904-February 1907". www.naval-history.net. Graham Smith. 8 August 2015. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
- ↑ Whitaker's Almanacks 1919–1932
- ↑ Government, H.M. (October 1913). "Flag Officers - Vice Admirals". The Navy List. H.M. Stationary Office. p. 87.
- ↑ Harley, Simon; Lovell, Tony. "Atlantic Fleet (Royal Navy) - The Dreadnought Project". dreadnoughtproject.org. Harley and Lovell, 18 July 2017. Retrieved 2 August 2017.
- ↑ Mackie, Colin (July 2018). "Royal Navy Senior Appointments from 1865" (PDF). gulabin.com. C. Mackie. p. 215. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
- ↑ Harley, Simon; Lovell, Tony. "Atlantic Fleet (Royal Navy) - The Dreadnought Project". dreadnoughtproject.org. Harley and Lovell, 18 July 2017. Retrieved 2 August 2017.
- ↑ Watson, Dr Graham. "Royal Navy Organisation and Ship Deployments 1900-1914". www.naval-history.net. Gordon Smith, 8 August 2015. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
- ↑ Watson. 2015
- ↑ Watson. 2015
- ↑ Watson. 2015
- ↑ Watson. 2015
- ↑ Watson. 2015
- ↑ Watson, Dr Graham. "Royal Navy Organisation and Ship Deployment, Inter-War Years 1919-1939". www.naval-history.net. Gordon Smith, 2 September 2015. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
- ↑ Watson. 2015
- ↑ Watson. 2015
- ↑ Watson. 2015
- ↑ Watson. 2015
- ↑ Watson. 2015
- ↑ Watson. 2015
- ↑ Watson. 2015
- ↑ Watson. 2015
- ↑ Watson. 2015
- ↑ Watson. 2015
- ↑ Watson. 2015
- ↑ Watson. 2015
- ↑ Watson. 2015
- ↑ Watson. 2015
- ↑ Watson. 2015
- ↑ Watson. 2015
- ↑ Watson. 2015
- ↑ Watson. 2015
- ↑ Watson. 2015
- ↑ Watson. 2015
- ↑ Watson. 2015
- ↑ Watson. 2015
- ↑ Watson. 2015
- ↑ Watson. 2015
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