First Fleet (United Kingdom)

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Active31 July 1912 – August 1914
Branch Royal Navy
TypeFleet
First Fleet
Active31 July 1912 – August 1914
Country United Kingdom
Branch Royal Navy
TypeFleet

The First Fleet was a formation of the Royal Navy that briefly existed before the First World War from 1912 to 1914.

The First Fleet was formed on 31 July 1912, with the Commander-in-Chief Home Fleets in direct command of it;[1] a vice admiral commanded the Second and Third Fleets. The numbered fleets during this period had different levels of battle readiness; ships of the First Fleet ships were in full commission.[2]

The First Fleet included four destroyer flotillas under Captain Cecil Lambert.[3] Captain Reginald Tyrwhitt took over the command of the destroyer flotillas in December 1913.[4]

Commanders

RankFlagNameTerm
Commander-in-Chief, Home Fleets/First Fleet[5]
1AdmiralSir George Callaghan31 July 1912 – December 1914

Components

Included [6]
UnitNotes
11st Battle Squadron(8 battleships)[7]
22nd Battle Squadron(8 battleships)[8]
33rd Battle Squadron(8 pre-dreadnoughts)[9]
44th Battle Squadron(4 battleships)[10]
51st Cruiser Squadron(4 cruisers then to Battle-Cruiser Squadron 01.13)[11]
62nd Cruiser Squadron(4-5 cruisers)[12]
73rd Cruiser Squadron(5-7 cruisers)[13]
84th Cruiser Squadron(7-8 cruisers)[14]
91st Light Cruiser Squadron(14 cruisers assigned-reassigned between 1913 and 1914)[15]
101st Destroyer Flotilla(1 scout cruiser, 20 destroyers)[16]
112nd Destroyer Flotilla(1 scout cruiser, 20 destroyers)[17]
123rd Destroyer Flotilla(1 scout cruiser,16 destroyers -all to Med as 5th DF, 1913, replaced by 4 destroyers)[18]
134th Destroyer Flotilla(1 scout cruiser, 12 destroyers + 18 K. Class, 1912–13)[19]

References

Sources

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