Second Fleet (United Kingdom)

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Active1 May 1912–1914
Branch Royal Navy
TypeFleet
Second Fleet
Active1 May 1912–1914
Country United Kingdom
Branch Royal Navy
TypeFleet
Commanders
Notable
commanders
Vice-Admiral Sir Cecil Burney, Vice-Admiral Sir Frederick T. Hamilton

The Second Fleet was a reserve formation of the Royal Navy that briefly existed before the First World War.

Formed on 1 May 1912 from the Third Division of the Home Fleet, its ships were manned by a nucleus crew during peacetime, but were intended to be manned by men from the naval schools when mobilised.[1] It reported directly to the Commander-in-Chief, Home Fleets. The fleet was mobilised in late July 1914 as tensions increased between Great Britain and Imperial Germany and remained on active duty until war was declared on 4 August.[2] It reformed the Channel Fleet upon the declaration of war and consisted of the Fifth and Sixth Battle Squadrons, equipped with a total of 15 pre-dreadnought battleships and the majority of the Home Defence Patrol Flotillas.[3]

Commanders

RankFlagNameTerm
Vice-Admiral Commanding Second Fleet[4]
1Vice-AdmiralSir Frederick T. HamiltonMay 1912-December 1913
2Vice-AdmiralSir Cecil BurneyDecember 1913-August 1914

Components

Included[5]
UnitNotes
15th Battle Squadron(8 battleships)[6]
26th Battle Squadron(5-7 battleships)[7]
35th Cruiser Squadron(3-4 light cruisers)[8]
46th Cruiser Squadron3–4 armoured cruisers)[9]
57th Destroyer Flotilla20 destroyer-12 torpedo boat)[10]

Footnotes

Bibliography

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