Disposition of RN submarines, 1916

Another welcome contribution from Dave Perkins (jdperkins@hfx.eastlink.ca). In his own words:

Thought this might be of interest as it shows the flotillas at a very intense period of the war. Notice the ranks and seniority evident in the Overseas Flotillas. This listing also includes the Mediterrnaean, Adriatic and Baltic flotillas. A very busy time for RN submarines.

It will also give interested parties an idea of just how big a submarine organisation the Brits fielded in WW1. It must rival the Germans. I'll have to check that.

(corrected to 15 October 1999, with the assistance of Brian Head)


Taken from the Naval Staff Monographs, 1916, and the Nominal List of Officers Serving in Submarines, revised to 1 Sept 1916.

54. Reorganisation of Submarine Flotillas, June--August 1916

The increasing number of submarines called for a general reorganisation of the flotillas and on June 18 a scheme for the purpose was approved by the Admiralty. The reorganisation was not actually completed until August 20, when all the existing submarine flotillas, with one exception, received new numbers, resulted in the following distribution:

Submarine flotillas--August 1916

Flotilla Location Depot Ship & Flot SO S/M CO's
1st Firth of Forth Hebe
LCDR G. A. Saltren-Willett
B3

C23

C24

C25

Lt Colin Mayers

Lt Thomas Kerr

Lt Tristram Fox

Lt Ronald W. Blacklock

2nd Tyne Bonaventure
Cdr. M. K. de M. Burgess
C7

C8

C9

C10

C12

C13

C14

C16

Lt Arthur W. Forbes

Lt Thomas A. Powell

Lt Henry F.M. Peto

Lt Ronald A. Trevor

Lt. John F. Tryon

Lt Martin H. Collier

Lt Guy D. Sharp

Lt Robin B. Martin

3rd Immingham Vulcan
Cdr Wm. R.D. Crowther
D1

D3

D4

D6

D7

D8

Lt Geoffrey E. Burton

LCdr Bernard L. Johnson, RNR

Lt Eric E.C. Tufnell

Lt Wm. R. Richardson

Lcdr Henry D. Gill

Lt Logan Hook

4th Queenborough Thames
Cdr Tom K. Triggs
C1

C2

C3

C4

C5

C6

Lt Arthur L. Noakes

Lt Geo. D. Tweedy

Lt Cyril G.B. Coltart

Lt Noel W. Dixon

Lt John H. Owen

Lt Richard I. Pulleyne

5th Dover Arrogant
Cdr Henry Spencer
C15

C17

C18

C19

C20

C21

C22

C28

C30

C34

Lt Edward R. Lewes

Lt T.B.S. Mcgregor-Robertson

Lt D.M. Hervey-Macleay

Lt Hugh R. Marrack

Lt Francis J.H. Dawson

Lt Ralph E. Snook

Lt Oliver North

Lt Reginald D. Howard

Lt Charles H. Allen

Lt. Richard D. Sandford

6th Portsmouth Dolphin
Capt Algernon H.C. Candy
B1

B5

Lt P.H. Bonham-Carter

Lt Oswald E. Hallifax

7th Ardrossan Pactolus
Cdr Alexander G. Wright
A10

B4

-

Lt Henry Carlyon-Britton

8th Yarmouth Alecto
Cdr Sir L.P. Vavasour, Bart.
F1

F3

H5

H7

H8

H9

H10

V1

V2

V3

V4

Lt Frederick H. Taylor, DSC

Lt Norman D. Holbrook, VC

Lt Cromwell H. Varley

Lt Ernest H. Ebblewhite

Lcdr Godfrey Herbert, DSO

Lt F. A.P. Williams-Freeman, DSO

Lt Gilbert E. Venning

Lt Anthony B. Lockhart

Lt Alfred Gordon-Hine

Lt Colin Cantlie, DSC

Lt Alan Poland

9th Harwich Maidstone
Capt Arthur K. Waistell
E23

E29

E30

E31

E35

E37

E38

E42

E43

E45

E53

E54

E55

E56

E32

E33

E46

E47

Lt Richard H.B. Everard

Lcdr Herbert W. Shove

Lcdr Geoffrey N. Biggs

Lcdr Ferdinand E.B. Feilman

Lcdr George P. Thompson

Lcdr Robert F. Chisholm

Lcdr John de B. Jessop

Lcdr John G. Bower

Lcdr Vincent M. Cooper

Lcdr Geoffrey G.S. Watkins

Lcdr John B. Glencross

Lcdr Robert H.T. Raikes

Lcdr Gilbert H. Kellett

Lcdr Claude L.Y. Dering

(completing)

(completing)

(completing)

(completing)

10th Tees Lucia
Capt Leonard A.B. Donaldson
E44

G7

G8

G9

G11

G12

E39

G13

Lcdr Henry P. Hughes

Lcdr Geoffrey Warburton

Lcdr Charles de Burgh

Lt Hon. Byron P. Cary

Lcdr Andre Wilmot-Smith, DSO

Lcdr Cornelius O. Regnart

(completing)

(completing)

11th Blyth Titania
Capt Stanley L. Willis
G1

G2

G3

G4

G5

G6

G10

J1

J2

J3

J4

J5

J6

S1

Lcdr Brownlow V. Layard

Lcdr Reginald B. Darke

Lcdr Donald I. Mcgillewie

Lcdr John F. Hutchings

Lcdr Fitzroy H.D. Byron

Lcdr Claud C. Dobson, DSO

Lcdr Bernard Acworth

Cdr Noel F. Laurence, DSO

Cdr Charles S. Benning

Lcdr Henry J. Hearn

Capt Martin E. Nasmith, VC

Cdr Cecil P. Talbot, DSO

Cdr Max K. Horton, DSO

Lcdr Geoffrey Layton

12 & 13th Scapa & Rosyth Fearless K1-12 (building)
Adriatic Brindisi





Venice
Adamant
Cdr Charles G. Brodie




Marco Polo (Italian)
Capt W. Tompkinson
H1

H2

H4

B6

B7

B9

B11

Lcdr Wilfred B. Pirie, DSO

Lt David M. Fell

Lt Henry E. Smyth

Lt Colin G. Macarthur, DSC

Lt Kenneth Michell

Lt Jermyn Rushbrooke

Lt Frederick C.C. Kennedy

Med Malta Europa
Cdr K. M. Bruce DSO
E2

E11

E12

E14

E21

E25

Lt Samuel M.G. Gravener

Lcdr John G.A. Codrington

Cdr K. M. Bruce DSO (& Cdr SM)

Lt Geoffrey S. White

Lcdr Thomas C.B. Harbottle

Lcdr Robert B. Ramsay

Baltic Revel Dvina (Russian)
Cdr F. N. A. Cromie, DSO
E1

E8

E9

E19

C26

C27

C32

C35

Lcdr Athelstan A.L. Fenner

Cdr Francis H.H. Goodhart, DSO

Lcdr Hubert Vaughan Jones

Cdr F.N.H. Cromie, DSO (& Cdr SM)

Lt Eric B. Todd

Lt Douglas Sealy

Lt Christopher P. Satow

Lt Edward G. Stanley

Flotillas 1 to 7 were employed on coastal patrol work, and were largely used for training purposes. Flotillas 8 to 13 were known as the Overseas Flotillas. The 12th and 13th Flotillas were to be formed of K-class submarines when these became available. They were to be stationed at Scapa and Rosyth, as required by the Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Fleet, and, as they were to be considered as essential units of the Grand Fleet, were not to be permanently attached to any one base.

When the above scheme of reorganisation was submitted on May 29, it was suggested that, in order to prevent confusion with the destroyer flotillas, a more suitable name than Flotilla might be used in connection with submarine organisation. Some thought must have been given to the matter, for among the ingenious suggestions were: Aquarilla, Squadrilla, Subtilla, Platoon, Maniple, Shoal, Array and Armada. The name Submarilla was put forward, but was regarded as foreign to naval terminology. Cohort, too was favoured, but Commodore (S) thought that it would be "received with amusement", and the homely but familiar name of Flotilla remained in use.


Last Updated: 31 October, 1999.

 Return to WWI The Maritime War

 Return to WWI Archive main page.