| Sir John de Robeck, Bt | |
|---|---|
Sir John de Robeck |
|
| Born | 10 June 1862 Naas, County Kildare, Ireland, |
| Died | 20 January 1928 |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/branch | Royal Navy |
| Years of service | 1875–1924 |
| Rank | Admiral of the Fleet |
| Battles/wars | World War I |
| Awards | Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order |
Admiral of the Fleet Sir John Michael de Robeck, 1st Baronet GCB, GCMG, GCVO (10 June 1862 – 20 January 1928) was an admiral in the British Royal Navy who commanded the Allied naval force in the Dardanelles during World War I.
De Robeck was born in Naas, County Kildare, Ireland, the second son of John Henry Edward Fock, fourth Baron de Robeck (1823–1904), to a family of Swedish/Estonian/German origin [1] , long settled in Ireland.
De Robeck joined the Royal Navy in 1875.[2] In 1914 he was given command of the 9th Cruiser Squadron.[2]
He was second in command, to Admiral Sir Sackville Carden, of the Allied naval forces at the Dardanelles from February through March 1915, when he succeeded Carden as Commander in Chief.[2] He assumed command a mere three days before the planned attempt to force the Straits on March 18.
The 1914/15 naval campaign to win the straits and push on to Constantinople was nearly successful due to a lack of ammunition on the Turkish side. Mines laid in the straits sank or damaged 5 allied battleships.[2]
The arrival of General Hamilton and his troops gave Admiral de Robeck the possibility to turn over responsibility of taking the straits to the army.[2]
He went on to become Commander of the 2nd Battle Squadron of the Grand Fleet in November 1916.[3] In July 1919 he became Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet also serving as British High Commissioner in Constantinople during Autumn 1919.[3] He became Commander-in-Chief, Atlantic Fleet from 1922 and retired in 1924.[2]
De Robeck was appointed Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB) in the 1921 New Year Honours.[4]
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Sir Somerset Gough-Calthorpe |
Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet 1919–1922 |
Succeeded by Sir Osmond Brock |
| Preceded by Sir Charles Madden |
Commander-in-Chief, Atlantic Fleet 1922–1924 |
Succeeded by Sir Henry Oliver |