Grand Fleet

Grand Fleet
The Grand Fleet in the Firth of Forth
Active	1914–19
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Navy
Type	Fleet
Size	~160 ships
Engagements	Battle of Jutland
Commanders
Commander-in-Chief 1914–1916	Sir John Jellicoe
Commander-in-Chief 1916–1919	Sir David Beatty

The Grand Fleet was the main fleet of the British Royal Navy during the First World War.

History

The 2nd Battle Squadron of the Grand Fleet in 1914. From left to right the ships are: King George V, Thunderer, Monarch and Conqueror.

The Grand Fleet sailing in parallel columns during the First World War

It was formed in August 1914 from the First Fleet and elements of the Second Fleet of the Home Fleets and it included 35–40 state-of-the-art capital ships. It was initially commanded by Admiral Sir John Jellicoe.^[1] He was succeeded by Admiral Sir David Beatty in December 1916.^[2]

The Grand Fleet was based first at Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands and later at Rosyth on the Firth of Forth and took part in the biggest fleet action during the war – the Battle of Jutland – in June 1916.^[1]

In April 1919 the Grand Fleet was disbanded, with much of its strength forming a new Atlantic Fleet.^[3]

Order of battle

Not all the Grand Fleet was available to put to sea at any one time, because ships required maintenance and repairs. At the time of the battle of Jutland in May 1916 it had 32 dreadnought and super-dreadnought battleships. Of these 28 were in the Order of battle at Jutland.

The order of battle of the Grand Fleet at the end of the war appears in the Naval order of 24 October 1918.^[4]

The actual strength of the fleet varied through the war as new ships were built and others were sunk, but the numbers steadily increased as the war progressed and the margin of superiority over the German fleet progressed with it. After the United States entered the war, United States Battleship Division Nine was attached to the Grand Fleet as the Sixth Battle Squadron, adding four, and later five, dreadnought battleships.^[5]

References

1 2 Heathcote, p. 130
↑ Heathcote, p. 25
↑ Heathcote, p. 26
↑ "The Pink List: Position and Movement of H.M. Ships, 11th November 1918 8 a.m.". The Admiralty. Retrieved 13 February 2015 – via naval-history.net.
↑ Jones, p. 25

Sources

Heathcote, T. A. (2002). British Admirals of the Fleet 1734–1995: A Biographical Dictionary. Barnsley, South Yorkshire: Leo Cooper. ISBN 0-85052-835-6.
Jones, Jerry (1998). U.S. Battleship Operations in World War I. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-1557504111.

External links

Admiralty Department
Direction and control of Admiralty and Naval affairs	Office of First Lord of the Admiralty and President of the Board of Admiralty Lord High Admirals Council
Boards and offices under the First Lord	Board of Admiralty Navy Board Office of the Naval Secretary Office of the First Naval Lord Office of the First Sea Lord Office of the Senior Naval Lord Office of the Parliamentary and Financial Secretary to the Admiralty Office of the Permanent Secretary to the Admiralty Office of the Private Secretary to the First Lord of the Admiralty
Direction of Admirals Naval/Sea Lords War and Naval Staff	Office of the Senior Naval Lord Office of the First Naval Lord Office of the First Sea Lord
Secretariat and staff under the First Sea Lord	Office of the Naval Assistant to the First Sea Lord Office of the Additional Naval Assistant to the First Sea Lord Office of the Hydrographer of the Navy Offices of the Sea Lords Admiralty Navy War Council Admiralty War Staff Admiralty Naval Staff
Operational planning, policy strategy, tactical doctrine requirements	Admiralty Navy War Council Admiralty War Staff Admiralty Naval Staff
Divisions and sections under the War and Naval Staff	Administrative Planning Division Air Division Anti-Submarine Division Anti-Submarine and Warfare Division Anti-U-boat Division Air Warfare Division Air Warfare and Fly Training Division Air Warfare and Training Division Communications Division Convoy Section Economic Warfare Division Gunnery and Anti-Aircraft Warfare Division Gunnery Division Gunnery and Torpedo Division Historical Section Local Defence Division Division Mercantile Movements Division Naval Air Division Naval Air Organisation and Training Division Naval Artillery and Torpedo Division Navigation Division Navigation and Direction Division Minesweeping Division Mobilisation Division Naval Intelligence Division Operations Division Operations Division (Home) Operations Division (Foreign) Operations Division (Mining) Plans Division Plans Division Q Press Division Requirements and Organisation (Combined Operations) Division Service Conditions and Fleet Supply Duties Division Signal Division Signal Section Standardisation Division Tactical Division Tactical and Weapons Policy Division Torpedo Division Torpedo, Anti-Submarine and Minewarfare Division Trade Division Trade and Operations Division Training Division Training and Staff Duties Division Undersurface Warfare Division
Offices of the Sea Lords	Office of the Second Sea Lord Office of the Third Sea Lord Office of the Fourth Sea Lord Office of the Fifth Sea Lord
Admiralty civil units under the Sea Lords	Admiralty Area Cash Offices Admiralty Central Metallurgical Laboratory Admiralty Civilian Shore Wireless Service Admiralty Compass Observatory Admiralty Constabulary Admiralty Gunnery Establishment Admiralty Labour Department Admiralty Naval Aircraft Materials Laboratory Admiralty Regional Offices Admiralty Research Laboratory Admiralty Surveying Service Admiralty Torpedo Experimental Establishment Admiralty Underwater Weapons Establishment Architectural and Engineering Works Department Air Equipment and Naval Photography Department Air Department Air Materiel Department Air Personnel Department Amphibious Warfare Headquarters Armament Supply Department Board of Invention and Research Board of Longitude Boom Defence Department Boom Defence and Marine Salvage Department Britannia Royal Naval College Chemical Board Chemical Department Civil Catering Department Civil Engineer in Chiefs Department Coastguard and Reserves Branch Combined Operations Headquarters Commissioner for Property and Income-tax for the Naval Department Compass Department Contract and Purchase Department Council of Naval Education Dental Examining Board Department of Radio Equipment Department of the Accountant-General of the Navy Department of Aeronautical and Engineering Research Department of Miscellaneous Weapons Development Department of Naval Assistant (Foreign) to Second Sea Lord Department of Naval Education Operational Research Department of Personal Services and Officer Appointments Department of Physical Research Department of Physical Training & Sports Department of Radio Equipment Department of Research Programmes and Planning Department of Superintendent of de-magnetisation Department of the Admiral of the Training Service Department of the Chief Inspector of Naval Ordnance Department of the Chief of Naval Information Department of the Chief Scientist Department of the Civil Engineer-in-Chief Department of the Comptroller of Steam Machinery Department of the Comptroller for Victualling and Transport Services Department of the Controller of the Navy Department of the Controller-General of Merchant Shipbuilding Department of the Controller for Navy Pay Department of the Deputy Controller for Auxiliary Shipbuilding Department of the Deputy Controller for Dockyards and Shipbuilding Department of the Director Contract-Built Ships Department of the Director-General Aircraft Department of the Director-General of Manpower Department of the Director-General, Supply and Secretariat Branch Department of the Director of Aircraft Maintenance and Repair Department of the Director of Contract Labour Department of the Director of Dockyards Department of the Director of Electrical Engineering Department of the Director of Manning Department of the Director of Merchant Shipbuilding Department of the Director of Merchant Shipbuilding and Repairs Department of the Director of Merchant Ship Repairs Department of the Director of Naval Construction Department of the Director of Naval Equipment Department of the Director of Naval Recruiting Department of the Director of Naval Weather Service Department of the Director of Personal Services Department of the Director of Physical Training and Sports Department of the Director of Torpedoes and Mining Department of the Director of Transports Department of the Director of Underwater Weapons Department of the Director of Unexploded Bombs Department of the Director of Warship Production Department of the Director of Welfare and Service Conditions Department of the Director of Wreck Dispersal Department of the Engineer in Chief Department of the Paymaster Director-General Department of the Inspector of Anti-Aircraft Weapons Department of the Inspector of Dockyard Expense Accounts Department of the Inspector-General of Naval Hospitals and Fleets Department of the Medical Director-General of the Navy Department of the Physician of the Navy Department of the Physician General of the Navy Department of the Storekeeper-General of the Navy Department of the Surveyor of Dockyards Dockyards and Fleet Maintenance Department Dockyards Branch Dockyard Expense Accounts Department Dockyard Schools Electrical Engineering Department Engineer Branch Engineering Department Greenwich Hospital Department Medical Consultative Board Medical Examining Board Historical Section Hydrographic Department Marine Pay Office Materials and Priority Department Medical Department Movements Department Nautical Almanac Office Naval Artillery and Torpedo Department Naval Engineering College Naval Equipment Department Naval Historical Branch Naval Construction Department Naval Intelligence Department Naval Medical Service Naval Mobilisation Department Naval Ordnance Department Naval Ordnance Inspection Department Naval Ordnance Stores Department Naval Publicity Department Naval Reserve Department Naval Security Department Naval Stores Department Naval Training Department Naval Works Department Navy, Army and Air Force Institute Navy and Army Canteen Board Navy Works Department Navigation Department Office of the Admiral Commanding Coast Guard and Reserves Office of the Admiral Commanding Reserves Office of the Admiral-Superintendent Chatham Yard Office of the Admiral-Superintendent Devonport Yard Office of the Admiral-Superintendent Malta Yard Office of the Admiral-Superintendent of Naval Reserves Office of the Admiral-Superintendent Plymouth Yard Office of the Admiral-Superintendent Portsmouth Yard Office of the Admiral-Superintendent Rosyth Yard Office of the Adviser on the Naval Construction to the Board of Admiralty Office of the Assistant Controller Office of the Assistant Controller Research and Development Office of the Deputy Controller of Navy Office of the Deputy Controller Production Office of the Director Woman’s Royal Naval Nursing Service Office of Extra Naval Assistant to Second Sea Lord Office of the Inspector Gun Mountings Office of the Senior Psychologist of the Navy Office of the Vice Controller Air Office of the Vice Controller of the Navy Observatory at the Cape of Good Hope Packet Service Regional Organisation for Merchant Shipbuilding and Repairs Royal Corps of Naval Constructors Royal Flying Corps Royal Marines Office Royal Marines Pay Office Office of the Chaplain of the Fleet Royal Naval Academy Royal Naval Aircraft Workshops Royal Naval Air Service Royal Naval Air Stations Royal Naval Armaments Depot Royal Naval Cordite Factories Royal Naval Propellant Factory Royal Naval College, Dartmouth Royal Naval College, Greenwich Royal Naval College, Keyham Royal Naval College, Osborne Royal Naval Film Corporation Royal Naval Hospital Royal Naval Medical Depot Royal Naval Minewatching Service Royal Naval Mine Depot Royal Naval Patrol Service Royal Naval Scientific Service Royal Naval Sick Quarters Royal Naval Torpedo Depot Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Royal Naval War College Royal Naval War College, Portsmouth Royal Navy Medical Service Royal Navy Shore Signal Service Royal Observatory, Greenwich Salvage Department Scientific Research and Experiment Department Sea Transport Department Ship Department Ship Design Department Signal Department Signal School Statistics Department Steam Department Superintendent of De-magnetisation Torpedoes and Mining Department Transport Department Victualling Department Volunteer Boys and Cadet Corps Wireless Telegraphy Board
Distribution of the Fleet	Office of the Permanent Secretary to the Admiralty Office of the First Naval Lord Office of the First Sea Lord Admiralty Naval Staff
Military units distributed under the Admiralty	1st Fleet 2nd Fleet 3rd Fleet Admiral Commanding, Orkneys and Shetlands Admiral of Patrols Africa Station Atlantic Fleet Australia Station Cape of Good Hope Station Cape and West Africa Station Caspian Flotilla Channel Fleet Coastal Forces Coast of Ireland Station Cork Station Coast of Scotland China Command Dover Command Downs Station East Indies Station East Indies and China Station Eastern Fleet Grand Fleet Harwich Force Home Fleet Jamaica Station Leeward Islands Station Lisbon Station Mediterranean Fleet Newfoundland Station New Zealand Division New Zealand Naval Forces Nore Command North America and West Indies Station North Atlantic Command North Sea Fleet Pacific Fleet Pacific Station Plymouth Command Portsmouth Command Queenstown Royal East African Navy Royal Indian Navy Rosyth Reserve Fleet Scotland and Northern Ireland South Atlantic Command South Atlantic and Pacific Station South America Station South East Coast of America Station West Africa Western Approaches Command
Direction of Naval Finance	Department of the Parliamentary and Financial Secretary to the Admiralty
Departments under Secretary	Department of the Civil Lord of the Admiralty Accountant-General's Department Comptroller of the Navy Department of the Surveyor of the Navy
Direction of Naval Administration and the Admiralty Secretariat	Department of the Permanent Secretary
Branches and offices under Permanent Secretary	Admiralty Central Copying Branch Admiralty Central Registry Branch Admiralty Record Office Admiralty Library Admiralty Secretariat Air Branch Civil Branch Legal Branch Military Branch Naval Branch Ship Branch
Civil Administration	Department of the Civil Lord of the Admiralty, Department of the Additional Civil Lord of the Admiralty
Departments under Civil Administration	Accountant-General's Department Contract and Purchase Department Department of the Director of Contract Labour Director of Works' Department Greenwich Hospital Department Works Loan Department
Legal	Judicial Department
Legal under Judicial Department	Admiralty court High Court of Admiralty High Court of Justice Office of the Judge Advocate of the Fleet Office of the Chief Naval Judge Advocate Office of the Admiralty Advocate Office of the Solicitor for the Affairs of the Admiralty Office of the Solicitor to the Admiralty and Navy Court of Admiralty for the Cinque Ports King's Bench Division (Admiralty) Queens's Bench Division (Admiralty) Probate, Divorce and Admiralty Division Vice Admiralty courts Colonial Courts of Admiralty

Historic fleets and naval commands of the Royal Navy

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.