3rd and 4th Divisions
ActiveMarch 1909–May 1912
Country United Kingdom
Branch Royal Navy
TypeDivision

The 3rd and 4th Divisions was a naval formation of the Home Fleet, Royal Navy. It was created before the First World War from March 1909 until May 1912.[2]

In March 1909, following a Royal Navy re-organisation, the Channel Fleet was absorbed by the Home Fleet. The ships in home waters, including the former Channel Fleet, then became the Home Fleet's First and Second Divisions.[3] The former Home Fleet as it then stood became the Third and Fourth Divisions, which was actually a single formation under a vice-admiral.[4] These new divisions was made up of an 8-12 ship battle squadron that included either dreadnought battleships or pre-dreadnought battleships.[5] Within the Home Fleet there were two levels of availability - the ships of the 1st and 2nd Divisions which were fully operational, and those of the 3rd and 4th divisions that were either in reserve or partially manned.[6]

Vice-Admirals Commanding 3rd and 4th Divisions

Post holders included:[7]
# Rank Flag Name Term
Vice-Admirals Commanding Third and Fourth Divisions
1 Vice-Admiral Sir George Neville 24 March 1909 - 24 March 1911
2 Vice-Admiral Prince Louis of Battenberg 24 March 1911 - 5 December 1911
3 Acting-Vice-Admiral Frederick T. Hamilton 5 December 1911 - May, 1912

Rear Admirals in the 3rd and 4th Divisions

Post holders included:[8]
# Rank Flag Name Term
Rear Admirals in the Third and Fourth Divisions
1 Rear-Admiral T. H. Martyn Jerram 24 March 1909 - 9 August 1910
2 Rear-Admiral William Lowther Grant 9 August 1910 - 2 November 1911
3 Rear-Admiral Charles H. Dundas of Dundas 2 November 1911 - May 1912

Devonport Division

Post holders included:[9]
# Rank Flag Name Term
Rear-Admiral Commanding, Devonport Division, Home Fleet
1 Rear-Admiral Cecil Burney 5 January, 1910 – 5 January 1911
2 Rear-Admiral Richard B. Farquhar 5 January 1911 - 5 January 1912
3 Rear-Admiral Henry Loftus Tottenham 5 January 1912 - May 1912

Components

Included: [10]
# Unit Notes
1 Pre-dreadnought battleships (3-7, pre-dreadnought battleships)
2 5th Destroyer Flotilla (2, destroyers)
3 7th Destroyer Flotilla (2, destroyers)
4 Devonport Submarine Flotilla (5 A-class submarines, in reserve but recommissioned by 1910 and 3 B-class submarines )
5 I Submarine Flotilla (11 B-class submarines, 1 Depot ship )
6 VI Submarine Flotilla (a training unit )

Nore Division

The Rear-Admiral Commanding, Nore Division, Home Fleet from 4 January, 1909 - 5 January, 1910 was Rear Admiral Charles J. Briggs.

Components

Included: [11]
# Unit Notes
1 Pre-dreadnought battleships (8, pre-dreadnought battleships)
2 3rd Destroyer Flotilla (4, destroyers)
3 Nore Submarine Flotilla (4 C-class submarines split into III and VII submarine flotillas, 4.1910 )
4 III Submarine Flotilla (9 C-class submarines, 1 depot ship)
5 VII Submarine Flotilla (12 C-class submarines, 1 depot ship)

Portsmouth Division

Post holders included:[12]
# Rank Flag Name Term
Rear-Admiral Commanding, Portsmouth Division, Home Fleet
1 Rear-Admiral Frederic E. E. Brock 17 November, 1909 – 10 November, 1910
2 Rear-Admiral Arthur H. Limpus 10 November, 1910 - 17 November, 1911
3 Rear-Admiral Arthur Y. Moggridge 17 November, 1911 - May 1912

Components

Included: [13]
# Unit Notes
1 Pre-dreadnought battleship (4, pre-dreadnought battleships)
2 4th Destroyer Flotilla (4, destroyers)
3 Portsmouth Submarine Flotilla (9 C-class submarines, 1 depot ship - till April 1910 then flotilla is split up)
4 II Submarine Flotilla (9 C-class submarines, 4 D-class submarines, 1 depot ship - from 4.1910 )
5 IV Submarine Flotilla (4 A-class destroyers, 5 C-class submarines, 1 depot ship - from 4.1910)
6 V Submarine Flotilla (formed as training unit from 4.1910)

References

  1. ^ Watson. 2015
  2. ^ Watson, Graham. "Royal Navy Organisation and Ship Deployments 1900-1914". www.naval-history.net. Gordon Smith, 8 August 2015. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
  3. ^ Watson. 2015
  4. ^ Friedman, Norman (2014). Fighting the Great War at Sea: Strategy, Tactic and Technology. Seaforth Publishing. p. 118. ISBN 9781473849709.
  5. ^ Friedman. 2014
  6. ^ Watson. 2015
  7. ^ Mackie, Gordon. "Royal Navy Senior Appointments from 1865" (PDF). gulabin.com. Gordon Mackie, p.197. December 2017. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
  8. ^ Mackie. 2017
  9. ^ Mackie. 2017
  10. ^ Watson. 2015
  11. ^ Watson. 2015
  12. ^ Mackie. 2017
  13. ^ Watson. 2015

Sources

Further reading

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