# 4th Destroyer Flotilla

The British 4th Destroyer Flotilla or Fourth Destroyer Flotilla, was a naval formation of the Royal Navy from August 1909 to July 1951.

## History

In 1907 the Home Fleet had a large formation of destroyers called the Home Fleet Flotilla of destroyers, Between February and June 1909 it was divided to form the 2nd and 4th Destroyer Flotillas. Between 1909 and 1912 it was part of the Home Fleet - 3rd Division at Portsmouth. From 1912 to August 1914 it was reassigned and operating with the 1st Fleet. At the start of World War One the flotilla was reassigned to the new Grand Fleet and was engaged at the Battle of Jutland it remained with the GF until September 1916 when it was transferred to the Humber Force that was receiving shore support from the Humber Station till December 1916. The flotilla was next allocated to the Portsmouth Command until July 1917. After being ordered to leave Portsmouth it was reassigned to the Commander-in-Chief, Devonport where it remained till November 1918. Following the end of World War One it was placed back with the Home Fleet until November 1919 when it was re-allocated to the Atlantic Fleet until August 1923. It was reassigned to the Mediterranean Fleet where it remained until August 1936 when it was disbanded. The flotilla was re-activated in September 1938 until October 1939 using only Tribal Class destroyers. It was next sent to join the Home Fleet from October 1939 – August 1941. Sent back to the Mediterranean to join Force H from August 1941 – April 1942. It returned to the Home Fleet in April 1942 and stayed with it till November. Between November 1942 and January 1943 it was back operating in Mediterranean.In January 1943 it was sent to join the Eastern Fleet in Trincomalee, Ceylon and remained there until October 1943. Sent back to Europe to re-join Force H in the Mediterranean until January 1944 before returning Ceylon. It stays with the East Indies Fleet until November 1944 then is ordered back to Europe to join forces in the Mediterranean Sea until 1946. It transfers back to home waters where it stays until March 1951 it was re-designated the 4th Destroyer Squadron. The unit reforms again as part of the Mediterranean Fleet

## Organizational changes

Note: Command structure organizational changes took place within Royal Navy post war period the term Flotilla was previously applied to a tactical unit until 1951 which led to the creation of three specific Flag Officers, Flotillas responsible for the Eastern, Home and Mediterranean fleets the existing destroyer flotillas were re-organized now as administrative squadrons.

## Operational deployments

| Assigned to | Dates | Notes |
| Home Fleet | March 1907 to February 1909 | |
| Home Fleet, Portsmouth Division | March 1909 to May 1912 | |
| Home Fleets, First Fleet | May 1912 to July 1914 | |
| Grand Fleet | August 1914 – September 1916 | |
| Humber Station | September 1916 – December 1916 | |
| Portsmouth Command | December 1916 – March 1917 | |
| Plymouth Command | March 1917 – November 1918 | disbanded |
| Home Fleet | April to November 1919 | reformed |
| Atlantic Fleet | November 1919 to August 1923 | |
| Mediterranean Fleet | August 1923 to August 1936 | disbanded |
| Mediterranean Fleet | September 1938 to October 1939 | reforms as 2nd Tribal Flotilla/4th DF |
| Home Fleet | October 1939 – August 1941 | |
| Force H | August 1941 – April 1942 | |
| Home Fleet | April to November 1942 | |
| Mediterranean Fleet | November 1942 to January 1943 | |
| Eastern Fleet | January to October 1943 | |
| Force H | October 1943 – January 1944 | |
| East Indies Fleet | January to November 1944 | |
| Mediterranean Fleet | November 1944 to 1946 | |
| Home Fleet | 1946 to 1951 | |

## Administration
### Captains (D) afloat 4th Destroyer Flotilla

Incomplete list of post holders included:
| | Rank | Name | Term | Notes |
| Captain (D) afloat 4th Destroyer Flotilla |||||
| 1 | Captain | Reginald Y. Tyrwhitt | 10 August 1909 – 2 August 1910 | (later Adm. of the Fleet) |
| 2 | Captain | Mortimer Silver | 2 August 1910 – 31 July 1912 | |
| 3 | Captain | Wilfred Henderson | 1 May 1912 – 5 July 1913 | |
| 4 | Captain | Raymond Nugent | 8 August 1912 | |
| 5 | Captain | Robert Corbett | 5 July 1913 – 20 August 1913 | |
| 6 | Captain | Charles Wintour | 20 August 1913 – 31 May 1916 | |
| 7 | Captain | Charles D. Roper | 1914 | |
| 8 | Captain | Edward Gladstone | 3 June 1916 – 7 July 1916 | |
| 9 | Captain | Charles D. Roper | 8 June 1915 – 6 July 1916 | |
| 10 | Captain | Percy Withers | 6 July 1916 – 7 January 1917 | |
| 11 | Captain | Arthur E. Wood | 1 September 1917 – 1 March 1919 | |
| 12 | Captain | Dashwood Moir | 21 December 1920 – 15 January 1923 | |
| 13 | Captain | Sidney Bailey | 15 January 1923 – 15 January 1925 | (later Adm.) |
| 14 | Captain | the Hon. Edward Bingham | September, 1923 – 1 October 1924 | (later R.Adm.) |
| 15 | Captain | Edmond Mackinnon | 1 October 1924 – 29 April 1926 | |
| 16 | Captain | Cyril Benson | 13 September 1926 – June, 1928 | |
| 17 | Captain | Bertram Watson | 31 May 1928 – April, 1930 | (later V.Adm.) |
| 18 | Captain | Hugh Rogers | June 1930 – May, 1932 | |
| 19 | Captain | Gerald Harrison | 29 April 1932 – 18 October 1933 | (later R.Adm.) |
| 20 | Captain | Rhoderick McGrigor | 22 September 1936 | (later Adm. of the Fleet) |
| 21 | Captain | George H. Creswell | 1 May 1939 – 2 January 1940 | |
| 22 | Captain | Philip Louis Vian | 1 January 1940 – 12 July 1941 | (later Adm. of the Fleet) |
| Flotilla is re-established in 1946 until March 1951. |||||
| 21 | Captain | Ralph G. Swallow | 1946-August 1949 | |
| 22 | Captain | Deric Holland-Martin | August 1949 – 1950 | |

## Composition 1946 to 1950

Included:
, Home Fleet 1946–1948 4th Destroyer Squadron
* HMS Agincourt (Leader)
* HMS Aisne (March 1948)
* HMS Alamein (May 1948)
* HMS Barrosa* (February 1947
* HMS Corunna* (June 1947)
* HMS Dunkirk (December 1946)
* HMS Jutland (April 1947)
, Home Fleet 1949 4th Destroyer Squadron
* HMS Agincourt (Leader)
* HMS Aisne
* HMS Alamein
* HMS Barrosa
* HMS Corunna
* HMS Dunkirk
* HMS Jutland
, Home Fleet 1950 4th Destroyer Squadron
* HMS Agincourt (Leader)
* HMS Aisne (to September 1950)
* HMS Alamein
* HMS Barrosa
* HMS Corunna
* HMS Dunkirk
* HMS Jutland (to April 1950)