14th Destroyer Flotilla

14th Destroyer Flotilla
14th Destroyer Flotilla
Active	(1916-1919), (1940-1944)
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Navy
Size	Flotilla
Battle honours	Battle of Cape Matapan (27-29.03.1941); Second Battle of Sirte (16.04.1941); Battle of the Tarigo Convoy (22.03.1942);
Commanders
First	Captain Charles D. Roper

The14th Destroyer Flotilla, or Fourteenth Destroyer Flotilla, was a naval formation of the British Royal Navy from April 1916 to 11 February 1919 and again from 1 June 1940 to January 1944.

History

World War One

The flotilla was first established in April 1916 and operated with the Grand Fleet until November 1918.^[1] It was disbanded on 11 February 1919.^[2]

Second World War

The flotilla was reformed 1 January 1940 allocated to the Mediterranean Fleet until 28 January 1943.^[3] It was part of Force C at the Battle of Cape Matapan, 27 to 29 March 1941.^[4]^[5] The Flotilla was engaged at Battle of the Tarigo Convoy on 16 April 1941. It took part in the Second Battle of Sirte, (22 March 1942).^[6] It was next transferred to the Levant Command then at Alexandria until 2 July 1943.^[7] Reassigned back to the Mediterranean Fleet 1 October 1943. It was next operating with Force H^[8] where it remained until January 1944 then was de-established.^[9]

Operational deployments

Assigned to	Dates	Notes
Grand Fleet	April 1916 to February 1919	disbanded
Mediterranean Fleet	1 June 1940 to 28 January 1943	reformed
Levant Command	29 January 1943 to 2 July 1943	initially based at Alexandria
Mediterranean Fleet	3 July to 1 October 1943
Force H	1 October 1943 to January 1944	disbanded

Administration

Captains (D) afloat 14th Destroyer Flotilla

Incomplete list of post holders included:^[10]

	Rank	Name	Term	Notes
Captain (D) afloat 14th Destroyer Flotilla
1	Captain	Charles D. Roper	6 July 1916 – 28 August 1916
2	Captain	Walter L. Allen	30 July 1916 – 5 August 1916
3	Captain	Harry R. Godfrey	March 1917 – 11 February 1919	later V.Adm.
4	Captain	Philip J. Mack	14 July 1940 - 19 March 1942	CO, HMS Jervis & Captain (D) 14th Destroyer Flotilla ^[11]
5	Captain	Albert Lawrence Poland	19 March 1942 - August 1942

References

^ Watson, Graham. "Royal Navy Organisation and Ship Deployment, Inter-War Years 1914-1918". www.naval-history.net. Gordon Smith, 27 October 2015. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
^ Harley, Simon. "Fourteenth Destroyer Flotilla (Royal Navy) - The Dreadnought Project". www.dreadnoughtproject.org. Harley and Lovell, 19 April 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
^ Watson, Graham. "Royal Navy Organization in World War 2, 1939-1945". www.naval-history.net. Gordon Smith, 19 September 2015. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
^ Titterton, G. A. (2002). The Royal Navy and the Mediterranean: November 1940-December 1941. London, England: Psychology Press. p. 236. ISBN 9780714652054.
^ DiGiulian, Tony. "Orders of Battle - Battle of Cape Matapan - Battles of the Mediterranean - World War II - NavWeaps". www.navweaps.com. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
^ Grehan, John; Mace, Martin (2014). The War at Sea in the Mediterranean 1940-1944. Barnsley, England: Pen and Sword. p. 184. ISBN 9781473837362.
^ Watson, Graham. "Royal Navy Organization in World War 2, 1939-1945". www.naval-history.net. Gordon Smith, 19 September 2015. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
^ "USNI Proceedings". United States Naval Institute Proceedings. 69. United States Naval Institute: 1636. December 1943.
^ Watson, Graham. "Royal Navy Organisation in World War 2, 1939-1945". www.naval-history.net. Gordon Smith, 19 September 2015. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
^ Harley, Simon. "Fourteenth Destroyer Flotilla (Royal Navy) - The Dreadnought Project". www.dreadnoughtproject.org. Harley and Lovell, 19 April 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
^ Houterman, J.N. "Royal Navy (RN) Officers 1939-1945 - M". www.unithistories.com. Houterman and Kloppes. Retrieved 19 July 2018.

Sources

DiGiulian, Tony. "Orders of Battle - Battle of Cape Matapan - Battles of the Mediterranean - World War II - NavWeaps". www.navweaps.com.
Grehan, John; Mace, Martin (2014). The War at Sea in the Mediterranean 1940-1944. Barnsley, England: Pen and Sword. ISBN 9781473837362.
Harley, Simon; Lovell, Tony. (2018) "Fourteenth Destroyer Flotilla (Royal Navy) - The Dreadnought Project". www.dreadnoughtproject.org. Harley and Lovell, 29 May 2018. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
Houterman, J.N. "Royal Navy (RN) Officers 1939-1945 - M". www.unithistories.com. Houterman and Kloppes.
Titterton, G. A. (2002). The Royal Navy and the Mediterranean: November 1940-December 1941. London, England: Psychology Press. ISBN 9780714652054.
Watson, Dr Graham. (2015) "Royal Navy Organisation and Ship Deployment, World War One 1914-1918". www.naval-history.net. Gordon Smith.
Watson, Dr Graham. (2015) "Royal Navy Organisation in World War 2, 1939-1945". www.naval-history.net. Gordon Smith.
Willmott, H. P. (2009). The Last Century of Sea Power, Volume 1: From Port Arthur to Chanak, 1894–1922. Bloomington, IN, USA: Indiana University Press. ISBN 0253003563.