Royal Navy 5th Destroyer Squadron
ActiveJanuary 1952 – February 2002
Disbanded2002
Country United Kingdom
AllegianceBritish Armed Forces
Branch Royal Navy
TypeSquadron

The Royal Navy 5th Destroyer Squadron[1] was a naval unit of the Royal Navy (RN) from 1952 to 2002.

History

After World War II, the British Royal Navy reverted to its previous layout and command structure in February 1947; the 5th Destroyer Flotilla of the Home Fleet was reactivated, it was re-designated 5th Destroyer Squadron in January 1952,[2] and succeeded by the 5th Destroyer Squadron. The Admiralty controlled global deployment of the Navy until 1964, when that department was abolished and replaced by the new Navy Department, within the newly formed Ministry of Defence. These geographic commands usually comprised fleets, squadrons, flotillas, and single ships. In 1954, major re-structuring of the composition of the Royal Navy was undertaken; leading to downsizing, and warships being rotated between the various fleets and stations. Between 1954 and 1971, many commands were either abolished or amalgamated into larger geographic commands. By the end of 1966, all Royal Navy squadrons were disbanded. Squadrons remaining in the Far East Fleet were renamed, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Far East Destroyer Squadrons. No squadrons existed in the Western Fleet for the period 1967 to 1971.[3] In November 1971, nearly all British naval forces were brought under the command of a single fleet, whose headquarters was at Northwood, Middlesex, then under the control of Commander-in-Chief Fleet (CinC-Fleet). From 1981 to 2002, both Type 42 destroyers and frigates during this period were deployed to squadrons and the same ship class.[4] In peacetime, the squadron's role was usually administrative, and during the last two decades of its existence, the squadron was based at HMNB Portsmouth.

Organisational changes

Note: Command structure organisational 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-organised now as administrative squadrons.[5]

Operational deployments

Included:[6]

fromtodeployed toadditional notes
January 1952August 1954Home Fleeton general assignments
September 1954June 1955Mediterranean Fleeton general assignments
July 1955February 1956Home Fleeton general assignments
March 1956January 1957Mediterranean Fleeton general assignments
February 1957August 1957Home Fleeton general assignments
September 1957June 1958Mediterranean Fleeton general assignments
July 1958December 1958Home Fleeton general assignments
January 1959December 1959disbandedundergoing re-fits
January 1961August 1961Home Fleeton general assignments
September 1961April 1962Mediterranean Fleeton general assignments
May 1962January 1963Home Fleeton general assignments
February 1963November 1980disbanded
December 1980April 1992Second Flotilla, HMNB PortsmouthType 42 group
May 1992February 2002Fleet, HMNB PortsmouthType 42 group

Composition

Included:[7]

United Kingdom, Home Fleet, 1952

  • HMS Solebay (leader)
  • HMS Gabbard
  • HMS St. James
  • HMS St. Kitts
  • HMS Sluys - (September 1952)

United Kingdom, Home Fleet, 1953

  • HMS Solebay (leader) - (July 1953)
  • HMS Gabbard - (February 1954)
  • HMS St. James - (June 1953)
  • HMS St. Kitts - (July 1953)

United Kingdom, Home Fleet, to August 1954

United Kingdom, Mediterranean Fleet, September 1954 – June 1955

  • HMS Duchess (leader)
  • HMS Decoy - (January 1959)
  • HMS Diamond
  • HMS Diana

United Kingdom, Home Fleet, July 1955 – February 1956

  • HMS Duchess (leader)
  • HMS Decoy - (January 1959)
  • HMS Diamond
  • HMS Diana

United Kingdom, Mediterranean Fleet, March 1956 – January 1957

  • HMS Duchess (leader)
  • HMS Decoy - (January 1959)
  • HMS Diamond
  • HMS Diana

United Kingdom, Home Fleet, February 1957 – August 1957

  • HMS Duchess (leader)
  • HMS Decoy - (January 1959)
  • HMS Diamond
  • HMS Diana

United Kingdom, Mediterranean Fleet, September 1957 – June 1958

  • HMS Duchess (leader)
  • HMS Decoy - (January 1959)
  • HMS Diamond
  • HMS Diana

United Kingdom, Home Fleet, July 1958 – December 1958

  • HMS Duchess (leader)
  • HMS Decoy - (January 1959)
  • HMS Diamond
  • HMS Diana

United Kingdom, Home Fleet, January 1961 – August 1961

United Kingdom, Home Fleet, September 1961 – April 1962

  • HMS Duchess (leader)
  • HMS Diamond
  • HMS Diana
  • HMS Crossbow
  • HMS Battleaxe, (August 1962)

United Kingdom, Home Fleet, May 1962 – January 1963

  • HMS Duchess (leader)
  • HMS Diamond
  • HMS Diana
  • HMS Crossbow
  • HMS Battleaxe, (August 1962)

United Kingdom, Second Flotilla, Portsmouth, December 1980 – April 1992

United Kingdom, Fleet, Portsmouth, May 1992 – February 2002

  • HMS Exeter, (leader), (1980–84), (1989–96)
  • HMS Southampton, (August 1981 - February 2002)
  • HMS Southampton, (Leader) (1985–89)
  • HMS Cardiff, (March 1986 - February 2002)
  • HMS Cardiff, (leader) (1998-2002)
  • HMS Liverpool (May 1982 - February 2002)
  • HMS Nottingham (November 1982 - February 2002)
  • HMS Manchester (November 1982 - February 2002)
  • HMS Gloucester (May 1985 - February 2002)
  • HMS Newcastle (March 1986 - February 2002)

Squadron commander

commanders [8]lead shipdates
Captain Geoffrey Thistleton-SmithHMS SolebayJanuary – April 1952
Captain John G. HamiltonHMS SolebayApril 1952 – 1953
Captain John P. Scatchard and unknownHMS Solebay / HMS Duchess1954 – 1957
Captain Edward A.S. BaileyHMS DuchessSeptember 1958 – 1959
unknownHMS Duchess1960 – 1963
Disbanded1964 – 1979
Captain Jeremy C. DreyerHMS ExeterDecember 1980 – February 1982
Captain Hugh M. BalfourHMS ExeterFebruary 1982 – June 1983
Captain George M. TullisHMS ExeterJune 1983 – July 1984
Captain David S. DobsonHMS Exeter / HMS SouthamptonJuly 1984 – October 1985
Captain C. Christopher MorganHMS SouthamptonOctober 1985 – 1987
Captain Stephen TaylorHMS Southampton1987 – January 1989
Captain Nigel R. EssenhighHMS ExeterApril 1989 – August 1991
Captain John R. CartwrightHMS ExeterAugust 1991 – May 1993
Captain John R. HanceHMS ExeterMay 1993 – 1995
Captain Paul W. HerringtonHMS Exeter1995 – December 1996
Captain Hugh A.H.G. EdlestonHMS Exeter / HMS CardiffDecember 1996 – July 1998
Captain Stephen Jermy [9]HMS CardiffJuly 1998 – December 1999
Captain Neil Morisetti[10]HMS CardiffDecember 1999 – June 2001
Captain Timothy P. FraserHMS CardiffJune 2001 – February 2002 (also Capt D3 from Nov 2001)

Of note, for the last few months of its existence, Command of the 5th Destroyer Squadron was combined with that of the 3rd Destroyer Squadron, as the 'Commander of the 3rd and 5th Destroyer Squadrons' prior to abolition of both squadrons and the incorporation of all the Type 42 destroyers within the newly established Portsmouth Flotilla.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Jane, Frederick Thomas (1998). Jane's Fighting Ships. S. Low, Marston & Company. p. 751. ISBN 978-0-7106-1795-8.
  2. ↑ Kindell, Don; Mason, Geoff; Smith, Gordon; Watson, Graham. "Royal Navy Organisation and Deployments, (1815 to 2013), 1815-1914, Pax Britannia, 1914-1918, World War One, 1918-1939, Interwar Years, 1939-1945, World War 2, 1945-2013, Post War". Naval-History.net. Gordon Smith, 1998-2017. Retrieved 23 March 2017.
  3. ↑ Watson, Graham. "Royal Navy Organisation and Ship Deployment 1947-2013". Naval-History.net. Graham Smith, 12 July 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
  4. ↑ Watson, Graham. "Royal Navy Organisation and Ship Deployment 1947-2013". Naval-History.net. Graham Smith, 12 July 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
  5. ↑ Watson, Graham. "Royal Navy Organisation and Ship Deployment 1947-2013: Flotillas and Squadrons 1947-1971". Naval-History.net. Gordon Smith, 12 July 2015. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
  6. ↑ Watson, Graham. "Royal Navy Organisation and Ship Deployment 1947-2013". Naval-History.net. Gordon Smith, 12 July 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
  7. ↑ Watson, Graham. "Royal Navy Organisation and Ship Deployment 1947-2013". Naval-History.net. Gordon Smith, 12 July 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
  8. ↑ Mackie, Colin, (2017), Royal Navy Senior Appointments, Gulabin, pp. 223-225.
  9. ↑ Jermy, Steven (2011). Strategy for Action: Using Force Wisely in the 21st Century. Knightstone Publishing Ltd. pp. 1–13. ISBN 978-1-908134-00-4.
  10. ↑ "Rear Admiral Neil Morisetti CB BSc, UK Climate and Energy Security Envoy" (PDF). europarl.Europa.eu. European Parliament, 2009-2014. Retrieved 24 March 2017.

Sources

  • Mackie. Colin (2017). Senior Royal Navy Appointments from 1865: Gulabin. http://www.Gulabin.com/.
  • Smith. Gordon and Watson, Graham. (2015) The Royal Navy, post 1945. Royal Navy Organisation and Ship Deployments 1947-2013. https://Naval-History.net.
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