15th Destroyer Flotilla

The15th Destroyer Flotilla, or Fifteenth Destroyer Flotilla, was a naval formation of the British Royal Navy from August 1916 to March 1919 and again from September 1939 to May 1945.

15th Destroyer Flotilla
Active	(1916–1919), (1939–1945)
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Navy
Size	Flotilla
Commanders
First	Captain Arthur B. S. Dutton

First World War

The flotilla was first established in August 1916 and was attached to the Grand Fleet till March 1918.^[1] It was then transferred to the Battle Cruiser Force until it was disbanded in March 1919.

Second World War

At the outset of the war the flotilla was reformed under the Commander-in-Chief, Rosyth from September to October 1939.^[2][3] It was then transferred to the Western Approaches Command^[4] at Plymouth until January 1941.^[5] Reassigned once again to Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth^[6] where it remained until May 1945 before it was dispersed.^[7]

Table of assignments

Assigned to	Dates	Notes
Grand Fleet	April 1916 to March 1918
Battle Cruiser Force	March 1918 to March 1919	disbanded
Rosyth Command	September to October 1939	reformed
Western Approaches Command	October 1939 to January 1941	at Plymouth
Plymouth Command	January 1941 to May 1945	disbanded

Captains (D) 15th Destroyer Flotilla

Incomplete list of post holders included:^[8]

	Rank	Name	Term	Notes
Captain (D) afloat 15th Destroyer Flotilla
1	Captain	Arthur B. S. Dutton	28 August 1916 – November, 1917	later V.Adm.
2	Captain	Rafe G. Rowley-Conwy	November, 1917 – 1 March 1919	later R.Adm.
3	Captain	Ralph Kerr	31 July 1939 – 18 January 1941

References

1. Watson, Graham. "Royal Navy Organisation and Ship Deployment, Inter-War Years 1914–1918". www.naval-history.net. Gordon Smith, 27 October 2015. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
2. Hawkins, Ian (2003). Destroyer: An Anthology of First-hand Accounts of the War at Sea, 1939–1945. London, England: Conway Maritime Press. p. 367. ISBN 9780851779478.
3. Watson, Graham. "Royal Navy Organisation in World War 2, 1939-1945". www.naval-history.net. Gordon Smith, 19 September 2015. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
4. Anderson, Roger Charles; Carr Laughton, Leonard George; Perrin, William Gordon (2000). "15th Destroyer Flotilla which was part of Western Approaches Command". The Mariner's Mirror. 86. Society for Nautical Research: 321.
5. Watson, Graham. "Royal Navy Organization in World War 2, 1939–1945". www.naval-history.net. Gordon Smith, 19 September 2015. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
6. Evans, A.S. (2010). Destroyer down : an account of HM destroyer losses, 1939–1945 (1. publ. ed.). Barnsley: Pen & Sword Maritime. p. 206. ISBN 9781848842700.
7. Watson, Graham. "Royal Navy Organization in World War 2, 1939-1945". www.naval-history.net. Gordon Smith, 19 September 2015. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
8. Harley, Simon; Lovell, Tony. "Fifteenth Destroyer Flotilla (Royal Navy) – The Dreadnought Project". www.dreadnoughtproject.org. Harley and Lovell, 19 April 2018. Retrieved 20 July 2018.

Sources

• Anderson, Roger Charles; Carr Laughton, Leonard George; Perrin, William Gordon (2000). "15th Destroyer Flotilla which was part of Western Approaches Command". The Mariner's Mirror. Society for Nautical Research. 86: 321.
• Evans, A.S. (2010). Destroyer down : an account of HM destroyer losses, 1939–1945 (1. publ. ed.). Barnsley: Pen & Sword Maritime. ISBN 9781848842700.
• Harley, Simon; Lovell, Tony. (2018) "Fifteenth (Royal Navy) – The Dreadnought Project". www.dreadnoughtproject.org. Harley and Lovell, 29 May 2018. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
• Hawkins, Ian (2003). Destroyer: An Anthology of First-hand Accounts of the War at Sea, 1939–1945. London, England: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 9780851779478.
• 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.