Downs Boarding Flotilla
The Downs Boarding Flotilla was an ad-hoc Royal Navy formation of vessels which provided inspection services in the Channel area as part of the Dover Patrol.
History
The formation was seemingly created on the outbreak of the war.
Composition
September – October, 1914
The formation is listed in the Navy List as the "Boarding Flotilla".
Eight vessels:
- the torpedo gunboat Harrier
- the torpedo gunboat Niger
- the tug Template:UK-Carcass
- Template:UK-ChesterIII
- Template:UK-Chichester
- Template:UK-Ceylon
- Template:UK-Chubb
- Template:UK-Cerberus
[TO BE CONTINUED - TONE]
August, 1916
Five armed boarding vessels:
Eleven tugs:
- Template:UK-Carcass
- Template:UK-Ceylon
- Template:UK-Charm
- Template:UK-ChesterIII
- Template:UK-Chichester
- Template:UK-Chubb
- Template:UK-Codfish
- Template:UK-CrudenBay
- Dragon (launched 1893)
- Template:UK-ForemostI
- Template:UK-Fore
January, 1917
Five armed boarding vessels (same as in August, 1916)
Ten tugs:
- Template:UK-Carcass
- Template:UK-Ceylon
- Template:UK-Charm
- Template:UK-ChesterIII
- Template:UK-Chichester
- Template:UK-Chubb
- Template:UK-Codfish
- Template:UK-CrudenBay
- Dragon
- Template:UK-Doria
Six paddlesweepers:
One gunboat:
- H.M.S. Calcutta
May, 1917
Three armed boarding vessels:
- Duchess of Devonshire
- Peel Castle
- the yacht Simoun
Six tugs:
- Template:UK-Carcass
- Template:UK-Charm
- Template:UK-Chubb
- Template:UK-CrudenBay
- Dragon (TODO: identify this Dragon, falling between two we know)
- Template:UK-Doria
Six paddlesweepers (same as in January):
One gunboat:
- H.M.S. Calcutta
August, 1917
Four armed boarding vessels:
Six tugs (same as in May):
- Template:UK-Carcass
- Template:UK-Charm
- Template:UK-Chubb
- Template:UK-CrudenBay
- Dragon (TODO: identify this Dragon, falling between two we know)
- Template:UK-Doria
Eight paddlesweepers:
No gunboats
December, 1917
Three armed boarding vessels:
- Duchess of Devonshire
- Peel Castle
- the yacht Simoun
Five tugs:
No paddlesweepers
April, 1918
Two armed boarding vessels:
- Duchess of Devonshire
- the yacht Simoun
Five tugs:
No paddlesweepers
June, 1918
One armed boarding vessel:
- the yacht Template:UK-Sigismund
Five tugs:
No paddlesweepers
July – December, 1918
Two armed boarding vessels:
- the yacht Template:UK-Sigismund
- the yacht Template:UK-Ceto
Six tugs:
- Template:UK-Carcass
- Template:UK-Charm
- Template:UK-Chubb
- Template:UK-Commonweal
- Template:UK-CrudenBay
- Template:UK-Doria
No paddlesweepers
January, 1919
Two armed boarding vessels:
- the yacht Template:UK-Sigismund
- the yacht Template:UK-Ceto
Eight tugs:
- Template:UK-Carcass
- Template:UK-Ceylon
- Template:UK-Charm
- Template:UK-Chichester
- Template:UK-Chubb
- Template:UK-Commonweal
- Template:UK-CrudenBay
- Template:UK-Doria
No paddlesweepers
February, 1919
Two armed boarding vessels:
- the yacht Template:UK-Sigismund
- the yacht Template:UK-Ceto
Eight tugs:
- Template:UK-Carcass
- Template:UK-Chichester
- Template:UK-Chubb
- Template:UK-Commonweal
- Template:UK-CrudenBay
No paddlesweepers
March, 1919
The formation has seemingly been disbanded.
In Command
- Commander Winstanley R. C. Moorsom, 14 November, 1914[1] – 15 January, 1915[2]
Footnotes
- ↑ Moorsom Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/488. f. 503.
- ↑ Moorsom Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/44/488. f. 503.
See Also
Bibliography
