Annual Manoeuvres of 1914

The Royal Navy's Annual Manoeuvres of 1914 were cancelled on 20th February 1914 and replaced by a test mobilisation of the Reserve Fleet.

The schedule for this exercise was planned to be as follows:

Wednesday 15th July              Reserve called up

16th and 17th July               Mobilise

Saturday 18th July               Proceed to rendezvous

19th to 23rd July                At rendezvous and tactical exercises at sea

Friday 24th July                 Arrive Home Ports

Saturday 25th July, 9am          Discharge reserves

Order of Battle

The ships of the reserve formed the Second and Third Fleets as follows:

Lord Nelson (Fleet Flagship)

Fifth Battle Squadron

Sixth Battle Squadron

Seventh Battle Squadron

Eighth Battle Squadron

Prince of Wales (flag)

Russell (flag)

Prince George (flag)

Albion (flag)

Bulwark

Albemarle

Hannibal (2nd flag)

Ocean (2nd flag)

Formidable

Exmouth

Illustrious

Goliath

Implacable

Vengeance

Magnificent

Jupiter

Irresistible

Majestic

Canopus

London

Mars

Glory

Queen

Victorious

Fifth Cruiser Squadron

Sixth Cruiser Squadron

Seventh Cruiser Squadron

Carnarvon (flag)

Good Hope (flag)

Euryalus (flag)

Cornwall

Drake

Cressy

Cumberland

Leviathan

Minerva

Venus

Eighth Cruiser Squadron

Ninth Cruiser Squadron

Tenth Cruiser Squadron

Aboukir (flag)

Bacchante (flag)

Hogue (flag)

Challenger

Diana

Charybdis

Isis

Sutlej

Eclipse

Juno

Talbot

Highflyer

Training Squadron

Attached to 1st Light Cruiser Squadron

Attached Ships

Minelayer Squadron

Crescent (flag)

Falmouth

Diamond (5th B.S.)

Andromache

Edgar

Liverpool

Topaze (6th B.S.)

Apollo

Endymion

Doris (7th B.S.)

Intrepid

Gibraltar

Sapphire (8th B.S.)

Iphigenia

Grafton

Latona

Royal Arthur

Unappropriated

Naiad

Theseus

Vindictive

Thetis

Bibliography

• M11959/14 From Admiralty to C-in-C, Home Fleets, dated 20th February 1914. Backhouse Papers, Naval Historical Branch, Portsmouth, UK.
• Vice-Admiral Cecil Burney, Second and Third Fleets Serial Orders, 11 June 1914, Backhouse Papers, Naval Historical Branch, Portsmouth, UK