The Channel Fleet and originally known as the Channel Squadron was the
Royal Navyformation of
warships that defended the waters of the
English Channel from 1854 to 1909 and 1914 to 1915.[1]
History
Throughout the course of Royal Navy's history there had been different squadrons stationed in home waters. One of the earliest known
naval formations to be based at Plymouth was called the
Western Squadron[2][3][4] which was the forerunner of the Channel Squadron that was later known as the Channel Fleet.[5] In 1650 Captain
William Penn, Commander-in-Chief, was charged with guarding the Channel from Beachy Head to Lands End with six ships. This system continued following the Restoration. It was the start of what was to become a Western Squadron.[6] From 1690 the squadron operated out of Plymouth Dockyard during wartime periods, which was for most of the 18th century and early 19th century.[7][8] In 1854 The Channel Squadron, sometimes known as the Particular Service Squadron, was established.[9] The Channel Squadron only became a permanent formation in 1858.[10]
During the 19th century, as the French developed
Cherbourg as a base for
steam-powered ships, the Royal Navy developed
Portland Harbour as a base for the fleet.[11] The harbour was built between 1849 and 1872 when the Royal Navy created a breakwater made of blocks from local quarries on the
Isle of Portland.[12]
With the amelioration of Anglo-French relations, and the German challenge towards 1900, the need for a Channel Formation diminished and the main European naval arena shifted to the
North Sea. Admiral Sir Arthur Wilson was officially "Senior Officer in Command of the Channel Squadron" from 1901 to 1903. His subordinate flag officer in that squadron was the Second-in-Command, who commanded a division of battleships. For the period 1858 to 1903 the Channel squadron was often incorrectly referred to as the Channel Fleet.[13]
On 17 April 1903 The Right Hon. Lord Charles Beresford was appointed Vice-Admiral Commanding, Channel Squadron.[14] On 6 May 1903 Admiral Beresford was informed by the Admiralty "that for the future the Channel Squadron shall be known as the Channel Fleet."[15] On 14 December 1904 the Channel Fleet was re-styled the '
Atlantic Fleet' and the
Home Fleet became the 'Channel Fleet'.[16]
On 24 March 1909, under a fleet re-organisation, the Channel Fleet became the 2nd Division of the Home Fleet.[17]
Rear and Vice-Admiral, Particular Service Squadron
In the novel The War of the Worlds, the Channel Fleet protects the huge mass of refugee shipping escaping from the Essex coast in the face of the Martian onslaught. The initial heroic fight of
HMS Thunder Child and the subsequent general engagement, is detailed in the chapter entitled "The Thunderchild".
Annal, David; Collins, Audrey (2012). Birth, Marriage and Death Records: A Guide for Family Historians. Casemate Publishers.
ISBN9781848845725.
Archives, The National. (1859-1910) "Admiralty: Channel Squadron and Fleet: Correspondence". discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk. National Archives UK. ADM 144.
Barry, Quintin (2022). From Ushant to Gibraltar: The Channel Fleet 1778-1783. From Reason to Revolution. Warwick: Helion & Company.
ISBN9781915070395.
Black, Jeremy, (2011) "THE ROYAL NAVY AND THE FRENCH WARS: THE LONG-TERM BACKGROUND: University of Exeter" (PDF). napoleonicsociety.com. The Napoleonic Society.
Davis, Peter. "The Times newspaper on the Channel Squadron, 1858-1862". www.pdavis.nl. Peter Davis.
Loney, William. RN. "Channel Squadron, the Naval Intelligence column of the Times newspaper refer to the activities of the Squadron in the period 1858-1862". www.pdavis.nl/Channel.php. William Loney.
Mackesy, Piers (1964). The War for America: 1775-1783. Lincoln, Nebraska, USA: U of Nebraska Press.
ISBN0803281927.
Mackie, Colin. (2017) "Royal Navy Senior Appointments from 1865" (PDF). gulabin.com. Colin Mackie.
Ranft, Bryan (1995). The Oxford illustrated history of the Royal Navy. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press.
ISBN9780198605270.
Royal Museums Greenwich. "Royal Navy Dockyards: Plymouth". (2017). rmg.co.uk. Royal Museums Greenwich.
Saunders, Andrew (1997). Book of Channel defences. London: Batsford [u.a.]
ISBN9780713475944.
Watson, Dr Graham. (2015) "Royal Navy Organisation and Ship Deployments 1900-1914". www.naval-history.net. Gordon Smith.
Watson, Dr Graham. (2015) "Royal Navy Organisation and Ship Deployment, Inter-War Years 1914-1918". www.naval-history.net. Gordon Smith.
Whitaker's Almanacks (1900 - 1909).
Weigley, Russell F. (2004). The Age of Battles: The Quest for Decisive Warfare from Breitenfeld to Waterloo. Indiana University Press.
ISBN0253217075.
Further reading
Rodger, N.A.M. (1979). The Admiralty. Lavenham, England: T. Dalton.
ISBN9780900963940.
The Channel Fleet and originally known as the Channel Squadron was the
Royal Navyformation of
warships that defended the waters of the
English Channel from 1854 to 1909 and 1914 to 1915.[1]
History
Throughout the course of Royal Navy's history there had been different squadrons stationed in home waters. One of the earliest known
naval formations to be based at Plymouth was called the
Western Squadron[2][3][4] which was the forerunner of the Channel Squadron that was later known as the Channel Fleet.[5] In 1650 Captain
William Penn, Commander-in-Chief, was charged with guarding the Channel from Beachy Head to Lands End with six ships. This system continued following the Restoration. It was the start of what was to become a Western Squadron.[6] From 1690 the squadron operated out of Plymouth Dockyard during wartime periods, which was for most of the 18th century and early 19th century.[7][8] In 1854 The Channel Squadron, sometimes known as the Particular Service Squadron, was established.[9] The Channel Squadron only became a permanent formation in 1858.[10]
During the 19th century, as the French developed
Cherbourg as a base for
steam-powered ships, the Royal Navy developed
Portland Harbour as a base for the fleet.[11] The harbour was built between 1849 and 1872 when the Royal Navy created a breakwater made of blocks from local quarries on the
Isle of Portland.[12]
With the amelioration of Anglo-French relations, and the German challenge towards 1900, the need for a Channel Formation diminished and the main European naval arena shifted to the
North Sea. Admiral Sir Arthur Wilson was officially "Senior Officer in Command of the Channel Squadron" from 1901 to 1903. His subordinate flag officer in that squadron was the Second-in-Command, who commanded a division of battleships. For the period 1858 to 1903 the Channel squadron was often incorrectly referred to as the Channel Fleet.[13]
On 17 April 1903 The Right Hon. Lord Charles Beresford was appointed Vice-Admiral Commanding, Channel Squadron.[14] On 6 May 1903 Admiral Beresford was informed by the Admiralty "that for the future the Channel Squadron shall be known as the Channel Fleet."[15] On 14 December 1904 the Channel Fleet was re-styled the '
Atlantic Fleet' and the
Home Fleet became the 'Channel Fleet'.[16]
On 24 March 1909, under a fleet re-organisation, the Channel Fleet became the 2nd Division of the Home Fleet.[17]
Rear and Vice-Admiral, Particular Service Squadron
In the novel The War of the Worlds, the Channel Fleet protects the huge mass of refugee shipping escaping from the Essex coast in the face of the Martian onslaught. The initial heroic fight of
HMS Thunder Child and the subsequent general engagement, is detailed in the chapter entitled "The Thunderchild".
Annal, David; Collins, Audrey (2012). Birth, Marriage and Death Records: A Guide for Family Historians. Casemate Publishers.
ISBN9781848845725.
Archives, The National. (1859-1910) "Admiralty: Channel Squadron and Fleet: Correspondence". discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk. National Archives UK. ADM 144.
Barry, Quintin (2022). From Ushant to Gibraltar: The Channel Fleet 1778-1783. From Reason to Revolution. Warwick: Helion & Company.
ISBN9781915070395.
Black, Jeremy, (2011) "THE ROYAL NAVY AND THE FRENCH WARS: THE LONG-TERM BACKGROUND: University of Exeter" (PDF). napoleonicsociety.com. The Napoleonic Society.
Davis, Peter. "The Times newspaper on the Channel Squadron, 1858-1862". www.pdavis.nl. Peter Davis.
Loney, William. RN. "Channel Squadron, the Naval Intelligence column of the Times newspaper refer to the activities of the Squadron in the period 1858-1862". www.pdavis.nl/Channel.php. William Loney.
Mackesy, Piers (1964). The War for America: 1775-1783. Lincoln, Nebraska, USA: U of Nebraska Press.
ISBN0803281927.
Mackie, Colin. (2017) "Royal Navy Senior Appointments from 1865" (PDF). gulabin.com. Colin Mackie.
Ranft, Bryan (1995). The Oxford illustrated history of the Royal Navy. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press.
ISBN9780198605270.
Royal Museums Greenwich. "Royal Navy Dockyards: Plymouth". (2017). rmg.co.uk. Royal Museums Greenwich.
Saunders, Andrew (1997). Book of Channel defences. London: Batsford [u.a.]
ISBN9780713475944.
Watson, Dr Graham. (2015) "Royal Navy Organisation and Ship Deployments 1900-1914". www.naval-history.net. Gordon Smith.
Watson, Dr Graham. (2015) "Royal Navy Organisation and Ship Deployment, Inter-War Years 1914-1918". www.naval-history.net. Gordon Smith.
Whitaker's Almanacks (1900 - 1909).
Weigley, Russell F. (2004). The Age of Battles: The Quest for Decisive Warfare from Breitenfeld to Waterloo. Indiana University Press.
ISBN0253217075.
Further reading
Rodger, N.A.M. (1979). The Admiralty. Lavenham, England: T. Dalton.
ISBN9780900963940.