3rd Destroyer Squadron (United Kingdom)

The 3rd Destroyer Squadron [1] was a naval unit of the Royal Navy from 1952 to 2001.

3rd Destroyer Squadron
ActiveDecember 1952 – 2001
Country United Kingdom
Branch Royal Navy
SizeSquadron
Commanders
FirstHector C. D. MacLean
LastCaptain C. Joseph Gass

Overview

After World War II, the Royal Navy reverted to its previous layout and command structure in July 1951 the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla of the Mediterranean Fleet was disbanded.[2] In February 1952 a new 3rd Destroyer Squadron was activated. The Admiralty controlled global deployment until 1964,[3] when that department was abolished and replaced by the Navy Department, Ministry of Defence.[4] Geographic commands usually consisted of fleets, squadrons, flotillas, and single ships. In 1954, major re-structuring of the navy was undertaken, leading to downsizing of administrative requirements. Warships were then rotated between the various fleets and stations. From 1954 until 1971, many naval commands were abolished or amalgamated into larger commands. In November 1971, nearly all British naval forces were brought under the command of a single fleet at Northwood Headquarters.[5] under the control of Commander-in-Chief Fleet. In 2012 that post was abolished and replaced by the Fleet Commander, who administered the fleet from Navy Command Headquarters in Portsmouth, Hampshire.

Organizational changes

Note: Command structure organizational 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-organized now as administrative squadrons.[6]

Operational history

Deployments included:[7]

Notes:Revived as 3rd Far East Destroyer Squadron, (January 1967-January 1972)

Composition

Included:[8]
, Mediterranean Fleet 1952
3rd Destroyer Squadron

  • HMS Saintes (Leader)
  • HMS Armada
  • HMS Gravelines
  • HMS Vigo

, Mediterranean Fleet 1953
3rd Destroyer Squadron

  • HMS Saintes (Leader)
  • HMS Armada
  • HMS Gravelines
  • HMS Vigo - (July 1953)
  • HMS St. Kitts - (July 1953)
  • HMS St. Kitts - (November 1953)

, Mediterranean Fleet 1954
3rd Destroyer Squadron

, Mediterranean Fleet 1954-1956
3rd Destroyer Squadron

  • HMS Saintes (Leader)
  • HMS Armada (Leader)
  • HMS Barfleur
  • HMS St. Kitts

, Home Fleet 1956
3rd Destroyer Squadron

  • HMS Armada (Leader)
  • HMS Barfleur
  • HMS St. Kitts

, Home Fleet 1957
3rd Destroyer Squadron

  • HMS Armada (Leader)
  • HMS Barfleur
  • HMS St. Kitts

, Home Fleet 1958
3rd Destroyer Squadron

, First Flotilla, Fleet 1980-1995
3rd Destroyer Squadron, Portsmouth & Rosyth

, The Fleet 1996
3rd Destroyer Squadron

  • HMS Liverpool - (Leader)
  • HMS Birmingham - (December 1999)
  • HMS Glasgow
  • HMS Nottingham
  • HMS York
  • HMS Edinburgh

, The Fleet 1997
3rd Destroyer Squadron

  • HMS Liverpool - (Leader)
  • HMS Birmingham - (December 1999)
  • HMS Glasgow
  • HMS Nottingham
  • HMS York
  • HMS Edinburgh

, The Fleet 1998
3rd Destroyer Squadron

  • HMS Liverpool - (Leader)
  • HMS Birmingham - (December 1999)
  • HMS Glasgow
  • HMS Nottingham
  • HMS York
  • HMS Edinburgh

, The Fleet 1999
3rd Destroyer Squadron

  • HMS Liverpool - (Leader)
  • HMS Birmingham - (December 1999)
  • HMS Glasgow
  • HMS Nottingham
  • HMS York
  • HMS Edinburgh

, The Fleet 2000
3rd Destroyer Squadron

  • HMS Edinburgh - (Leader)
  • HMS Glasgow
  • HMS Liverpool - (Lead ship)
  • HMS Nottingham
  • HMS York

, The Fleet 2001-2002
3rd Destroyer Squadron

  • HMS Edinburgh - (Leader)
  • HMS Glasgow
  • HMS Liverpool
  • HMS Nottingham
  • HMS York

Squadron commander

Included:[9]

CommanderLead ShipDates
Captain Hector C. D. MacLeanHMS SaintesFebruary 1952-July 1953
Captain Desmond P, DreyerHMS SaintesJuly 1953-April 1955
Captain A, A, Fitzroy TalbotHMS Saintes/HMS ArmadaApril 1955-March 1957
Captain Eric V. St. J. MorganHMS ArmadaMarch 1957-August 1958
Captain Ottoker H.M. St. J. SteinerHMS SaintesAugust 1958 – 1960
SquadronDisbanded1960-June 1980
Captain Norman R.D. KingHMS NewcastleJune–October 1980
Captain Derek A. WallisHMS NewcastleOctober 1980-July 1982
Captain Anthony D. HuttonHMS NewcastleJuly 1982-September 1984
Captain Peter J. ErskineHMS NewcastleSeptember 1984-February 1986
Captain John R. BrigstockeHMS YorkApril 1986-April 1987
Captain David A.J. BlackburnHMS YorkApril 1987-September 1988
Captain Peter J. CowlingHMS YorkSeptember 1988-January 1990
Captain Anthony G. McEwenHMS YorkJanuary 1990-May 1991
Captain Roy A.G. ClareHMS YorkMay 1991 – 1992
Captain Paul D. StoneHMS York1992-December 1993
Captain Laurence C. HopkinsHMS LiverpoolDecember 1993-July 1995
Captain Roger S. AinsleyHMS LiverpoolJuly 1995 – 1997
Captain David G. SnelsonHMS Liverpool1997-1998
Captain Philip L. WilcocksHMS Liverpool1998-August 1999
Captain Richard G. TwitchenHMS LiverpoolDecember 1993-July 1995
Captain Roger S. AinsleyHMS LiverpoolAugust 1999 – Dec 2000
Captain C. Joseph GassHMS EdinburghDecember 2000 – Nov 2001
Captain Timothy P. Fraser (also Captain D5)HMS Cardiff (in both D3 and D5)November 2001-February 2002

Of note, for the last few months of its existence, Command of the 3rd Destroyer Squadron was combined with that of the 5th 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.

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See also

Footnotes
  1. Jane, Frederick Thomas (2000). Jane's Fighting Ships. S. Low, Marston & Company. p. 746. ISBN 9780710620187.
  2. Kindell, Don; Mason, Geoff Lt-Cdr RN; Smith, Gordon; Watson, Dr, 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". www.naval-history.net. Gordon Smith, 1998-2017. Retrieved 23 March 2017.
  3. Watson, Dr Graham. "Royal Navy Organisation and Ship Deployment 1947-2013". www.naval-history.net. Graham Smith, 12 July 2015. Retrieved 23 March 2017.
  4. Hampshire, Edward (Apr 15, 2016). From East of Suez to the Eastern Atlantic: British Naval Policy 1964-70. Routledge. p. 249. ISBN 9781317132349.
  5. Roberts, John (Apr 16, 2009). Safeguarding the Nation: The Story of the Modern Royal Navy. Seaforth Publishing. pp. 88–89. ISBN 9781848320437.
  6. Watson, Dr Graham. "Royal Navy Organisation and Ship Deployment 1947-2013: FLOTILLAS AND SQUADRONS 1947-1971". www.naval-history.net. Gordon Smith, 12 July 2015. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
  7. Kindell, Don; Mason, Geoff Lt-Cdr RN; Smith, Gordon; Watson, Dr, 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". www.naval-history.net. Gordon Smith, 1998-2017. Retrieved 23 March 2017.
  8. Watson, Dr Graham. "Royal Navy Organisation and Ship Deployment 1947-2013". www.naval-history.net. Gordon Smith, 12 July 2015. Retrieved 18 March 2017.
  9. Mackie, Colin, (2017), Royal Navy Senior Appointments, Gulabin, pp. 223-225.

Sources
  • Mackie. Colin (2017). British Armed Forces from 1860. Senior Royal Navy Appointments from 1865: Gulabin. http://www.gulabin.com/.
  • Smith. Gordon and Watson, Graham. Dr. (2015) The Royal Navy, post 1945. Royal Navy Organisation and Ship Deployments 1947-2013. http://www.naval-history.net.
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