North Sea Fleet (United Kingdom)

North Sea Fleet
	Ensign of the White Squadron
Active	1745–1815
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Navy
Type	Fleet
Role	Trade Protection, Blockade
Part of	Royal Navy
Garrison/HQ	Yarmouth Roads, Great Yarmouth, (174-1802); Ramsgate (1803-1815)
Engagements	Battle of Dogger Bank (1781); First Anglo-Dutch War; Battle of Camperdown; British anti-invasion preparations of 1803–05;
Commanders
Notable; commanders	Admiral of the White: George Elphinstone, Viscount Keith.

The North Sea Fleet [1] was a naval formation and major operational command of the British Royal Navy based at Great Yarmouth from 1745 to 1802 then at Ramsgate from 1803 until 1815.[2]

The fleet was commanded by the Commander-in-Chief, North Sea.[3]

History

From the thirteenth until the fifteenth century the North Sea had been an important command from the 13th to 15th centuries an Admiral of the North based at Yarmouth was appointed to commanded a Northern Fleet. During the Tudor Period Vice Admirals were appointed to command a North Sea Squadron operating from Newcastle though that squadron was usually formed only on a temporary basis. From 1652-1654 Yarmouth used by the Royal Navy for stationing its North Sea Fleet during the First Anglo-Dutch War[4]. A more permanent formation was established from 1745.[5] In May 1804 in the middle of Napoleon's planned invasion of the United Kingdom (1803-1805) at the start of the War of the Third Coalition, although never carried out, was a major influence on British naval strategy and the fortification of the coast of southeast England.

In 1804 the North Sea Fleet then under the command of Admiral of the White: George Elphinstone, Viscount Keith reached its largest composition consisting of some 170-179 ships (according to sources given) divided primarily between squadrons each commanded by competent admirals including one off Boulogne, France under Rear-Admiral of the Blue Thomas Louis, one in the Downs under Vice-Admiral of the White John Holloway, one off Flushing, Batavian Republic under Rear-Admiral of the White Sidney Smith, under Edward Thornborough, one under Rear-Admiral of the Red at Texel, Batavian Republic, another in Scotland at Leith under Rear-Admiral of the White James Vashon and finally one stationed at Yarmouth Roads under Rear-Admiral of the Red Thomas Macnamara Russell together with a cruising and convoy force all reporting Lord Keith.[6][7]

In Command

Composition of the fleet in May 1804

Formation/Units	Ships of the Line	Fourth Rate	Frigates	Sloops	Brigs	Other Ships	Total
North Sea Fleet[8]
Boulogne Squadron	1	5	3	3		11	23
Downs Squadron	5	1	4	4	6	9	29
Flushing Squadron		1	2	3		2	8
Leith Squadron	1	1	1		4	10	17
Texel Squadron	8	2	1		1	3	15
Yarmouth Squadron	5	2	3		3		13
Cruising & Convoy Forces		4	8		1	7	20
Off Heligoland[9]		1	1			1	3
Off Hellevoetsluis		2				2	4
Off Le Havre		2	3			3	8
Hollesley Bay	1				6		7
In Port	1		2			16	19
Fitting Out	1	1	1		1		4
Other							9
Totals	21	17	31	12	24	65	170/179

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References

Blake, Richard (2008). Evangelicals in the Royal Navy, 1775-1815: Blue Lights & Psalm-singers. Boydell Press. p. 133. ISBN 9781843833598.
Archives, The National. "Admiralty: Nore Station: Correspondence". discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk. The National Archives, 1805-1939, ADM 151. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
Mace, Martin; Grehan, John (Nov 14, 2013). British Battles of the Napoleonic Wars 1793-1806: Despatched from the Front. Pen and Sword. p. 27. ISBN 9781473831421.
Davies, J. D. (2008). Pepys Navy: Ships, Men and Warfare 1649-89. Seaforth Publishing. p. 195. ISBN 9781783830220.
Palmer, Charles John (1856). The History of Great Yarmouth, Designed as a Continuation of Manship's History of that Town. Louis Alfred Meall, The Quay. p. 275.
Rodger, N.A.M. (2004). "Fleets:May 1804 Invasion Threat". The command of the ocean : a naval history of Britain 1649-1815. London: Allen Lane. pp. 615–617. ISBN 9780713994117.
Rodger, N. A. M.; Dancy, Jeremiah Ross; Wilson, Evan (2016). Strategy and the Sea: Essays in Honour of John B. Hattendorf. Woodbridge: Boydell & Brewer. p. 93. ISBN 9781783270989.
Rodger. pp.615-617
The forces off Helgioland were under Rear-Admiral Edward Thornborough commanding the Texel Squadron. Rodger, Dancy, & Wilson. p.94.

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[1] Blake, Richard (2008). Evangelicals in the Royal Navy, 1775-1815: Blue Lights & Psalm-singers. Boydell Press. p. 133. ISBN 9781843833598.

[2] Archives, The National. "Admiralty: Nore Station: Correspondence". discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk. The National Archives, 1805-1939, ADM 151. Retrieved 11 June 2018.

[3] Mace, Martin; Grehan, John (Nov 14, 2013). British Battles of the Napoleonic Wars 1793-1806: Despatched from the Front. Pen and Sword. p. 27. ISBN 9781473831421.

[4] Davies, J. D. (2008). Pepys Navy: Ships, Men and Warfare 1649-89. Seaforth Publishing. p. 195. ISBN 9781783830220.

[5] Palmer, Charles John (1856). The History of Great Yarmouth, Designed as a Continuation of Manship's History of that Town. Louis Alfred Meall, The Quay. p. 275.

[6] Rodger, N.A.M. (2004). "Fleets:May 1804 Invasion Threat". The command of the ocean : a naval history of Britain 1649-1815. London: Allen Lane. pp. 615–617. ISBN 9780713994117.

[7] Rodger, N. A. M.; Dancy, Jeremiah Ross; Wilson, Evan (2016). Strategy and the Sea: Essays in Honour of John B. Hattendorf. Woodbridge: Boydell & Brewer. p. 93. ISBN 9781783270989.

[8] Rodger. pp.615-617

[9] The forces off Helgioland were under Rear-Admiral Edward Thornborough commanding the Texel Squadron. Rodger, Dancy, & Wilson. p.94.

Historic fleets and naval commands of the Royal Navy
North and Irish Seas and English Channel	1st Fleet 2nd Fleet 3rd Fleet Atlantic Fleet Battle Cruiser Fleet Channel Fleet Channel Squadron (Navy Royal) Channel Squadron Commander-in-Chief, Coast of Ireland Commander-in-Chief, Coast of Scotland Devonport Dover Downs Eastern English Channel Commander-in-Chief Fleet Grand Fleet British Naval Forces Germany Humber Home Fleet Irish Squadron Leith Narrow Seas Nore North North and West North Sea Fleet North Sea Squadron Orkneys and Shetlands Plymouth Portsmouth Rosyth Reserve Fleet South West and Irish Sea West Western Approaches Western Western Squadron Yarmouth
Atlantic Ocean	Atlantic Fleet Barbadoes and Leeward Islands Good Hope Jamaica Division Jamaica Station Leeward Islands Lisbon Newfoundland North America North America and West Indies North Atlantic Portugal South America Station South Atlantic and South America South Atlantic South Atlantic and Pacific South East Coast of America West Africa Squadron West Africa Station West Coast of Africa West Indies
Baltic Black, Caspian, and Mediterranean Seas	Adriatic Aegean Baltic Fleet Black Sea and Caspian Caspian Coast of Spain Eastern Mediterranean Egypt and Red Sea Germany Gibraltar Gibraltar and Mediterranean Approaches Levant Levant and East Mediterranean Malta Malta and Central Mediterranean Mediterranean Fleet Portugal
Arabian Seas Indian and Pacific Oceans	Arabian Seas and Persian Gulf Commander-in-Chief, Australia Commander-in-Chief, China East Africa East Coast of Africa East Indies East Indies and China East Indies Fleet Eastern Fleet Far East Fleet Egypt and Red Sea Ismailia Middle East New Zealand New Zealand Naval Forces Pacific Fleet Pacific Station Red Sea and Canal Red Sea South America Station South Atlantic and Pacific Persian Gulf