8th Submarine Flotilla
Active1912–15 January 1919
1939-1945
Country United Kingdom
Branch Royal Navy
SizeFlotilla
Part ofHome Fleet 1912-1919
Mediterranean, Indian Ocean and Pacific based commands 1939-1945

The 8th Submarine Flotilla was a flotilla of the British Royal Navy consisting of submarines and their supporting depot ships and destroyers. It was established as part of the Home Fleet in 1912.[1] The flotilla brought together the newer, longer range 'overseas' submarines for the purpose of carrying out offensive operations. Composition of the flotilla varied over time. It was disestablished in 1919.[2]

The flotilla was re-established in 1939 for service in the Second World War. It was disestablished again after the close of hostilities.

History

First World War

Organisation in August 1914

On 5 August 1914, the Eighth Submarine Flotilla was based at its war station at Harwich and was constituted as follows:[3]

Submarines

Depot ships

Attached Destroyers

HMS D.1 was also notionally part of the flotilla, but was transferred to the Dover Patrol when war broke out. She re-joined the Flotilla on 23 August 1914

War Service 1914

The Flotilla carried out patrols in the Heligoland Bight and in the Kattegat. It participated in the First Battle of Heligoland and the Cuxhaven Raid and covered the passage of the British Expeditionary Force to France. The development of a satellite base at Yarmouth was commenced. Notable events and organisational changes are as follows:[4]

HMS E.10 joined the Flotilla on completion of sea trials, 27 August

E.9 torpedoed and sank the Scout cruiser Hela south of Heligoland on 13 September

HMS E.11 joined the Flotilla on completion of sea trials, 2 October

E.9 torpedoed and sank the high seas torpedo boat S.116 on 6 October off the Ems estuary

HMS E.12 joined the Flotilla on completion of sea trials, 17 October

E.1 and E.9 entered the Baltic Sea for detached service with the Russian Baltic Fleet, 17-18 October

E.3 was sunk by a torpedo fired by U-27 of the Ems, 18 October

D.5 was sunk by a mine off Yarmouth, 3 November

HMS E.15 joined the Flotilla on completion of sea trials, 5 November

HMS C.34 was temporarily attached to the Flotilla from the Dover Patrol, 17 November until 20 December

D.2 was lost on a patrol to a billet off Heligoland, cause and location of loss unknown, on or after 25 November

HMS S.1 joined the Flotilla from the Dover Patrol, 2 December

HMS C.16 was temporarily attached to the Flotilla from the Dover Patrol, 2 to 16 December

Archimède was temporarily attached to the Flotilla from the French 3e Escadrille, 2 to 16 December

HMS E.13 joined the Flotilla on completion of sea trials, 15 December

Organisation in February 1916

As at 1 February 1916, the flotilla had grown in size and was based at both Harwich and Yarmouth. It was constituted as follows:[5]

Submarines

Depot ships

Attached Destroyers

HMS E.1, HMS E.8, HMS E.9, HMS E.18 and HMS E.19 were notionally still in the flotilla, but were all on detached service with the Russian Baltic Fleet.

Flotilla re-constituted August 1916

Vessels based at Harwich were transferred to the re-established 9th Submarine Flotilla in August 1916 and only those submarines based at Yarmouth remained in 8th Flotilla[6]

Organisation in October 1916

As at 1 October 1916 the flotilla was based at Yarmouth and formed part of the Harwich Force:[7]

Submarines

Depot ship

  • HMS Alecto

Organisation in January 1919

As at 1 January 1919 the flotilla remained part of the Harwich Force, but following the suspension of hostilities had moved to Dover and was constituted as follows:[8]

Submarines

Depot ship

  • HMS Alecto

Second World War

September 1939 to August 1944

Service summary:[9]

Re-established on the East Indies Station at Colombo September 1939, disestablished again May 1940. 4 'O' Class submarines.

Re-established for the North Atlantic Command at Gibraltar December 1940, moving to Algiers December 1943.

Moved to the Eastern Fleet February 1944.

Southwest Pacific August 1944 to April 1945

The Flotilla was moved to Fremantle in August 1944, for service with the U.S. 7th Fleet. Maidstone arrived on 4 September 1944 and the submarines arrived throughout the month. The Flotilla was constituted as follows:[10]

Submarines

Depot ship

The Flotilla carried out patrols against both enemy warships and commerce in the South West Pacific. Principal events during 1944 in addition to the sinking of three merchant ships and 59 small coastal craft were as follows:

Zwaardvisch torpedoed and sank U-168, 6 October 1944

Zwaardvisch torpedoed and sank the Japanese minelayer Itsukushima, 17 October 1944

Stoic returned home for refit and was replaced by HMS Spirit from 2nd Submarine Flotilla in December

Operations continued from Fremantle in 1945, but up to the end of April enemy vessels proved hard to find. Principal events in addition to the sinking of one merchant ship, a small armed decoy and 29 small coastal craft were as follows:

Tantivy returned home for refit and was replaced by HMS Tradewind in January

Sirdar and Spirit returned home for refit and were replaced by HMS Tudor, HMS Stygian and HMS Spark in March

Stygian drove the Japanese Special Minesweeper No. 104 ashore with gunfire on Bali on 13 April

Philippines April to September 1945

Maidstone left Fremantle on 19 April. The Flotilla was relocated to a new base at Subic Bay in the Philippines. Maidstone arrived on 20 May. The Flotilla was reconstituted there as follows:[11]

Submarines

Depot ship

Commanding Officers

RankNameTermNotes
Officers Commanding, 8th Submarine Flotilla
1Captain (S)Frank Brandt15 October 1912 - 1 September 1913

Appointed for command of Submarine Flotilla[12]

2Captain (S)Arthur Kipling Waistell1 September 1913 - 9 August 1916

Appointed for command of Submarine Flotilla[13]

3Commander (S)Sir Leonard Pius Vavasour, Baronet9 August 1916 - 14 November 1918

Appointed for command of Submarine Flotilla[14]

4Commander (S)Robert Ross Turner14 November 1918 - 15 January 1919

Appointed for command of Submarine Flotilla[15]

References

  1. ↑ The Navy List July 1913. London: HMSO. 1913.
  2. ↑ The Navy List February 1919. London: HMSO. 1919.
  3. ↑ Position and Movements, H.M. Ships, War Vessels and Aircraft, British and Foreign, Parts I. and II., August 1914. London: Admiralty Records. 1914.
  4. ↑ Harris, Mark (2021). Harwich Submarines in the Great War: The first submarine campaign of the Royal Navy in 1914. Warwick: Helion & Company. p. 128-131, 170-172, 323-326. ISBN 978-1-914059-97-1.
  5. ↑ War Vessels and Aircraft (British and foreign): monthly return showing distribution, Feb 1916. London: HMSO. 1916.
  6. ↑ Naval Staff Monographs Volume XVII. Home Waters - Part VII. June 1916 to November 1916. London: HMSO. 1927.
  7. ↑ Admiralty Pink List, October 1916. London: HMSO. 1916.
  8. ↑ The Navy List, January 1919. London: HMSO. 1919.
  9. ↑ "ORGANISATION OF THE ROYAL NAVY 1939-1945". NAVAL-HISTORY.NET. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  10. ↑ Hezlet, Arthur (2001). "Chapter 29". British and Allied Submarine Operations in World War II. Gosport: The Royal Navy Submarine Museum. ISBN 0-952669-61-7.
  11. ↑ Hezlet, Arthur (2001). "Chapter 31". British and Allied Submarine Operations in World War II. Gosport: The Royal Navy Submarine Museum. ISBN 0-952669-61-7.
  12. ↑ The National Archives. ADM 196/43/208.
  13. ↑ The National Archives. ADM 196/43/374.
  14. ↑ The National Archives. ADM 196/126/15.
  15. ↑ The Navy List, December 1918. London: HMSO. 1918.
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