Admiral of Patrols

The Admiral of Patrols ^[1] was a former command appointment within the Admiralty during World War I usually held by a junior flag officer the post was established from 1912 to 1916.

Office of the Admiral of Patrols
Ensign of the Royal Navy
Department of the Admiralty
Reports to	First Sea Lord
Nominator	First Lord of the Admiralty
Appointer	Prime Minister Subject to formal approval by the Queen-in-Council
Term length	Not fixed (typically 1–2 years)
Inaugural holder	Rear-Admiral John de Robeck
Formation	1912-1916

History

In the preceding years before World War I the Admiralty were assessing the need to protect the navy's main capital ships in the future event of any war, which would be augmented by the possible implementation a coastal patrol and mine-sweeping initiative. The need for some sort of patrol protection function being established was indicated by Admiral Lord Charles Beresford as early as 1907.

In 1909 Admiral Fisher obtained a small number of vessels for experimentation, Beginning about 1910 the Admiralty acknowledged that this sort of service may likely be in the form of local coastal patrol support for the regular navy at this time there was a lack of patrol capabilities within the Royal Navy.

On May 1, 1912 the post of Admiral of Patrols was created and under its command consisted four destroyer flotillas until 1913. In 1914, the Board of Admiralty sent an order the Admiralty War Staff asking the Chief of the War Staff to re-evaluate the patrols current functional role operating off the Eastern Coast of Great Britain the First Sea Lord envisaged that its current function of patrolling would now be that of coastal defence ^[2] but would include an additional force the units of the Auxiliary Patrol. After the implementation took place Admiral de Robeck was replaced by a new commander Commodore George A. Ballard.^[3] He assumed the duties of Admiral of Patrols on the 1 May 1914 ^[4] and held the post until it was abolished in 1917.

Commodore/Admiral of Patrols

	Rank	Flag	Name	Term
Commodore/Admiral, of Patrols
1	Rear-Admiral		John de Robeck	8 April 1912 – 1 May 1914 (initially-Cdre, 1.Cls) [5]
2	Commodore 1st Class		George A. Ballard	1 May 1914 - 1916 (later-R.Adm)[6]

Assistant to Admiral of Patrols

• Captain Walter H. Cowan, 1 May 1912 – 7 February 1914 ^[7]
• Captain Edward G. Lowther-Crofton, 7 February 1914 – 1 February 1916

Patrol formations under this command

As of May 1912 – 1914:^[8][9]

#	Unit	Based at	Dates	Notes
1	5th Destroyer Flotilla	Devonport	March 1909 – 1913	1 cruiser leader - 1 scout cruiser - approx 23 destroyers
2	6th Destroyer Flotilla	Portsmouth	May 1912 – 1914	3 scout cruisers - approx 22 destroyers
3	7th Destroyer Flotilla	Humber then Devonport	May 1912 – 1914	1 scout cruiser, 21 destroyers - 12 torpedo boats
4	8th Destroyer Flotilla	Tyne then Chatham	May 1912 – 1914	1 scout cruiser - 12 destroyers - 13 torpedo boat destroyers
5	9th Destroyer Flotilla	Sheerness then Rosyth/Forth then Nore	May 1912 – 1914	1 cruiser leaders - 1-2 scout cruisers - approx 20 - 27 destroyers
6	4th Submarine Flotilla	AOP	1914-1918	7 boats
7	5th Submarine Flotilla	AOP	1914-1918	6 boats
8	6th Submarine Flotilla	AOP	1914-1918	6 boats
9	7th Submarine Flotilla	AOP	1914-1918	12 boats
10	8th SubmarineFlotilla	AOP	1914-1918	13 boats
11	9th Submarine Flotilla	AOP	1914-1918	3 boats
12	Auxiliary Patrol	multiple bases	1914-1917	Auxiliary Patrol Areas I - XXIII (Home Waters) and Auxiliary Patrol Area 1, 5, 8, 10 Mediterranean Sea

Units

flotilla vessels 1914[10]
Type	Number of units
Sentinel-class cruiser	2
Pathfinder-class cruiser	1
F Class DD	12
Old Destroyers	62
Torpedo boats	24
Other	8
Total	109

flotilla vessels 1915[11]
Type	Number of units
Sentinel-class cruiser	2
Pathfinder-class cruiser	1
F Class DD	8
Old Destroyers	45
Torpedo boats	18
Other	14
Total	80

Auxiliary patrol

Main article: Auxiliary Patrol

The Auxiliary Patrol was a component force under the (ADMP) and composed of a large number of small craft tasked with minesweeping and anti-submarine patrols, initially around the British Isles, but later also in the Mediterranean. The Auxiliary Patrol was the front-line force in the defence of initially the British Isles, but later also the Mediterranean, against German mines and submarines.

See also

• Dover Patrol
• Northern Patrol
• Royal Naval Patrol Service