A flotilla leader was a warship of late 19th century and early 20th century navies suitable for commanding a flotilla of destroyers or other small warships, typically a small cruiser or a large destroyer (known as a destroyer leader). The flotilla leader provided space, equipment and staff for the flotilla commodore (who typically held the rank of captain), including a wireless room, senior engineering and gunnery officers, and administrative staff to support the officers. Originally, older light or scout cruisers were often used, but in the early 1900s, the rapidly increasing speed of new destroyer designs meant that such vessels could no longer keep pace with their charges. Accordingly, large destroyer designs were produced for use as leaders.
Dubrovnik, a large destroyer design built as a flotilla leader
As destroyers changed from specialized anti-torpedo boat vessels that operated in squadrons to larger multi-purpose ships that operated alone or as leaders of groups of smaller vessels, and as command and control techniques improved (and the technology became more readily available), the need for specialized flotilla leaders decreased and their functions were adopted by all destroyers. The last specialized flotilla leader to be built for the Royal Navy was HMS Inglefield, launched in 1936. Subsequent leaders used the same design as the private ships of the class, with minor detailed changes to suit them to their role. In the Royal Navy, the flotilla leader and commanding officer were known as Captain (D). In the Royal Navy, flotilla leaders and divisional leaders could be identified by particular coloured bands painted on their funnels.
Ewing, Steve (1984). American Cruisers of World War II. Missoula, Montana: Pictorial Histories Publishing Company. ISBN0-933126-51-4.
Hill, Alexander (2018). Soviet Destroyers of World War II. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN9781472822567.
Le Masson, Henri (1969). Navies of the Second World War. Vol. The French Navy 1. Garden City, New York: Doubleday and Company.
Lenton, H.T. (1975). German Warships of the Second World War. New York: ARCO Publishing. ISBN0-668-04037-8.
Lenton, H.T. (1968). Navies of the Second World War. Vol. Royal Netherlands Navy. Garden City, New York: Doubleday & Company.
Silverstone, Paul H. (1968). U.S. Warships of World War II. Garden City, New York: Doubleday & Company.
Watts, Anthony J. (1966). Japanese Warships of World War II. Garden City, New York: Doubleday & Company.
Whitley, M.J. (1995). Cruisers of World War Two. London: Arms and Armour Press. ISBN1-86019-8740.
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November 15, 2023
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This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Flotilla leader news newspapers books scholar JSTOR September 2014 Learn how and when to remove this template message A flotilla leader was a warship of late 19th century and early 20th century navies suitable for commanding a flotilla of destroyers or other small warships typically a small cruiser or a large destroyer known as a destroyer leader The flotilla leader provided space equipment and staff for the flotilla commodore who typically held the rank of captain including a wireless room senior engineering and gunnery officers and administrative staff to support the officers Originally older light or scout cruisers were often used but in the early 1900s the rapidly increasing speed of new destroyer designs meant that such vessels could no longer keep pace with their charges Accordingly large destroyer designs were produced for use as leaders Dubrovnik a large destroyer design built as a flotilla leaderAs destroyers changed from specialized anti torpedo boat vessels that operated in squadrons to larger multi purpose ships that operated alone or as leaders of groups of smaller vessels and as command and control techniques improved and the technology became more readily available the need for specialized flotilla leaders decreased and their functions were adopted by all destroyers The last specialized flotilla leader to be built for the Royal Navy was HMS Inglefield launched in 1936 Subsequent leaders used the same design as the private ships of the class with minor detailed changes to suit them to their role In the Royal Navy the flotilla leader and commanding officer were known as Captain D In the Royal Navy flotilla leaders and divisional leaders could be identified by particular coloured bands painted on their funnels Contents 1 Flotilla leader designs 1 1 French Navy 1 2 German Navy 1 3 Imperial Japanese Navy 1 4 Royal Navy 1 5 Royal Italian Navy 1 6 Royal Netherlands Navy 1 7 Royal Romanian Navy 1 8 Royal Yugoslav Navy 1 9 Soviet Navy 1 10 United States Navy 2 See also 3 Notes 4 References 5 External linksFlotilla leader designs editFrench Navy edit Jaguar class flotilla leader 1 Guepard class flotilla leader 2 Aigle class flotilla leader 2 Le Fantasque class flotilla leader 2 German Navy edit Type 1936A class destroyer 3 Imperial Japanese Navy edit Tenryu class light cruiser 4 Kuma class light cruiser Nagara class light cruiser 5 Sendai class light cruiser 6 Agano class light cruiser 7 Royal Navy edit Swift prototype 1907 Faulknor class leader 1915 Marksman class leader 1915 Parker class leader 1916 Admiralty V class leader Admiralty type leader 1918 Thornycroft type leader 1920 The leader of each of the interwar standard A through I classes was built to a slightly enlarged design Codrington 1930 Keith 1931 Kempenfelt 1932 Duncan 1933 Exmouth 1934 Faulknor 1935 Grenville 1936 Hardy 1936 Inglefield 1937 Royal Italian Navy edit Capitani Romani class flotilla leaderRoyal Netherlands Navy edit Tromp class flotilla leader 8 Sometimes classed as a light cruiser Royal Romanian Navy edit Mărăști class flotilla leaderRoyal Yugoslav Navy edit Destroyer Dubrovnik 1931 Destroyer SplitSoviet Navy edit Leningrad class destroyer 9 Tashkent class destroyer 10 United States Navy edit nbsp Ships of US Destroyer Squadron 3 at San Diego in 1941 with the visibly larger Porter class flotilla leader USS Clark in frontPorter class destroyers 11 Somers class destroyers 12 Atlanta class light cruisers were originally designed as flotilla leaders though soon retasked as anti aircraft cruisers 13 See the List of United States Navy destroyer leaders for post World War II shipsSee also editDestroyer leader Esploratori Scout cruiser List of destroyers of the Second World WarNotes edit Le Masson p 8 a b c Le Masson p 14 Lenton 1975 p 72 Watts p 71 Watts p 75 Whitley pp 164 amp 165 Whitley pp 186 amp 187 Lenton 1968 p 12 Hill Alexander 2018 Soviet Destroyers of World War II Oxford Osprey Publishing p 24 ISBN 9781472822567 Hill Alexander 2018 Soviet Destroyers of World War II p 42 Silverstone p 114 Silverstone p 118 Ewing p 92References editEwing Steve 1984 American Cruisers of World War II Missoula Montana Pictorial Histories Publishing Company ISBN 0 933126 51 4 Hill Alexander 2018 Soviet Destroyers of World War II Oxford Osprey Publishing ISBN 9781472822567 Le Masson Henri 1969 Navies of the Second World War Vol The French Navy 1 Garden City New York Doubleday and Company Lenton H T 1975 German Warships of the Second World War New York ARCO Publishing ISBN 0 668 04037 8 Lenton H T 1968 Navies of the Second World War Vol Royal Netherlands Navy Garden City New York Doubleday amp Company Silverstone Paul H 1968 U S Warships of World War II Garden City New York Doubleday amp Company Watts Anthony J 1966 Japanese Warships of World War II Garden City New York Doubleday amp Company Whitley M J 1995 Cruisers of World War Two London Arms and Armour Press ISBN 1 86019 8740 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Flotilla leaders Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Flotilla leader amp oldid 1080099952, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
