Metropolitan Fleet

On October 1, 1902, Admiral Superintendent of Naval Reserves Gerard Noel was appointed commander of the metropolitan fleet ^[1] . The new fleet consisted of a core, represented by a squadron of a metropolis of four ships, and a combined detachment of coast guard vessels, periodically recruited several times a year ^[2] . The flagship of the fleet was the pre-dreadnought HMS Empress of India under the command of Rear Admiral George Atkinson-Wills.

On December 14, 1904 , the Canal fleet becomes the Atlantic Fleet, and its former name passes to the metropolitan fleet. After a series of commander-in-chief shifts in 1907, 1909 and 1911, by the beginning of World War I, the fleet came under the command of Count John Jellico and became part of the Grand Fleet .

After the dissolution of the Grand Fleet in April 1919, the most powerful ships remained in the British Atlantic Fleet, and the obsolete ships entered the metropolitan fleet, which in the fall of 1919 became known as the Reserve Fleet.

The former name Home Fleet was returned to the Atlantic Fleet in March 1932 after the Invergordon rebellion . In 1933, Admiral John Kelly became its commander. The forces of the fleet were: the flagship battleship HMS Nelson , the second squadron of battleships (English) (five battleships), the linear squadron (Eng.) ( HMS Hood and HMS Renown ), the second cruising squadron (Vice Admiral Edward Astley-Rushton, HMS Dorsetshire and two more cruisers), three destroyer flotillas (27 ships), a submarine flotilla (6 submarines), two aircraft carriers and auxiliary vessels ^[3] .

Commanders of the fleet of the interwar period:

• Admiral John Kelly (1932-1933)
• Admiral William Boyle (1933-1935)
• Admiral Roger Backhouse (1935-1938)

During World War II , the metropolitan fleet was Britain's main naval force in the European theater of operations . As of September 3, 1939, the following forces were at the disposal of Admiral Forbes (flagship battleship HMS Nelson ) ^[4] :

• 2nd Line Squadron (Eng.) ,
• battle cruiser squadron,
• 18th cruising squadron,
• destroyer compound
• submarine forces (2nd (Dundee) and 6th (Blyth) submarine flotilla),
• aircraft carriers HMS Ark Royal (Vice Admiral L. Wells), HMS Furious , HMS Pegasus ,
• garrisons of Orkney and Shetland islands.

The main task of the fleet was to keep the German fleet from breaking into the North Sea . For this purpose, the advantageously located Scapa Flow base was restored.

At the beginning of the war, the fleet suffered unexpected losses. On October 14, 1939, the German submarine U-47_ (1938) entered the safe harbor of Scapa Flow and sank the old battleship HMS Royal Oak . In 1941, the battle in the Danish Strait killed the battle cruiser HMS Hood .

The coverage area of ​​the metropolitan fleet was not strictly delineated, and ships were necessarily transferred to other associations. Separate commands were created in the southern North Sea and the English Channel , in addition to the Western Approaches , organized to protect communications on the approaches to the British Isles. Only after the destruction of the last German battleship Tirpitz did this maritime theater become secondary, and heavy ships were recalled to the Far East.

The commanders of the fleet of the Metropolis during the Second World War ^[5] :

• Admiral Charles Forbes (1939-1940),
• Admiral John Tovey (1940-1942),
• Admiral Bruce Frazer (1942-1944)
• Admiral Henry Moore (June 14, 1944 - November 24, 1945) ^[6] .

After the war, the fleet returned to peacetime duties in the territorial waters of the Kingdom and in the Atlantic. Together with the forces allied in the NATO bloc, the sailors opposed the Soviet Navy during the years of confrontation with the Cold War. In the summer of 1949, Admiral Roderick McGregor led the joint exercises of Great Britain, France, and the Netherlands. Admiral’s headquarters is located on the aircraft carrier HMS Implacable . In addition to cruisers and destroyers, the aircraft carrier HMS Victorious and the battleship HMS Anson participated in the exercises.

The next flagship of the fleet was HMS Vanguard , which was chosen by Admiral Philip Vian, who commanded the fleet in 1950-52. ^[7] In 1951, the composition of the ships was replenished with the light aircraft carrier HMS Theseus , who led the 2nd aircraft carrier squadron ^[8] .

In the new NATO forces structure in 1953, the Metropolitan Fleet Commander received the duties of High Atlantic Commander (SACLANT ) . The headquarters was divided between Northwood (London) and Portsmouth until it finally moved to London in 1966. During the Mainbrace exercises , NATO forces first tested the defense of Northern Europe, Denmark and Norway.

Meanwhile, cooperation led to a conflict of interest. The US Atomic Energy Control Act ruled out the possibility of British control of the US Navy’s nuclear-weapon carrier groups within NATO, leading to the separation of the US Atlantic Attack Fleet directly subordinate to the US Atlantic Fleet in late 1952 ^[9] . US-UK nuclear cooperation resumed in 1958.

In 1956, the flagship became the floating base HMS Maidstone . In April 1963, the Northwood fleet headquarters was designated as HMS Warrior .

In 1967, the metropolitan fleet merged with the Mediterranean fleet into the British Western fleet , which, in turn, in 1971 merged with the Eastern fleet into a single command.

Commanders-in-chief of the fleet of the Metropolis of the post-war period ^[10] :

• Admiral Edward Seifret (1945-1948)
• Admiral Roderick McGregor (1948-1950)
• Admiral Philip Vian (1950-1952)
• Admiral George Chrisie (1952-1954)
• Admiral Michael Danny (1954–1955)
• Admiral John Eccles (1955-1958)
• Admiral William Davis (1958-1960)
• Admiral Wilfried Woods (1960-1963)
• Admiral Charles Madden (1963-1965)
• Admiral John Fruyen (1965-1967)