76-851: The East Indies Station was a formation and command of the British Royal Navy . Created in 1744 by the Admiralty , it was under the command of the Commander-in-Chief, East Indies. Even in official documents, the term East Indies Station was often used. In 1941, the ships of the China Squadron and East Indies Squadron were merged to form the Eastern Fleet under the control of the Commander-in-Chief, Eastern Fleet . The China Station then ceased as
152-488: A Type 281 early-warning radar , a Type 273 surface- search radar and a pair of Type 285 anti-aircraft gunnery radars were fitted on the roofs of the newly-installed four-inch directors. The repairs were completed by May 1942 and Hawkins returned to the Indian Ocean where she was assigned to the Eastern Fleet . She resumed her convoy escort duties and continued to patrol in search of Axis commerce raiders for
228-482: A beam of 65 feet (19.8 m) and a draught of 19 feet 3 inches (5.9 m) at deep load . She displaced 9,800 long tons (10,000 t ) at normal load and 12,110 long tons (12,300 t) at deep load. The ship had a metacentric height of 4 ft (1.2 m) fully loaded. Her crew consisted of 712 officers and ratings . Hawkins was powered by four Parsons geared steam turbines , each driving one propeller shaft using steam provided by
304-497: A British aircraft. Hawkins remained in the Indian Ocean, escorting convoys and searching for Axis commerce raiders, until she returned to the UK to begin a refit at HM Dockyard, Devonport , on 4 December. Her light anti-aircraft armament was greatly augmented by the addition of two quadruple two-pounder mounts and the exchange of a pair of two-pounder single mounts for seven single 20 mm (0.8 in) Oerlikon AA guns. In addition,
380-597: A Combined Joint Task Force (CJTF) would be such a temporary grouping that includes elements of more than one armed service and more than one nation. HMS Hawkins (D86) HMS Hawkins was the lead ship of her class of five heavy cruisers built for the Royal Navy during the First World War , although the ship was not completed until 1919. She was assigned to the China Station until 1928 and
456-500: A balanced, combined combat force. The formations only differ in their ability to achieve different scales of application of force to achieve different strategic, operational and tactical goals and mission objectives." It is a composite military organization that includes a mixture of integrated and operationally attached sub-units, and is usually combat-capable. Examples of formations include divisions , brigades , battalions , wings , etc. Formation may also refer to tactical formation ,
532-692: A base for cruisers operating against the slaving dhows, for four years. By 1873, London was a hulk , serving as a depot ship in Zanzibar Bay, off the east coast of Africa. In March 1878, she was recommissioned and involved in the suppression of the slave trade in the area, serving as a central depot for many smaller steam screw boats; she functioned as a repair depot, a hospital and a storage ship. At this time, there were Africans from West Africa (Kroomen or Krumen) and East Africa ( Seedies or Sidis) serving on board. There were also Zanzibari and Arab interpreters and cooks from Portuguese Goa (India). London
608-592: A command is a collection of units and formations under the control of a single officer, although during World War II a command was also a name given to a battlegroup in the United States Army . In general, it is an administrative and executive strategic headquarters that is responsible to the national government or the national military headquarters . It is not uncommon for a nation's services to each consist of their own command (such as Land Component, Air Component, Naval Component, and Medical Component in
684-492: A dozen Yarrow boilers , four of which were coal fired. The turbines, rated at 60,000 shaft horsepower (45,000 kW ), were intended to give a maximum speed of 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph). During her sea trials at deep displacement, the ship reached 28.7 knots (53.2 km/h; 33.0 mph) from 61,000 shp (45,000 kW), 0.3 knots (0.56 km/h; 0.35 mph) below her designed speed at full load. Hawkins carried enough fuel oil and coal to give her
760-424: A fraction of personnel in infantry units. In western militaries, a joint force is defined as a unit or formation comprising representation of combat power from two or more branches of the military. Gendarmeries , military police and security forces , including equivalents such as paramilitary forces , militia , internal troops and police tactical unit , are an internal security service common in most of
836-605: A heavy cruiser and her original armament was reinstalled. Hawkins reentered service in early 1940 and was assigned to the South Atlantic Division where she patrolled for Axis commerce raiders and escorted convoys. The following year, she was transferred to the Indian Ocean where she played a small role in the East African campaign in early 1941. At the end of the year, the ship returned home for
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#1732773206779912-614: A lengthy refit. Upon its completion in mid-1942, Hawkins was assigned to the Eastern Fleet and resumed her former roles of patrolling and escort duty for the next two years. The ship returned to the UK in early 1944 to participate in Operation Neptune , the naval portion of the invasion of Normandy in June. She bombarded German coastal defences on 6 June, but was paid off in July. The Royal Navy decided to convert her back into
988-610: A long time, and were devised by various military thinkers throughout European history. For example, the modern Corps was first introduced in France about 1805 by Napoleon as a more flexible tactical grouping of two or more divisions during the Napoleonic Wars . OF 8: Lieutenant General OR-2: private first class Rungs may be skipped in this ladder: for example, typically NATO forces skip from battalion to brigade. Likewise, only large military powers may have organizations at
1064-485: A member of the government's cabinet , usually known as a minister of defence . In presidential systems , such as the United States , the president is the commander-in-chief , and the cabinet-level defense minister is second in command. Subordinated to that position are often secretaries for specific major operational divisions of the armed forces as a whole, such as those that provide general support services to
1140-482: A part of military or paramilitary organizations, such as insurgent forces, often emulate military organizations, or use these structures. The use of formalized ranks in a hierarchical structure came into widespread use with the Roman Army . In modern times, executive control, management and administration of military organization is typically undertaken by governments through a government department within
1216-596: A period flew his flag afloat in HMS ; Egret . At the beginning of the war, Rear Admiral A.J.L. Murray was Senior Officer, Red Sea Force . On 21 October 1941, the title was changed to Flag Officer, Red Sea , and that officer was resubordinated to the Commander-in-Chief Mediterranean Fleet , until 17 May 1942. On 18 May 1942 the title was changed again to Flag Officer, Commanding Red Sea and Canal Area , and transferred again to
1292-465: A range of 5,640 nautical miles (10,450 km; 6,490 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). The main armament of the Hawkins -class ships consisted of seven 7.5-inch (191 mm) Mk VI guns in single mounts protected by 1-inch (25 mm) gun shields . They were arranged with five guns on the centreline , four of which were in superfiring pairs fore and aft of the superstructure ,
1368-484: A separate command. The East Indies Station was disbanded in 1958. It encompassed Royal Navy Dockyards and bases in East Africa , Middle East , India and Ceylon , and other ships not attached to other fleets. For many years under rear admirals, from the 1930s the Commander-in-Chief was often an Admiral or a Vice-Admiral. The East Indies Station was established as a Royal Navy command in 1744. From 1831 to 1865,
1444-491: A squadron of tanks augmented with infantry, or the combination of a full company of infantry with a full squadron of tanks. During World War II the Red Army used the same basic organizational structure. However, in the beginning many units were greatly underpowered and their size was actually one level below on the ladder that is usually used elsewhere; for example, a division in the early-WWII Red Army would have been about
1520-703: A temporary grouping for a specific operational purpose. Aside from administrative hierarchical forms of organization that have evolved since the early 17th century in Europe, fighting forces have been grouped for specific operational purposes into mission-related organizations such as the German Kampfgruppe or the U.S. Combat Team (Army) and Task Force (Navy) during the Second World War, or the Soviet Operational manoeuvre group during
1596-474: A training ship while she was under repair, but that work was cancelled in 1945. Hawkins was placed back in reserve that year and was used for bombing trials in 1947. The vessel was sold for scrap later that year. The Hawkins -class cruisers were designed to be able to hunt down commerce raiders in the open ocean, for which they needed a heavy armament, high speed and long range. Hawkins had an overall length of 605 feet 1.5 inches (184.4 m),
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#17327732067791672-507: Is a civil law enforcement agency . A number of countries have no navy, for geographical reasons. In larger armed forces, the cultures between the different branches of the armed forces can be quite different. Most smaller countries have a single organization that encompasses all armed forces employed by the country in question. Armies of developing countries tend to consist primarily of infantry , while developed countries armies tend to have larger units manning expensive equipment and only
1748-593: Is considered its sub-unit or minor unit. It is not uncommon in the United States for unit and formation to be used synonymously. In Commonwealth practice, formation is not used for smaller organizations such as battalions, which are instead called "units", and their constituent platoons or companies are referred to as sub-units. In the Commonwealth, formations are divisions, brigades, etc. Different armed forces , and even different branches of service of
1824-450: Is divided into sections (platoons) composed of 3 x "groupes de combat" of 7 soldiers, plus a group of vehicle crews and a HQ that includes 2 x snipers. Army , army group , region , and theatre are all large formations that vary significantly between armed forces in size and hierarchy position. While divisions were the traditional level at which support elements (field artillery, hospital, logistics and maintenance, etc.) were added to
1900-450: Is primarily based on a number of standard groupings of vessels, including the carrier strike group and the expeditionary strike group . Additionally, naval organization continues aboard a single ship. The complement forms three or four departments (such as tactical and engineering), each of which has a number of divisions, followed by work centers. The organizational structures of air forces vary between nations: some air forces (such as
1976-439: Is the structuring of the armed forces of a state so as to offer such military capability as a national defense policy may require. Formal military organization tends to use hierarchical forms (see Modern hierarchy for terminology and approximate troop strength per hierarchical unit). In some countries, paramilitary forces are included in a nation's armed forces, though not considered military. Armed forces that are not
2052-590: The Belgian Army ), but this does not preclude the existence of commands that are not service-based. A formation is defined by the U.S. Department of Defense as "two or more aircraft, ships, or units proceeding together under a commander". Fomin in the Great Soviet Encyclopedia emphasised its combined-arms nature: "Formations are those military organisations which are formed from different speciality Arms and Services troop units to create
2128-800: The Eastern Fleet . The Royal Navy's presence in the Persian Gulf was originally located at Basidu , Qishm Island, in Persia (c. 1850–1935), then later Juffair , Bahrain . It was commanded by the Senior Naval Officer, Persian Gulf . It included a naval base, depot and naval forces known as the Persian Gulf Patrol, then the Persian Gulf Squadron later called the Persian Gulf Division. It
2204-678: The Home Fleet , she was detached to the Western Task Force Gunfire Support Bombardment Force U to support American troops landing at Utah Beach . On 6 June, the ship bombarded the coastal artillery positions in Grandcamp-Maisy and Saint-Martin-de-Varreville with some effect. The following month she was paid off and was sent to Rosyth , Scotland, for repairs and to be converted into a training ship. The navy took advantage of
2280-646: The North America and West Indies Station . She patrolled off the South American coast, searching for German commerce raiders for most of the next year. In January 1941 Hawkins began escorting convoys off the West African coast, rescuing nine survivors from the oil tanker British Premier on 3 January, which had been torpedoed off Freetown by the U-65 . The following month, she escorted
2356-545: The Royal New Zealand Navy , or those navies that are effectively coast guards , are commanded by a rear-admiral (two-star rank), commodore (one-star rank) or even a captain . Aircraft carriers are typically commanded by a captain. Submarines and destroyers are typically commanded by a captain or commander. Some destroyers, particularly smaller destroyers such as frigates (formerly known as destroyer escorts ) are usually commanded by officers with
East Indies Station - Misplaced Pages Continue
2432-665: The United States Air Force and the Royal Air Force ) are divided into commands, groups and squadrons; others (such as the Soviet Air Force ) have an Army-style organizational structure. The modern Royal Canadian Air Force uses Air division as the formation between wings and the entire air command. Like the RAF, Canadian wings consist of squadrons. A task force is a unit or formation created as
2508-592: The aircraft carrier Formidable as she sailed up the East African coast bound for the Suez Canal . En route, the carrier's aircraft bombed the port of Mogadishu in Italian Somaliland on 2 February. Shortly afterwards, Hawkins was transferred to Force T which had been formed to support the British invasion of Italian Somaliland with gunfire from Hawkins and three other cruisers in addition to
2584-614: The armed forces are divided into three military branches (also service, armed service, or military service ): army , navy , and air force . Many countries have a variation on the standard model of three basic military branches. Some nations also organize their cyber force , emergencies service, medical service , military logistics , space force , marines , and special forces such as commandos or airborne forces as independent armed services. A nation's border guard or coast guard may also be an independent branch of its military, although in many nations border guard or coast guard
2660-431: The boiler and engine rooms , ranging from 1.5 to 3 inches (38 to 76 mm) thick. Their magazines were protected by an additional 0.5 to 1 inch (13 to 25 mm) of armour. There was a 1-inch aft transverse bulkhead and the conning tower was protected by 3-inch armour plates. The ships' deck protection consisted of 1 to 1.5 inches of high-tensile steel . Hawkins , named after Admiral Sir John Hawkins , one of
2736-469: The flotilla level and higher is less commonly abided by, as ships operate in smaller or larger groups in various situations that may change at a moment's notice. However, there is some common terminology used throughout navies to communicate the general concept of how many vessels might be in a unit. Navies are generally organized into groups for a specific purpose, usually strategic, and these organizational groupings appear and disappear frequently based on
2812-427: The light cruisers Glasgow , Danae , Dauntless , Durban , Emerald and Enterprise (some sources also place the heavy cruiser Hawkins as being on station on that date, while others report her being under refit and repair in the UK between early November 1941 & May 1942), and six armed merchant cruisers . Also assigned to the station was 814 Naval Air Squadron at China Bay , Ceylon, which unit
2888-399: The 15-foot (4.6 m) coincidence rangefinder in the pedestal-type gunnery director positioned under the spotting top at the head of the tripod mast . The ships were also fitted with one 12-foot (3.7 m) and a 9-foot (2.7 m) rangefinder. The Hawkins class were protected by a full-length waterline armoured belt that covered most of the ships' sides. It was thickest over
2964-799: The 1850s and 1860s, the Royal Navy fought to suppress the slave trade operating out of Zanzibar up to the North Coast of the Arabian Sea . An East African Squadron, which was part of the East Indies Station, was active in suppressing slavery in 1869. The mission of Sir Bartle Frere in 1869 "produced... a recommendation that a guardship be permanently stationed off the Zanzibar coast." Britain's real intentions in East Africa
3040-581: The Cold War. In the British and Commonwealth armies the battlegroup became the usual grouping of companies during the Second World War and the Cold War. Within NATO, a Joint Task Force (JTF) would be such a temporary grouping that includes elements from more than one armed service, a Combined Task Force (CTF) would be such a temporary grouping that includes elements from more than one nation, and
3116-494: The East Indies Station at the outbreak of the Second World War on 3 September 1939. In December 1941 it came under the command of the new Eastern Fleet . Vice-Admiral Sir Herbert Fitzherbert was the Flag Officer Commanding, Royal Indian Navy , from September 1939 to December 1941. The Senior Naval Officer, Red Sea , was responsible to the Commander-in-Chief, East Indies, and during the Second World War for
East Indies Station - Misplaced Pages Continue
3192-799: The East Indies and the China Station were a single command known as the East Indies and China Station . The East Indies Station, established in 1865, was responsible for British naval operations in the Indian Ocean (excluding the waters around the Dutch East Indies , South Africa and Australia ) and included the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea . From 1913, the station was renamed the Egypt and East Indies Station until 1918. During
3268-571: The East Indies was reappointed. During the 1950s, the task for Royal Navy vessels in the East Indies "..was to deliver fighting power in support of British foreign policy, be that in major warfighting (Korea) or low intensity operations such as counterinsurgency (Malaya), and to offer a British military presence in support of national policy." But disagreement over Suez meant that the Ceylonese Government did not wish to let British naval forces use their bases in an emergency, and this policy
3344-463: The U.S. Army Force Management Support Agency that prescribes the organization, manning, and equipage of units from divisional size and down, but also including the headquarters of Corps and Armies. It also provides information on the mission and capabilities of a unit as well as the unit's current status. A general TOE is applicable to a type of unit (for instance, infantry) rather than a specific unit (the 3rd Infantry Division). In this way, all units of
3420-617: The above-water torpedo tubes removed. In September of the latter year Hawkins became a cadet training ship. When the Second World War began in September 1939, Hawkins had her guns and torpedo tubes reinstalled and her anti-aircraft armament was reinforced by the addition of four single two-pounder AA guns. The ship recommissioned as a heavy cruiser in January 1940 and was assigned to the South American Division of
3496-526: The aircraft of the carrier Hermes . On 10–12 February, Hawkins captured five Italian merchant ships totalling 28,055 gross register tons (GRT) that had attempted to escape from Kismayo , including SS Adria . Ten days later the cruiser briefly joined the escorts of WS-5BX off Mombasa , British Kenya , but she was detached on the 22nd in an unsuccessful search for the German heavy cruiser Admiral Scheer after that ship had been spotted by
3572-418: The armed forces, may use the same name to denote different types of organizations. An example is the "squadron". In most navies a squadron is a formation of several ships; in most air forces it is a unit; in the U.S. Army it is a battalion-sized cavalry unit; and in Commonwealth armies a squadron is a company-sized sub-unit. A table of organization and equipment (TOE or TO&E) is a document published by
3648-473: The base of the mainmast . The rest of their anti-aircraft suite consisted of a pair of 2-pounder (1.6-inch (40 mm)) AA guns. The ships were also fitted with six 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes , one submerged and two above water on each broadside . The guns of the first three Hawkins -class ships to be completed, Vindictive , Raleigh and Hawkins , were controlled by a mechanical Mark I Dreyer Fire-control Table . It used data provided by
3724-551: The conditions and demands placed upon a navy. This contrasts with army organization where units remain static, with the same men and equipment, over long periods of time. The five-star ranks of admiral of the fleet and fleet admiral have largely been out of regular use since the 1990s, with the exception of ceremonial or honorary appointments. Currently, all major navies ( blue-water and green-water navies) are commanded by an admiral of either four-star rank or three-star rank depending on relative size. Smaller naval forces, such as
3800-640: The dockyard time and upgraded her anti-aircraft armament by exchanging her quadruple two-pounder mounts for octuple mounts and adding a pair of Oerlikon AA guns during 8–23 August. In September, she participated briefly in Highball trials in Loch Striven . The conversion was cancelled in May 1945 and Hawkins was reduced to reserve and laid up in the River Fal . In 1947 she was used for target trials to test
3876-568: The effectiveness of 500-pound (230 kg) and 1,000-pound (450 kg) bombs, and was bombed by Royal Air Force Avro Lincoln bombers from an altitude of 18,000 feet (5,500 m) off Spithead in May. A total of 616 bombs were dropped over 27 days, but only 29 struck the cruiser, of which 13 failed to detonate. Hawkins was transferred to the British Iron & Steel Corporation on 26 August 1947 and broken up in December that year at
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#17327732067793952-509: The fifth gun on the quarterdeck , and the last two as wing guns abreast the aft funnel . Their secondary armament consisted of ten 3-inch (76 mm) 20 cwt guns . Six of these were in low-angle mounts, two in casemates between the forward 7.5-inch guns, another pair on platforms abreast the conning tower and the remaining guns on a platform between the funnels, although all the low-angle guns were removed in 1921. The last four served as anti-aircraft (AA) guns and were positioned around
4028-615: The flagship of the 2nd Cruiser Squadron of the Atlantic Fleet until she reduced to the reserve on 5 May 1930. The ship was recommissioned again in September 1932 to become the flagship of the 4th Cruiser Squadron on the East Indies Station, but was again reduced to reserve in April 1935. The terms of the London Naval Treaty meant that Hawkins had to be demilitarised in 1937–1938 and she had all her 7.5-inch guns and
4104-548: The leaders of the fleet that defeated the Spanish Armada in 1588, has been the only ship of her name to serve in the Royal Navy. The ship was ordered in December 1915, laid down by HM Dockyard, Chatham on 3 June 1916, launched on 1 October 1917 and completed on 23 July 1919. Hawkins was the flagship of the 5th Light Cruiser Squadron on the China Station by September 1920 and continued in that role for
4180-503: The military, including their dependants. Then there are the heads of specific departmental agencies responsible for the provision and management of specific skill- and knowledge-based services such as strategic advice, capability development assessment, or military science provision of research, and design and development of technologies. Within each departmental agency will be found administrative branches responsible for further agency business specialization work. In most countries,
4256-409: The next eight years. She returned to Chatham on 12 November 1928 to undergo a refit that involved the removal of her four coal-fired boilers and the remaining eight oil-fired boilers modified to partially offset the loss of the other boilers. The ship's turbines were now rated at 55,000 shp (41,000 kW) to give her a speed of 29.5 knots (54.6 km/h; 33.9 mph). The coal-fired boiler room
4332-579: The next two years. During one of these escort missions, the troop ship SS Khedive Ismail was torpedoed with heavy loss of life by the Japanese submarine I-27 on 12 February 1944. Later that year, Hawkins returned home, visiting Scapa Flow , Lough Neagh and the Clyde for exercises before participating in the Normandy landings. Initially assigned to the 1st Cruiser Squadron of
4408-418: The period 1832–1865 . Post holders included: Note:The post was sometimes styled as Senior Naval Officer, Egypt, and Commander-in-Chief, East Indies Station. Included: Note: Under East Indies Station briefly when the Eastern Fleet its established Rear-Admiral Palliser becomes COS to C-in-C, Eastern Fleet. Formation (military) Military organization ( AE ) or military organisation ( BE )
4484-479: The physical arrangement or disposition of troops and weapons. Examples of formation in such usage include pakfront , panzerkeil , testudo formation , etc. A typical unit is a homogeneous military organization (either combat, combat-support or non-combat in capability) that includes service personnel predominantly from a single arm of service, or a branch of service, and its administrative and command functions are self-contained. Any unit subordinate to another unit
4560-399: The rank of commander. Corvettes , the smallest class of warship, are commanded by officers with the rank of commander or lieutenant-commander . Auxiliary ships, including gunboats , minesweepers , patrol boats , military riverine craft , tenders and torpedo boats are usually commanded by lieutenants , sub-lieutenants or warrant officers . Usually, the smaller the vessel, the lower
4636-479: The rank of the ship's commander. For example, patrol boats are often commanded by ensigns , while frigates are rarely commanded by an officer below the rank of commander. Historically, navies were far more rigid in structure. Ships were collected in divisions , which in turn were collected in numbered squadrons , which comprised a numbered fleet . Permission for a vessel to leave one unit and join another would have to be approved on paper. The modern U.S. Navy
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#17327732067794712-475: The same branch (such as infantry) follow the same structural guidelines. The following table gives an overview of some of the terms used to describe army hierarchy in armed forces across the world. Whilst it is recognized that there are differences between armies of different nations, many are modeled on the British or American models, or both. However, many military units and formations go back in history for
4788-683: The size of most nations' regiments or brigades. At the top of the ladder, what other nations would call an army group, the Red Army called a front . By contrast, during the same period the German Wehrmacht army groups, particularly on the Eastern Front , such as Army Group Centre significantly exceeded the above numbers, and were more cognate with the Soviet Strategic Directions . Naval organization at
4864-430: The structure of public administration , often known as a ministry of defence or department of defense . These in turn manage military branches that themselves command formations and units specialising in combat, combat support and combat-service support . The usually civilian or partly civilian executive control over the national military organization is exercised in democracies by an elected political leader as
4940-460: The top levels and different armies and countries may also use traditional names, creating considerable confusion: for example, a British or Canadian armored regiment (battalion) is divided into squadrons (companies) and troops (platoons), whereas an American cavalry squadron (battalion) is divided into troops (companies) and platoons. In the French system (used by many African countries) the company
5016-463: The unit structure, since World War II, many brigades now have such support units, and since the 1980s, regiments also have been receiving support elements. A regiment with such support elements is called a regimental combat team in US military parlance, or a battlegroup in the UK and other forces. Canadian Army doctrine also includes the combat team which is a company of infantry augmented with tanks, or
5092-463: The world, but uncommon in countries with English common law histories where civil police are employed to enforce the law, and there are tight restrictions on how the armed forces may be used to assist. It is common, at least in the European and North American militaries, to refer to the building blocks of a military as command s , formation s , and unit s . In a military context,
5168-421: Was a sub-command of the East Indies Station until 1958 when it was merged with the Red Sea Station under the new appointment of Commodore, Arabian Seas and Persian Gulf . [REDACTED] N = died in post Prior to 1862, flag officers were appointed to coloured squadrons. Command flags are shown below. See: Royal Navy ranks, rates, and uniforms of the 18th and 19th centuries . Post holders included: Note: for
5244-427: Was administered by the Flag Officer, East Africa. This officer was subordinate to the Commander-in-Chief, East Indies Station, then later came under the Eastern Fleet from 1862, from April 1942 to September 1943, and then the command's name changed back to the East Indies station. The Royal Indian Navy (RIN) was the naval force of British India and the Dominion of India from 1 May 1830 to 26 January 1950. It came under
5320-426: Was at that time equipped with Fairey Swordfish torpedo bombers . In response to increased Japanese threats, the separate East Indies Station was merged with the China Station in December 1941, to form the Eastern Fleet . Later the Eastern Fleet became the East Indies Fleet. In 1952, after the Second World War ended, the East Indies Fleet became the Far East Fleet . Meanwhile, a separate Commander-in-Chief for
5396-432: Was briefly assigned to the Atlantic Fleet in 1929–1930, always serving as a flagship , before being placed in reserve . Hawkins was recommissioned in 1932 for service on the East Indies Station , but returned to reserve three years later. The ship was disarmed in 1937–1938 and converted into a cadet training ship in 1938. When the Second World War began in 1939, the Royal Navy decided to reconvert her back into
5472-504: Was converted into an oil tank which increased her storage capacity to 2,600 long tons (2,642 t) and boosted her range by 20%. Her three-inch AA guns were replaced by an equal number of four-inch (102 mm) Mk V AA guns which were controlled by a Mk I HACS gunnery director. The ship was now equipped with the 15-inch rangefinder in the HACS director and three 12-inch rangefinders. Hawkins recommissioned on 31 December 1929 and became
5548-425: Was reaffirmed by the new government installed after the 1956 Ceylonese parliamentary election . The Navy Yard, and Admiralty House were handed over on 15 October 1957, the flag was lowered over the shore establishment HMS Highflyer , and the next day, 16 October 1957, the last flagship, HMS Ceylon , left Trincomalee. The station was temporarily relocated to Bahrain. The Senior Naval Officer, Persian Gulf
5624-453: Was sold and broken up in 1884. The East Indies Station had bases at Colombo , Trincomalee , Bombay , Basra and Aden . In early May 1941, the Commander-in-Chief directed forces to support the pursuit of Pinguin , the German raider that eventually sank after the action of 8 May 1941 against HMS Cornwall . On 7 December 1941, cruisers on the station included the heavy cruisers HMS Cornwall , Dorsetshire , and Exeter ;
5700-530: Was to become an independent commander with the title Commodore, Arabian Seas and Persian Gulf . "At nine o'clock on the morning of 7 September 1958, 'the flag of the one-hundredth Commander in Chief of the East Indies Station, Vice Admiral Sir Hilary Biggs, was hauled down over HMS Jufair ,'" the Royal Navy base in Bahrain . Originally established by the Royal Navy as East Coast of Africa Station (1862–1919)
5776-556: Was to stop other European naval powers from establishing any similar bases in the region, and the station's purpose was to protect British trade interests passing through the Western Indian Ocean. Rawley writes that Captain George Sulivan and his successor directed the activities of the old ship-of-the-line HMS London (1840) , reequipped as both prison and hospital, with some success. London served as
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