A fleet or naval fleet is a large formation of warships – the largest formation in any navy – controlled by one leader. A fleet at sea is the direct equivalent of an army on land.
64-1075: The Eastern Fleet , later called the East Indies Fleet , was a fleet of the Royal Navy which existed between 1941 and 1952. In 1904, the British First Sea Lord , Admiral Sir John Fisher , ordered that in the event of war the three main commands in the Far East , the East Indies Squadron , the China Station , and the Australian Squadron , should all come under one command called the Eastern Fleet based in Singapore . The Commander-in-Chief, China would then take command. During
128-610: A Russian Volunteer Fleet . Germany and the United Kingdom responded to the precedent by asking their shipping companies to design fast steamers with provision for mounting guns in time of war. In 1890 German and British shipyards built new civilian ships designed for wartime conversion, and France , Italy , Japan , Austria-Hungary , and the United States made similar agreements with their shipyards. In 1892 Russia likewise built two more auxiliary cruisers. In 1895
192-841: A false flag with guns concealed, and sometimes with her appearance altered with fake funnels and masts and often a fake paint scheme. The victim was thus engaged at point-blank range and had no chance to escape. In World War I, the Imperial German Navy initially used fast passenger ships, such as past holders of the Blue Riband for fastest North Atlantic crossings, but they made obvious and easy targets because of their very familiar silhouettes. The Germans, therefore, soon moved on to using captured and refitted Allied vessels, but principally modified transport ships. These were slower, but less recognizable. In both world wars, these ships were vulnerable to attack, and were withdrawn before
256-403: A number of small arms and the use of the ship's fire hoses to repel boarders. One notable exception to this were the ships of Pacific Nuclear Transport Limited , which are used to transport spent nuclear fuel and reprocessed uranium on behalf of British Nuclear Fuels Limited . Transporting enough fissile material between them to produce 50–60 nuclear weapons, these ships, beginning with
320-535: A particular ocean or sea . Most fleets are named after that ocean or sea, but the convention in the United States Navy is to use numbers. A fleet is typically commanded by an admiral , who is often also a commander in chief . Still, many fleets have been or are commanded by vice admirals or rear admirals . Most fleets are divided into several squadrons , each under a subordinate admiral. Those squadrons, in turn, are often divided into divisions. In
384-684: A result, more British aircraft carriers entered the area; added to the force were the battlecruiser Renown , the battleships Howe , Queen Elizabeth , Valiant and supporting warships. Preparations were put in hand for a more aggressive stance in the Indian Ocean and for British naval participation in the wide spaces of the Pacific Ocean . Agreement had been reached, after objections from Admiral Ernest King USN, but new procedures would need to be learnt by naval crews and Fleet Air Arm (FAA) aircrew. To this end, Operation Diplomat ,
448-431: A shipping container, in theory enabling any cargo ship to be armed with an anti-ship missile. This type of missile was allegedly capable of disabling or even sinking an aircraft carrier, but "it's not known how many of them would have to hit a carrier to knock it out of action, much less sink it." During the 2011 Libyan civil war , forces loyal to Gaddafi armed several merchant vessels and attempted to use them to blockade
512-442: A single fighter aircraft. The merchant aircraft carrier or "MAC" was a British or Dutch cargo ship with a flight deck that could carry a small number of aircraft. CAM and MAC ships remained as civilian ships operated by civilian crews, with Fleet Air Arm or Royal Netherlands Navy "air parties". Despite a rise in modern piracy , it was up until the early 2010s very unusual for modern merchant ships to be armed, save for maybe
576-562: A submarine force, to hinder Japan from using sea lanes between Burma and Singapore; and a large supporting escort force, responsible for protecting convoy roues between Suez ( Red Sea ) and India , and between the Cape of Good Hope and India. The Eastern Fleet included, from time to time, as well as British warships, a number of warships from the British Dominions of Australia and New Zealand as well as other Allied nations, such as
640-895: A total of 15 ships in 1914 and 1915, before finally running out of supplies and having to put into port in Virginia , where the Americans interned her and eventually converted her into the United States Navy troop transport USS Von Steuben . The most famous German commerce raider of World War I probably was Seeadler , a sailing ship under the command of the legendary Count Felix von Luckner . However, both Wolf and Möwe were each much more successful than Seeadler . In World War II, Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine operated ten very successful auxiliary cruisers, ranging in tonnage from 3,860 to 9,400; typically these vessels were equipped with: To preserve their cover, these ships flew
704-452: A training exercise, took place in late March 1944. The objective was for the fleet to rendezvous with a group of tankers (escorted by the Dutch cruiser HNLMS Tromp ) and practice refuelling at sea procedures. The ships then rendezvoused with United States Navy Task Group 58.5 , the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga and three destroyers. Admiral King requested that, during April,
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#1732772386303768-602: A vice. To put to sea invited heavy British reaction, while to stay in ports threatened by British and Commonwealth forces became impossible. In 1941, during the East African Campaign , these ports were captured by the British. Before the fall of Singapore , the Eastern Fleet's naval base at Singapore ( HM Naval Base ) was part of the British Far East Command . British defence planning in
832-511: The Action of 4 April 1941 . During World War II, German auxiliary cruisers are believed to have either sunk or captured some 800,000 long tons (812,838 t) of Allied shipping. Compare to the Q-ship , which was a disguised merchantman for anti-submarine operations. The CAM ship (from catapult armed merchantman) was a British merchantman fitted with a catapult that could launch, but not recover,
896-540: The Age of Sail , fleets were divided into van, center, and rear squadrons, named after each squadron's place in the line of battle . In more modern times, the squadrons are typically composed of homogeneous groups of the same class of warship , such as battleships or cruisers . Since many smaller navies contain a single fleet, the term the fleet is often synonymous with the navy . Multinational fleets are not uncommon in naval history. For example, several nations made up
960-794: The First World War , the squadrons retained their distinct identities and 'Eastern Fleet' was used only as a general term. The three-squadron structure continued until the Second World War and the beginning of hostilities with the Empire of Japan , when the Eastern Fleet was formally constituted on 8 December 1941, amalgamating the East Indies Squadron and the China Squadron. During the war, it included many ships and personnel from other navies, including those of
1024-739: The French battleship Richelieu , other ships from the Free French Naval Forces , the Netherlands, and the United States. After the departure of the main battle forces during February 1942, the Indian Ocean was left with mostly escort carriers and older battleships as the core of its naval forces. Allied advances in the Mediterranean and northern Europe during 1943 and 1944, however, released naval resources. As
1088-639: The Holy League fleet at the Battle of Lepanto in 1571, and a Franco-Spanish fleet faced the British Royal Navy at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. In modern times, NATO has formed standing combined fleets and operations from several national navies such as Operation Active Endeavour . Modern fleets combine surface warships , submarines , support ships, and ship-based aircraft to conduct naval operations at sea. Generally understood to be
1152-402: The Imperial German Navy mobilized the provisional auxiliary cruiser Normannia for a 15-day trial armed with eight 6-inch guns, two 3.5-inch (89 mm) guns, six 37-millimetre (1.46 in) guns, and two torpedo boats. In both World Wars, both Germany and the United Kingdom used auxiliary cruisers. While the British used armed passenger liners defensively for protecting their shipping,
1216-743: The Japanese capture of the Andaman Islands , the main elements of the Fleet retreated to Addu Atoll. On 7 April Somerville was given discretion by the Admiralty to send the slow Revenge -class battleships of Force B all the way back to Kilindini in East Africa , relatively safe from Japanese attack. The Indian Ocean raid by Chuichi Nagumo cost the Fleet the carrier Hermes , the cruisers HMS Dorsetshire and HMS Cornwall ,
1280-808: The Netherlands , Australia , New Zealand , and the United States . On 22 November 1944 the Eastern Fleet was re-designated East Indies fleet and continued to be based in Trincomalee. Following its re-designation its remaining ships formed the British Pacific Fleet . In December 1945 the British Pacific Fleet was disbanded and its forces were absorbed into the East Indies fleet. In 1952 the East Indies Fleet
1344-605: The Pacific Pintail and Pacific Teal , became armed in 1999 to avoid the cost of a Royal Navy escort. Travelling together in convoy during these ships' intermittent voyages, they have an onboard escort of armed police from the UKAEAC and its successors and are equipped with two or three 30 mm (1.18 in) autocannons . Another exception were various ships of the Soviet Union's Merchant Marine (MORFLOT) during
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#17327723863031408-570: The Rawalpindi was quickly sunk. The Spanish and United States Navies used auxiliary cruisers during the Spanish–American War of 1898. In World War I , too, American auxiliary cruisers fought several engagements with German U-boats. The German practice was to arm merchantmen with hidden weapons and use them as commerce raiders . An auxiliary cruiser, Hilfskreuzer or Handels-Stör-Kreuzer (HSK), usually approached her target under
1472-522: The United States Navy (USN), the Admiralty planned to send four Revenge -class battleships to Singapore to provide defensive firepower and a British presence. The British assumptions were destroyed on 7 December 1941: the impact of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor denied substantial USN support to the British defence of the "Malay barrier" and made impossible the relief of American garrisons in
1536-465: The blue water , or oceanic, green water or littoral versus the brown water or coastal/riverine forces. The fleets of larger navies are usually divided into smaller numbered or named fleets based on geographic operating areas or administrative groupings of the same type of ships. Modern fleets are usually administrative units. Individual task forces are formed to conduct specific operations. In fictional literary works and/or media, most notably in
1600-573: The sinking by air attack of the battleship Prince of Wales and battlecruiser Repulse , and the occupation of Malaya , Singapore and the Dutch East Indies , there was an aggressive threat from the east. This threat became a reality during the Indian Ocean raid when an overwhelming Japanese naval force operated in the eastern Indian Ocean, sinking an aircraft carrier and other warships, and disrupting freight traffic along
1664-458: The Australian light cruiser HMAS Sydney , which approached too close, though Kormoran was also sunk in the engagement. This was the only occasion in history when an armed merchantman managed to sink a modern warship ; in most cases, auxiliary cruiser raiders tried to avoid confrontation with warships. Kormoran ' s attack upon Sydney was motivated by desperation. She was not
1728-501: The Australian destroyer HMAS Vampire , and two tankers. Beyond the withdrawal of Force B, the Admiralty warned that Colombo could not be used for the present. Somerville kept Force A in Indian waters "to be ready to deal with any attempt by the enemy to command those waters with light forces only." Later, the fleet in the Indian Ocean was then gradually reduced to little more than a convoy escort force as other commitments called for
1792-624: The Cold War (MORFLOT often operated as an adjunct to Soviet foreign and military policy, both overtly and otherwise). In 2007, facing a chronic shortage of naval vessels the Cuban Navy placed into service the Rio Damuji class of frigates , which are large fishing trawlers converted into warships. In April 2010, it was reported that a Russian company was offering a version of the 3M-54 Klub missile that could be disguised and launched from
1856-687: The Commander-in-Chief, East Indies, on the outbreak of the Second World War and reverted to a separate command after the Japanese surrender. In addition to the Vice-Admiral commanding, Rear-Admiral Oliver Bevir served as Senior Officer, Royal Naval Establishments, India, from June 1944 to July 1945. Units that served in the two fleets included: Naval fleet In the modern sense, fleets are usually, but not necessarily, permanent formations and are generally assigned to
1920-805: The East Indies Fleet. With the Flag Officer, East Africa, was the Commodore, Naval Air Stations, East Africa , which was within the Eastern Fleet command from April 1942 to September 1943 then was transferred back to the East Indies Fleet. The Senior Naval Officer, Persian Gulf was responsible for administering Royal Navy ships and establishments in the Persian Gulf. He was initially located at Basra, in Mandatory Iraq, then later at HMS Juffair in Bahrain from 1901 to 1972. His command
1984-418: The Eastern Fleet should engage Japanese forces in their area and hold them there to reduce the opposition to an American seaborne assault on Hollandia and Aitape on the north coast of Netherlands New Guinea . In response, the Fleet, including Task Group 58.5, carried out Operation Cockpit , an air attack on Sabang , off Sumatra . Surprise was achieved: military and oil installations were heavily damaged by
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2048-477: The Eastern Fleet was the maritime component of South East Asia Command , including responsibilities beyond the SEAC area. The fleet reached full operational strength again by 1944. On 22 November 1944 the Eastern Fleet was split into the British Pacific Fleet , receiving the majority of the ships, and the remnant, which became known as the East Indies Fleet. Apart from the Eastern Fleet battle forces, it also included
2112-457: The Eastern Fleet. The fleet withdrew first to Java and, following the fall of Singapore, to Trincomalee , Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). Roskill writes in the War at Sea , Vol. II that: Admiral Somerville arrived at Colombo on the 26th of [March 1942], and he then took over command of the Eastern Fleet from Admiral Layton. His fleet consisted of the two large carriers Indomitable and Formidable,
2176-517: The German approach was to use them offensively to attack enemy shipping. The armed merchant cruisers (AMC) of the British Royal Navy were employed for convoy protection against enemy warships. They ultimately proved to have limited value and many, particularly ocean liners , were later converted into troopships, a role for which they were more suited. Documentary evidence quoted by the BBC researched from
2240-617: The German ship attacked the convoy. Though she and five vessels of the convoy were sunk, this enabled the rest of the convoy to escape. Her master, Acting Captain Edward Fegen was awarded the Victoria Cross posthumously for his actions. Another famous action involving an armed merchant cruiser was the November 1939 battle between HMS Rawalpindi and the German battlecruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau . Outgunned,
2304-583: The Indian east coast. At this stage, the Chief of the Imperial General Staff , General Sir Alan Brooke wrote of the situation in 14 April 1942: We were at the time literally hanging on by our eye-lids! Australia and India were threatened by the Japanese, we had temporarily lost control of the Indian Ocean, the Germans were threatening Iran and our oil, Auchinleck was in precarious straits in
2368-591: The Japanese during the Palembang raid. They were taken to Singapore where they were tortured and imprisoned; finally in August 1945 they were executed by the Japanese military authorities four days after the Japanese surrender. On 15–16 May 1945, the British fought the Battle of the Malacca Strait ; the 26th Destroyer Flotilla (composed of Saumarez , Venus , Verulam , Vigilant and Virago ) sank
2432-475: The Japanese heavy cruiser Haguro in the Malacca Straits using torpedoes . This officer supervised the Fleet's aircraft carriers and naval air stations. Air stations included RNAS China Bay (Trincomalee), RNAS Colombo Racecourse (HMS Bherunda ), Coimbatore, and RNAS Katukurunda. Responsible to the Commander-in-Chief, Eastern Fleet, from April 1942 to September 1943 then transferred back under
2496-465: The Pacific from 18 May after what Admiral Somerville called "a profitable and very happy association of Task Group 58.5 with the Eastern Fleet". At the end of August 1944, Admiral Somerville was relieved as Commander-in-Chief Eastern Fleet by Admiral Sir Bruce Fraser , former Commander-in-Chief Home Fleet . The Eastern Fleet was greatly augmented by units intended for the Pacific and on 4 January 1945,
2560-780: The Philippines. Furthermore, Japanese capabilities exceeded expectations. After the fall of France in June 1940, Japanese pressure on the Vichy authorities in French Indochina resulted in the granting of base and transit rights, albeit with significant restrictions. Despite this, in September 1940, the Japanese launched an invasion of that country. The bases thus acquired in Indochina allowed extended Japanese air cover of
2624-475: The area was based on two assumptions. The first was that the United States would remain as an effective ally in the western Pacific Ocean, with a fleet based at Manila , which would be available as a forward base for British warships. Secondly, the technical capabilities and aggression of the Imperial Japanese Navy were underestimated. In these circumstances, with the Japanese fleet engaged by
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2688-448: The attacks, aggravating Japanese fuel shortages. The American involvement was extended to capitalise on the success with a second attack, this time on Surabaya , eastern Java, on 17 May ( Operation Transom ). The distances for this operation necessitated replenishment at sea. Again, the defenders were unprepared and significant damage was inflicted on the port and its military and oil infrastructures. Saratoga and her destroyers returned to
2752-483: The base at Trincomalee , its deficiencies were clear to him. He found the port inadequate, vulnerable to a determined attack, and open to spying. An isolated island base with a safe, deep anchorage in a suitably strategic position was required. Addu Atoll , southernmost of the Maldives in the Indian Ocean, 600 miles southwest of Ceylon, met the requirements and it was secretly developed as a fleet anchorage. Following
2816-411: The battleship Warspite , the aircraft carriers HMS Indomitable , and HMS Formidable , and three cruisers. Force B was based around the slow Revenge -class battleships of the 3rd Battle Squadron , under Vice-Admiral Algernon Willis . Neither individually nor together could the two Eastern Fleet forces challenge a determined Japanese naval assault. When Admiral Somerville inspected
2880-591: The carriers Indomitable and Indefatigable carried out an attack on oil refineries at Pangkalan Brandon in Sumatra ( Operation Lentil ). The final attacks were flown as Force 63 was en route for Sydney , Australia to become the British Pacific Fleet . Operation Meridian was a series of air attacks upon the oil refineries at Pladjoe , north of Palembang , Java and at Soengei Gerong , Sumatra. Although successful, these were not as smooth as earlier attacks. Three crews (nine men) of Fleet Air Arm were captured by
2944-521: The desert, and the submarine sinkings were heavy. Until 1941, the main threat to British interests in the region was the presence of German commerce raiders ( auxiliary cruisers ) and submarines. The fleet had trade protection as its first priority and was required to escort convoys and eliminate the raiders. The Germans had converted merchant ships to act as commerce raiders and allocated supply ships to maintain them. The location and destruction of these German raiders consumed much British naval effort until
3008-678: The early stages of the First World War suggests that the express liners had greater speed than most warships (few warships of the period could exceed 21 knots), which made them suitable as AMCs. The downside proved to be their high fuel consumption; using them in a purely AMC role would have burned through the Admiralty reserve supplies of steam coal in less than three months. The ships were vulnerable to enemy fire because they lacked warship armour, and they used local control of guns rather than director fire-control systems , which reduced their effective fire power. A famous AMC of World War I
3072-634: The flags of neutral or occasionally Allied nations. They were refueled and provisioned from special supply ships, from Japanese island bases or from prizes they had taken. To counter the effectiveness of these disguises, the Allies introduced the check-mate system in 1942 to identify individual ships on a one-by-one basis with the Admiralty in London. In one incident, the German Kormoran (ex-merchantman Steiermark ) managed to surprise and sink
3136-478: The home countries were at war, a convoy system would be used whereby the ships were escorted by a warship . However, many East Indiamen also travelled on their own, and therefore were heavily armed in order to defend themselves against pirates and privateers . They also defended themselves against warships, scoring signal victories at the Battle of Pulo Aura and the action of 4 August 1800 . The British Royal Navy purchased several that it converted to ships of
3200-435: The invasion forces bound for Malaya and for the Dutch East Indies . In these circumstances, Prince of Wales and Repulse, which were dispatched to intercept the invasion force, were vulnerable to concerted air attacks from the Japanese bases in Indochina and, without their own air cover, they were sunk in December 1941. After the sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse , Admiral Sir Geoffrey Layton assumed command of
3264-404: The last raider – Michel – was sunk in October 1943. On 10 June 1940, the entry of Italy into the war introduced a new threat to the oil supply routes from the Persian Gulf , which passed through the Red Sea to the Mediterranean . The Italians controlled ports in Italian East Africa and Tianjin , China . The Italian Royal Navy ( Regia Marina ) presence in the Red Sea, Indian Ocean , and
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#17327723863033328-440: The line and chasing off regular French warships in the Battle of Pulo Aura in 1804, and the German auxiliary cruiser Kormoran sinking the Australian light cruiser HMAS Sydney in their battle in 1941, although Kormoran was also destroyed and had to be scuttled. East Indiamen of various European countries were heavily armed for their long journeys to the Far East . In particularly dangerous times, such as when
3392-520: The line . In 1856, privateering (or seizure of a belligerent country's merchant ships as a private enterprise) lost international sanction under the Declaration of Paris . From 1861 to 1865 European countries built high-speed ships to run the Union Blockade during the American Civil War . Some of these were armed and served as Confederate States Navy raiders. Russia purchased three ships in 1878 of 6,000 long tons (6,100 t ) armed with 6-inch (150 mm) guns for use as auxiliary cruisers for
3456-409: The more modern, powerful ships. In May 1942, the Eastern Fleet supported the invasion of Madagascar , Operation Ironclad . It was aimed at thwarting any attempt by Japanese vessels to use naval bases on the Vichy French controlled territory. During the invasion, vessels of the Eastern Fleet were confronted by vessels of the French Navy and submarines of the Imperial Japanese Navy. From October 1943,
3520-570: The most successful German raider of World War II (both Atlantis and Pinguin scored higher kill tonnages). Another, Stier , was also sunk in a mutually destructive engagement with the American Liberty ship SS Stephen Hopkins . The only encounters between Allied and Axis auxiliary cruisers in World War II were all with the raider Thor . This small vessel, which captured or sank 22 merchantmen, encountered three British AMCs in her career, defeating RMS Alcantara and HMS Carnarvon Castle and later sinking HMS Voltaire in
3584-448: The port of Misrata . In October 2011, British Prime Minister David Cameron announced that British merchant shipping passing through areas known for piracy were permitted to carry firearms. Since the late 19th century various navies have used armed merchant ships in the role of auxiliary cruisers , also called armed merchant cruisers . Significant use of this type of ship was made by Britain and Germany in both World Wars. Some of
3648-818: The realm of science fiction , the term 'fleet' has also been used for a group of space-faring vessels used for interstellar travel. Auxiliary cruisers An armed merchantman is a merchant ship equipped with guns, usually for defensive purposes, either by design or after the fact. In the days of sail, piracy and privateers , many merchantmen would be routinely armed, especially those engaging in long distance and high value trade. In more modern times, auxiliary cruisers were used offensively as merchant raiders to disrupt trade chiefly during both World War I and World War II, particularly by Germany. While armed merchantmen are clearly inferior to purpose-built warships, sometimes they have scored successes in combat against them. Examples include East Indiamen mimicking ships of
3712-410: The small carrier HMS Hermes , the battleships Warspite (recently returned from repairing battle damage received off Crete in America), Resolution, Ramillies, Royal Sovereign and Revenge, two heavy and five light cruisers (including the Dutch Heemskerck), sixteen destroyers and seven submarines. On 31 March Somerville decided to divide the Fleet into two: Force A and Force B. Force A consisted of
3776-424: The war ended. Many were sunk after being caught by regular warships – an unequal battle, since auxiliary cruisers had poor fire control and no armor. There were, however, a few success stories. Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse was a former passenger liner that sank two freighters in 1914 before being caught by HMS Highflyer . Her sister ship, Kronprinz Wilhelm , had a legendary journey, sinking or capturing
3840-427: The western Pacific Ocean consisted of destroyers, submarines, and a small number of armed merchantmen . The majority of these were based at Massawa in Eritrea as part of the Italian Red Sea Flotilla , including seven destroyers and eight submarines. Damage to British destroyers at this time included Kimberley which was crippled by Italian shore batteries. The Italian naval forces in East Africa were caught in
3904-466: Was critical. At the outbreak of war, Nazi Germany 's Kriegsmarine used auxiliary cruisers (converted merchant ships) and the "pocket battleship" Admiral Graf Spee to threaten the sea lanes and tie down the Royal Navy. In mid-1940, Italy declared war and their vessels based in Italian East Africa posed a threat to the supply routes through the Red Sea . Worse was to come when the Japanese declared war in December 1941 and, after Pearl Harbor ,
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#17327723863033968-412: Was part of the East Indies Station , then the Eastern Fleet, then the East Indies Fleet. There were also Naval Officers-in-Charge at Basra and for the Hormuz . The Flag Officer, Malaya commanded naval forces and establishments in Malaya including HMNB Singapore . Included: This officer commanded the aircraft carriers and the naval air stations. The Royal Indian Navy came under the command of
4032-441: Was renamed the Far East Fleet . Until the Second World War, the Indian Ocean had been a British "lake". It was ringed by significant British and Commonwealth possessions and much of the strategic supplies needed in peace and war had to pass across it: i.e. Persian oil, Malayan rubber, Indian tea, Australian and New Zealand foodstuffs. Britain also used Australian and New Zealand manpower; hence, safe passage for British cargo ships
4096-425: Was the British RMS Carmania which, after a battle that caused heavy damage on both sides, sank the German auxiliary cruiser SMS Cap Trafalgar near the Brazilian island of Trindade in 1914. By coincidence, Cap Trafalgar was disguised as Carmania . In World War II, HMS Jervis Bay , the sole escort for convoy HX 84 in November 1940, stood off the pocket battleship Admiral Scheer , when
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