Flotilla leader

Dubrovnik,a large destroyer design built as a flotilla leader

Aflotilla leaderwas a warship of late 19th century and early 20th century navies suitable for commanding aflotillaofdestroyersor other small warships, typically a smallcruiseror a large destroyer (known as adestroyer leader). The flotilla leader provided space, equipment and staff for the flotillacommodore(who typically held the rank ofcaptain), including a wireless room, senior engineering and gunnery officers, and administrative staff to support the officers. Originally, olderlightorscout cruiserswere 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.

As destroyers changed from specialized anti-torpedo boatvessels that operated in squadrons to larger multi-purpose ships that operated alone or as leaders of groups of smaller vessels, and ascommand and controltechniques 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 theRoyal NavywasHMSInglefield,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 asCaptain (D).In the Royal Navy, flotilla leaders anddivisionalleaders could be identified by particularcoloured bands painted on their funnels.

Flotilla leader designs

French Navy

• Jaguar-class flotilla leader
• Guépard-class flotilla leader
• Aigle-class flotilla leader
• Le Fantasque-class flotilla leader

German Navy

• Type 1936A-class destroyer

Imperial Japanese Navy

• Tenryū-class light cruiser
• Kuma-class light cruiser
• Nagara-class light cruiser
• Sendai-class light cruiser
• Agano-class light cruiser

Royal Navy

• 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-throughI-classeswas 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

• Capitani Romani-class flotilla leader

Royal Netherlands Navy

• Tromp-class flotilla leader(Sometimes classed as a light cruiser)

Royal Romanian Navy

• Mărăști-class flotilla leader

Royal Yugoslav Navy

• DestroyerDubrovnik(1931)
• DestroyerSplit

Soviet Navy

• Leningrad-class destroyer
• Tashkent-class destroyer

United States Navy

Ships of US Destroyer Squadron 3 at San Diego in 1941, with the visibly largerPorter-classflotilla leaderUSSClarkin front

• Porter-class destroyers
• Somers-class destroyers
• Atlanta-class light cruisers(were originally designed as flotilla leaders, though soon retasked as anti-aircraft cruisers)
• See theList of United States Navy destroyer leadersfor post-World War II ships

See also

• Destroyer leader
• Esploratori
• Scout cruiser
• List of destroyers of the Second World War

References

• 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.