| Second Fleet | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1 May 1912–1914 |
| Country | |
| Branch | |
| Type | Fleet |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Vice-Admiral Sir Cecil Burney,Vice-Admiral Sir Frederick T. Hamilton |
TheSecond Fleet was areserveformation of theRoyal Navy that briefly existed before theFirst World War.
Formed on 1 May 1912 from the Third Division of theHome Fleet, its ships were manned by a nucleus crew during peacetime, but were intended to be manned by men from the naval schools when mobilised.[1] It reported directly to theCommander-in-Chief, Home Fleets. The fleetwas mobilised in late July 1914 as tensions increased between Great Britain andImperial Germany and remained on active duty until war was declared on 4 August.[2] It reformed the Channel Fleet upon the declaration of war and consisted of the Fifth and Sixth Battle Squadrons, equipped with a total of 15pre-dreadnought battleships and the majority of the Home Defence Patrol Flotillas.[3]
| Rank | Flag | Name | Term | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vice-Admiral Commanding Second Fleet[4] | ||||
| 1 | Vice-Admiral | Sir Frederick T. Hamilton | May 1912-December 1913 | |
| 2 | Vice-Admiral | Sir Cecil Burney | December 1913-August 1914 | |
| Unit | Notes | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5th Battle Squadron | (8 battleships)[6] |
| 2 | 6th Battle Squadron | (5-7 battleships)[7] |
| 3 | 5th Cruiser Squadron | (3-4 light cruisers)[8] |
| 4 | 6th Cruiser Squadron | 3–4 armoured cruisers)[9] |
| 5 | 7th Destroyer Flotilla | 20 destroyer-12 torpedo boat)[10] |