1
9 4 6
HMS
Victorious (Maritime
Quest)
Administration
Over
800 major warships and
auxiliaries in
commission.
840
ships deleted from List
and orders for another
727 cancelled.
Vote
“A”
strength
492,800. Total
manpower to be cut to
192,665.
Significant
imbalance of personnel
due to the large
number of ‘Hostilities
Only’ personnel
leaving service.
Equable
discharge system
difficult to
implement, especially
for those overseas.
New
pay code introduced,
anomalies met by payment
of ’War Excess’
Allowance.
Payment
of prize money abolished
and salvage awards
substituted.
Post-War
RNVR Divisions
established at London,
Liverpool, Newcastle,
Bristol, Southampton,
Shoreham, Hull, Glasgow
and Belfast, with East
Scotland Division
replaced by Forth and
Tay Divisions.
Following
the MIDDLETON Report.
Electrical Branch
introduced. To include
some Torpedo Branch and
Telegraphist
Branch personnel with
all Radio Mechanics
Transfer
of officers began
including RNVR Special
Branch and Warrant
Officers.
Officers
Redundancies
introduced at short
notice.
Ratings
All
Hostilities Only
personnel to be
discharged by 1949.
Instances
of Indiscipline due to
delays in
demobilisation.
Ships
Extensive
use of aircraft
carriers for trooping
duties.
HMS
VICTORIOUS carried war
brides to Australia and
elsewhere.
Some
captured E-Boats and
submarines taken into
use for trials.
HMS
EAGLE launched.
Backlog
of ships overdue for
refit.
Submarines
Deployed
in Dockyards to
supplement power
supplies.
Naval
Aviation
Fleet
Air Arm renamed Naval
Aviation.
Landing
trials of jet aircraft
in hand.
Home
Station
HMS
CERES commissioned at Wetherby,
Yorkshire to replace
school at Highgate,
London for Supply Branch
training
HMS
THUNDERER commissioned
at RNEC Manadon.
Plymouth Keyham
still to be used and RNB
for accommodation
Operation
DEADLIGHT – sinking of
German U-boats
completed.
20,000
mines swept involving
use of 513 British
minesweepers of which
three were lost.
Fishery
Protection Squadron
reconstituted and
included one sloop and
seven ALGERINE class
minesweepers.
Hydrographic
Survey work reverted to
peacetime requirements.
Foreign
Stations
Albanian
shore batteries fired on
ships in Corfu Channel.
HM
Destroyers SAUMAREZ (right
- Navy Photos) and
VOLAGE mined in Corfu
Channel. HMS SAUMAREZ
had to be scrapped.
Palestine
Patrol established in
Mediterranean to prevent
immigration into
Palestine.
US
atomic weapon tests
carried out at Bikini in
Pacific.
Naval
deployments made in
Greece because of local
political unrest.
HMS
TAMAR replaced HM
Frigate AIRE and
commissioned at Hong
Kong as Base Depot.
HMS
AIRE lost after
grounding on Bombay Reef
of Hainan when on
passage to UK with HMS
BONAVENTURE.
Hong
Kong administration
handed over to civil
authorities.
HM
Tug ENTICER lost when
going to assist Swedish
mercantile in South
China Sea.
1
9 4 7
Administration
35,000
Ratings conscripted
before May 1945 remained
waiting for release
75,000
Ratings were serving on
Hostilities Only
Engagements
Manpower
to be reduced to 192,855
from 592,000
Five
year refitting programme
commenced
New
ship preservation
methods using plastic
coating introduced for
ships held in Reserve
Intended
use of HMS HOTHAM (US
Built CAPTAIN Class
Frigate on Land-Lease)
for development of gas
turbine propulsion
machinery not started
Slow
progress of ship-born
guided missile (SEASLUG)
development.
Improvements
in standard of shore
accommodation delayed.
First
Warrant Electrical
Officer (Radio) promoted
Ships
HMS
VANGUARD (right -
Navy Photos) embarked
Royal Family for South
African tour.
HM
Light Fleet Aircraft
Carrier TRIUMPH visited
Kronstadt
and HM Cruiser LIVERPOOL
went to Sevastopol.
HM
King George VI reviewed
the Fleet in the Clyde.
RFA
BULAWAYO (Ex-German
tanker NORDMARK) used
for 'Alongside
Replenishment' Trials
(RAS)
Submarines
First
RN trials of Schnorkel
carried out by HM
Submarine ALLIANCE.
Submarines
still being used to
provide power in
dockyards.
Naval
Aviation
Total
manpower 182,560,
excluding 10,000 WRNS
and nurses.
Home
Station
Number
of minesweepers deployed
for minesweeping reduced
to 65 ships. 246 mines
swept.
German
fortress in Heligoland
destroyed.
Training
establishment HMS ROYAL
ARTHUR at Skegness moved
to Corsham,
Wiltshire for New Entry
training and for use as
Petty Officers
Leadership School.
HMS
INDUS Mechanical
Training Establishment
(MTE) at Devonport moved
to Portsmouth
Naval Base.
At
Londonderry HMS FERRET
renamed HMS SEA EAGLE. Commissioned
on 30th January and
first used for
anti-submarine
training in June 1947.
Became
Joint Service
Establishment for
anti-submarine
training.
Foreign
Stations
Store
Depots and dock
installations at
Alexandria handed back
to Egyptian government.
British
Pacific Fleet Base at
Sydney, Australia
transferred to
Singapore.
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9 4 8
Administration
Electrical
Branch Ratings structure
introduced.
Tobacco
users to be certified.
Areas
of complaints raised:
Ventilation,
Accommodation
afloat and ashore
Overcrowding
due to extra
complements.
Clothing
standard
General
messing,
Lack
of refrigerators
Lack
of air conditioning,
Poor
galley facilities
Poor
bathroom facilities
Extensive
shortage of trained
manpower due to
demobilisation.
Vote
"A"
strength now
167,300.
Extensive
reductions made to
strength of Fleet in
Home Waters,
Mediterranean and West
Indies.
Hydrographic
Department
produced Radio
Navigation Charts
suitable for use with
new DECCA System.
National
Oceanographic Institute
established.
No
battleship in Full
Commission but two in
use for training duties
with reduced complement.
H
M Battleships NELSON,
RODNEY, QUEEN
ELIZABETH, VALIANT and
H M Battlecruiser
RENOWN to be scrapped.
Reports
of Russian submarine
strength not confirmed
in Parliamentary
question.
Home
Dockyards undertook some
commercial work.
Officers
Warrant
Rank abolished
Commissioned
Warrant Officers and
Warrant Officers ranks
to be renamed Senior
Commissioned Officers
and Commissioned
Officers, collectively
to be known as Branch
Rank Officers.
Warrant
Officers Mess to be
abolished and officers
to join Wardroom Messes.
Midshipman
entry to be at 16
years instead of 13
years.
Period
at RN College, Dartmouth
reduced from 4 to 2
years.
Anticipated
that 29% of officers
will be ex-ratings by
1950.
National
Service intake reduced
to 2,000
Clearance
Diver Branch formed.
Ratings
Boy
ratings to be allowed in
frigates in lieu of
Seamen. To
be part of complement
in BAY Class Frigates.
Introduction
of new Electrical Branch
in 1947 revealed serious
shortage of electrical,
weapon and radio
maintenance personnel
due to loss of
"Hostilities Only"
ratings and by senior
ratings leaving the
service on completion of
regular engagements.
Ships
Diving
Support Ship HMS RECLAIM
established a Deep
Diving Record of 535
feet.
Four
BATTLE Class and three
WEAPON Class destroyers
completed.
HM
Light Fleet Aircraft
Carrier CENTAUR launched
but completion delayed
HM
Survey Ship DAMPIER
(ex-BAY Class Frigate,
ex-HMS HERNE BAY,
ex-LOCH EIL, right -
Navy Photos)
entered Hydrographic
service.
Generic
term Frigate to be
used for all types of
escorts, including
corvettes.
Test
carried out using
commercial GATRIC gas
turbine propulsion
machinery In HM MTB.509.
Aluminium
to be used in
construction of future
MTBs.
335
RN warships sold to
foreign or Commonwealth
navies since 1945.
Submarines
HMS
AMBUSH carried out Schnorkel
trials.
HMS
SERAPH streamlined to
act as 'Fast' underwater
target.
Midget
submarine trials carried
out using ex-German
craft
Naval
Aviation
HM
Light Fleet Aircraft
Carrier VENGEANCE
carried out cold weather
trials in Arctic.
Commercial helicopters
were embarked.
Home
Station
HMS
WILDFIRE at Sheerness
still in use for
training of Seaman Radar
ratings
Seaward
Defence title Introduced
for shore defence.
RAF
aircraft carried out
simulated nuclear attack
on Home Fleet ships at
second attempt
HM
Destroyer VIRAGO carried
cut trials on new
inflatable life raft.
Naval
parties assisted in
rescue work and removal
of flood water in
eastern Counties of UK.
All
practicable sweeping of
moored mines in NE
European waters
completed.
Extensive
work undertaken by Hydrographic
Service.
Foreign
Stations
Red
Sea and Indian Ocean
mine clearance still in
hand.
Admiralty
Fleet Order 4162/18
promulgated loss of the
East Indies Station
Colour. Last known sighting
was in September 1939
when handed over by HM
Cruiser GLOUCESTER to a
commercial Bank for safe
keeping.
Extensive
deployment of
Mediterranean Fleet
ships for Palestine
Patrol duties. Among the
40 ships intercepted in
1947was the American
mercantile PRESIDENT
WARFIELD.
HMS
CHALLENGER, HMS COCKADE
and HMS CONTEST landed
parties at Aden after
civil disturbances.
HMS
COCKADE assisted in the
arrest of a dissident
Group in Solomons
HMS
LOCH QUOICHE deployed at
Mogadiscio/Mogadishu,
Somalia after civil
unrest.
HMS
NIGERIA and HMS SNIPE
exchanged protests with
Argentine warships in
Antarctica.
Red
Sea patrols carried out
in Red Sea to intercept
slave traffic
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9 4 9
Administration
Royal
Navy Volunteer Wireless
Reserve (RNVWR)
reformed.
RAF
craft known as HMAFV
introduced in Admiralty
Fleet Order 144/49 to be
given names of aircraft.
Names
of seagoing Tenders for
RNVR Divisions
promulgated.
Officers
Warrant
Rank Title
abolished from 5 April
1949.
100
RNVR officers given RN
Commissions and 500
allowed an extension of
4 years service.
RNVR
recruiting ceiling
increased to 7,000.
New
Dartmouth Entry of 29
was made from 514
applications.
Ratings
National
Servicemen retained for
extra 3 months because
of Far East crisis.
Totals Increased to
10,000.
New
'Youth Entry' Scheme
introduced.
Number
of promotion
opportunities to
commissioned Rank
criticised in
Parliament.
National
Service Ratings required
to
serve in RNVR.
Low
re-engagement of
ratings completing 12
years service.
Out
of 1,600 applications
for Discharge by
Purchase 1,000 were
approved.
Marriage
Allowance increased.
Ships
Refits
for ships held in
Reserve Ship to be
undertaken in commercial
shipyards.
HM
Cruiser SHEFFIELD (right
- Navy Photos)
took troops to Belize
because of threat from
Guatemala.
HM
Sloop SPARROW trapped in
Ice in Antarctica.
USSR
returned some ships
loaned in 1944.
HM
Battleship VANGUARD
reduced to training
role.
HM
Aircraft Carrier
IMPLACABLE replaced HM
Battleship HOWE as Home
Fleet Flagship.
HM
Light Fleet Aircraft
Carrier BULWARK launched
but completion deferred.
HM
Escort Aircraft Carrier
CAMPANIA to be used as a
mobile exhibition during
Festival of Britain,
under Red
Ensign.
HM
Destroyers ROCKET and
RELENTLESS to be
converted for use as
anti-submarine
frigates.
Future
conversion of fleet
destroyers into
anti-submarine frigates
(Types 15 and 16)
planned.
HM
Cruiser ARETHUSA used
for nuclear radiation
trial.
HM
Cruiser DEVONSHIRE to be
used as Cadet Training
Ship.
HM
Light Fleet Aircraft
Carrier VENERABLE sold
to Netherlands and
renamed KARL VAN
DOORMAN.
HM
Cruiser ACHILLES sold to
India and renamed IS
DEHLI.
HM
Aircraft Carrier
TERRIBLE joined Royal
Australian Navy and
renamed HMAS SYDNEY.
HM
Cruiser AURORA sold to
China.
Naval
Aviation
SEA
VAMPIRE jet propelled
aircraft trails carried
out in HMS IMPLACABLE
and HMS WARRIOR.
"A"
identity in the
Executive Curl worn by
aircrew officers removed
from uniforms. In future
these officers are to be
Specialists within
Seaman Branch (eg
Communications Branch
officers.) All
future aircrew to be
officers. TAG
branch not to be
replaced. Air
Engineering Officers
and Air Electrical
Officers to be part of
(E) and (L) Branch.
Home
Station
First
Western European Union
naval exercises held.
NATO
Treaty ratified.
Defence
School, HMS PHOENIX,
opened at Stamshaw,
Portsmouth.
HM
Destroyer OPPORTUNE and
HM Minesweeper WAVE
rescued survivors from
coaster CYDONIA
which had
been mined in Cardigan
Bay.
HM
Minesweeper ROMOLA
rescued crew of trawler
MILDENHALL off north
Russia.
HM
Aircraft Carrier
ILLUSTRIOUS liberty boat
on passage to Portland
sank in Weymouth Bay
with 29 dead or missing.
Albert Medal awarded to
Boy Seaman for rescue.
Training
Ship IMPLACABLE disposed
of by sinking off Owers
Light after long service
(ex-French
DUGUAY TROUIN captured
in 1805.)
Foreign
Stations
Presentation
of British awards to US
citizens for services
during WW2 whilst with
British armed services,
made on board Frigate
BURGHEAD BAY at New
Orleans
Similar
awards to New Zealand
nationals promulgated in
Admiralty Fleet Orders
3999/49 and 31/8/48.
HM
Frigate AMETHYST trapped
and damaged in Yangtse
River by Chinese
Communists shore fire
and broke
out
to sea successfully.
Deployments
were made to counter any
threat when Communists
won civil war in China.
Chinese
Nationalists began
blockade of Shanghai.
HM
Destroyer COSSACK
rescued some passengers
from Chinese mercantile
as YINCHUNG off Formosa.
HM
Destroyer CONCORD and HM
Sloop ALACRITY unable to
help British flagged
mercantile WOO SANS
seized off Formosa by
Chinese Nationalists.
HM
Sloop BLACK SWAN unable
to intervene when
British mercantile SS
ANCHISES was bombed off
China.
Naval
gunfire support provided
to assist military
operations in Malaya
against insurgents.
1
9 5 0
Administration
Reserve
Fleet Divisions formed
at Portsmouth,
Devonport, Chatham,
Sheerness, Harwich and
Clyde.
RNVR
recruiting ceiling
increased to 9,000.
Naval
Weather Service
established as a
separate Department of
Admiralty.
Pay
increases announced.
Legal
Aid to be provided
from public funds for
those facing court
martial.
Installation
of air conditioning in
Sick Bays in hand.
Ship
habitability
improvements being
progressed.
83
Courts Martial held.
Officers
New
Entry age for
Dartmouth not proving
to be successful due
to lack of suitable
candidates.
Upper
Yardmen to be trained
at Dartmouth.
Twenty
five percent of
officers being drawn
from Lower Deck as
Upper Yardmen or
Branch List Officers.
Total
manpower including
WRNS and Nurses
143,000.
3,600
National servicemen
retained for further six
months due to Korean
Emergency.
Uniform
for Dartmouth Cadets to
be provided free and
tuition fees abolished.
Ratings
Five
and 6 year extension of
service after completing
time for pension
introduced.
Increase
in availability of
married quarters
forecast.
Free
sea passages for
dependants of those
serving on Foreign
Stations introduced.
Provision
of air passage to UK for
compassionate leave
introduced.
Compulsory
attendance for Church
services abolished.
Living
conditions in RN
Barracks to be
improved.
'Free
Gangway' introduced in
all shore
establishments.
Improvements
made to the composition
of Welfare Committees in
ships and shore
establishments
Rate
of re-engagements to
complete service for
pension
unsatisfactory.
Television
sets being provided in
RN Barracks, paid for by
Welfare Funds.
Senior
ratings not required to
wear uniform when off
duty and when going
ashore.
Free
issue of sheets made to
ratings serving
overseas.
Ships
HM
Aircraft Carrier ARK
ROYAL launched.
HM
Aircraft Carrier
VICTORIOUS to be
modernised.
HM
Aircraft Carrier
INDEFATIGABLE to be
brought out of Reserve
HM
Fleet Minesweeper
TRUELOVE carried out
clothing and equipment
trials in Arctic
conditions.
HM
SGB GREY GOOSE and HM
Destroyer HOTHAM to be
used for gas turbine
propulsion machinery
trials.
(Planned trials in HMS
HOTHAM were later
cancelled in 1952)
HM
Survey Ship VIDAL of new
design launched in HM
Dockyard Chatham.
Significant
RN deployments made with
UN Task Forces off
Korea.
89
ships to be refitted
and brought forward
for service to
supplement future
Fleet needs.
Malicious
damage reported in HM
Ships CHAPLET,
CAVENDISH, ILLUSTRIOUS,
MATAPAN, THESEUS,
URANIA, VENERABLE,
WOODBRIDGE HAVEN, HMAS
SYDNEY, HM Submarines
TALLY-HO (right -
Navy Photos/Mark
Teadham), TABARD
and TRENCHANT.
HM
Aircraft Carrier
MAJESTIC construction to
be resumed and ship
transferred to RAN and
renamed HMAS MELBOURNE.
TON
class coastal
minesweeper build
programme began.
Contract
placed with Y-ARD in
Glasgow to investigate
design of future
propulsion machinery. (Y-ARD
– a new commercial
company combining
facilities of Yarrow
Shipbuilders and the
Admiralty Research
Division.)
Hull
of HM Destroyer ALBUERA
used for structural
tests by the Admiralty
Naval Construction and
Research Department
(NCRE) at Rosyth.
Submarines
Three
RN "T" Class submarines
based at Sydney,
Australia for working
with RAN.
Modernisation
of "T" Class submarines
commenced.
Experiments
using HTP propulsion
carried out in HM
Submarine METEORITE.
Naval
Aviation
Aviation
Cadet Scheme introduced
to encourage recruitment
of aircrew.
Need
to recognise
requirements of
anti-submarine warfare
recognised as first
priority by 5th Sea
Lord.
Flight
decks to be
strengthened to
operate new design
aircraft.
Future
use of steam catapult
and vertical take-off
aircraft forecast.
Home
Station
Closure
of HMS COCHRANE at Rosyth
projected.
HMS
ROYAL ARTHUR at Corsham
ceased to be used for
New Entry training of
National Service
ratings.
Royal
Marine's School of Music
returned to Deal after
wartime dispersal to Burford,
Oxon.
HMS
VANGUARD became
Flagship, Home Fleet.
Foreign
Stations
Korean
War started and RN
warships joined US Navy
Task Force for service
under USN overall
command for duties of
east coast of Korea.
Personnel
due to leave RN retained
and some Reservists
Called-up.
Seven
fleet destroyers In
Mediterranean Fleet
replaced by
anti-submarine frigates.
HM
Dockyard Bermuda closed.
Naval
support still required
for military operations
against Malayan
insurgents.
