3rd and 4th Divisions (Royal Navy)

3rd and 4th Divisions
ActiveMarch 1909–May 1912
Country United Kingdom
Branch Royal Navy
TypeDivision

The 3rd and 4th Divisions was a naval formation of the Home Fleet, Royal Navy. It was created before the First World War from March 1909 until May 1912.[2]

In March 1909, following a Royal Navy re-organisation, the Channel Fleet was absorbed by the Home Fleet. The ships in home waters, including the former Channel Fleet, then became the Home Fleet's First and Second Divisions.[3] The former Home Fleet as it then stood became the Third and Fourth Divisions, which was actually a single formation under a vice-admiral.[4] These new divisions was made up of an 8-12 ship battle squadron that included either dreadnought battleships or pre-dreadnought battleships.[5] Within the Home Fleet there were two levels of availability - the ships of the 1st and 2nd Divisions which were fully operational, and those of the 3rd and 4th divisions that were either in reserve or partially manned.[6]

  1. ^ Watson. 2015
  2. ^ Watson, Graham. "Royal Navy Organisation and Ship Deployments 1900-1914". www.naval-history.net. Gordon Smith, 8 August 2015. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
  3. ^ Watson. 2015
  4. ^ Friedman, Norman (2014). Fighting the Great War at Sea: Strategy, Tactic and Technology. Seaforth Publishing. p. 118. ISBN 9781473849709.
  5. ^ Friedman. 2014
  6. ^ Watson. 2015