List of fleets and major commands of the Royal Navy

The professional head of the Royal Navy is known as the First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff (1SL/CNS).

There are presently two senior subordinates to the 1SL: the Second Sea Lord, who is also the Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff; and the Fleet Commander.

Fleets up until 2012 Atlantic Fleet - Commander-in-Chief Atlantic Fleet (1909–1914, 1919–1932) Battle Cruiser Fleet (1915–19) British Pacific Fleet - Commander-in-Chief British Pacific Fleet (1944–1945) Commander-in-Chief Fleet (1971-2012, succeeded by post of Fleet Commander) Channel Fleet - Commander-in-Chief Channel Fleet (1904-1909, 1914–1915) Channel Squadron - Vice-Admiral, Commanding Channel Squadron (1859-1904) - designated Fleet Eastern Fleet - Commander-in-Chief Eastern Fleet (formerly only C-in-Cs East Indies, Australia and China Stations), 1941–1971. First Fleet - Commander-in-Chief First Fleet, (1912–14) Far East Fleet - Commander, Far East Fleet c.1952-1971 Grand Fleet - Commander-in-Chief Grand Fleet (1914-1918) Home Fleet - Commander-in-Chief Home Fleet (1902–1904 and 1932–1967) Mediterranean Fleet - Commander-in-Chief Mediterranean (1690–1967) North Sea Fleet, Commander-in-Chief, North Sea Fleet, (1781-1815) Reserve Fleet - Vice Admiral Commanding, Reserve Fleet (interwar, at least since 1928 (1700 - 1960) Second Fleet - Commander-in-Chief Second Fleet, (1912–14) Third Fleet - Commander-in-Chief Third Fleet, (1912–14) Western Fleet - Commander-in-Chief Western Fleet (1967–1971)

Historic commands Included:

Commanders-in-Chief Commander-in-Chief, Africa, HQ Simonstown (1920–1939) (succeeded by South Atlantic from 1939). Commander-in-Chief, Australia, HQ Admiralty House, Sydney (1859–1913) Commander-in-Chief, Coast of Ireland, HQ Queenstown, now called Cobh, (1915-1919) Commander-in-Chief, Coast of Scotland (1919 to 1939, replaced Commander-in-Chief, Rosyth in 1919, and reverted to Commander-in-Chief, Rosyth in 1939) Commander-in-Chief, Cape of Good Hope Station, (1795–1939) Commander-in-Chief, China, HQ Singapore and Wei Hai Wei (1865–1941) Commander-in-Chief, Cork (1797-1848) Commander-in-Chief, Devonport, (1845-1896) Commander-in-Chief, The Downs - (1717–1834) Commander-in-Chief, East Indies, HQ Colombo Sri Lanka (Ceylon) (1865–1941) Commander-in-Chief, Dover - (1914–1945) Commander-in-Chief, East Indies and China, HQ Hong Kong (1831–1865) Commander-in-Chief, Jamaica (1655-1823) merged with North America and West Indies Station. Commander-in-Chief, Leeward Islands (1743–1821), Commander-in-Chief, Levant, (1941-late 1940s) Commander-in-Chief, Medway, (1698-1699) Commander-in-Chief, Medway and at the Nore, (1747-1797) Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command (CINCNAVHOME) (1969-2012) Commander-in-Chief, Newfoundland / Commodore-Governor (1729-1825) Commander in Chief, North Atlantic (1939–1945) Commander-in-Chief, The Nore (1745-1747), (1797-1834), (1899-1961) Commander-in-Chief, North America and West Indies, HQ Bermuda (from southern Brazil to Greenland) (1745–1956) Commander-in-Chief, Pacific HQ Valparaíso (1837–1865) Esquimalt (1865–1905) Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth (1667-1969) - (merged with CinC Plymouth into CinCNAVHOME) Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth (1743-1845), (1896-1969) (merged with CinC Portsmouth into CinCNAVHOME) Commander-in-Chief, Queenstown (1848-1876) Commander-in-Chief, Royal Indian Navy (1947-1950) Commander-in-Chief, Rosyth, (1913-1919 and 1939–1946; was renamed Commander-in-Chief, Coast of Scotland from 1919 to 1939) Commander-in-Chief, Sheerness, (1834-1899) Commander-in-Chief, South America HQ Valparaíso (circa 1826–1837) Commander-in-Chief, South Atlantic and Pacific. Vice-Admiral Doveton Sturdee's title when sent south in 1914 to destroy the German East Asia Squadron after the Battle of Coronel. Resulted in the Battle of the Falkland Islands. Title never reused. Commander-in-Chief, South Atlantic HQ Freetown (1939–1958) Commander-in-Chief, South Atlantic and South America, (1958-1967) Commander-in-Chief, South East Coast of America HQ Falkland Islands (1838–1905) Commander-in-Chief, Thames, (1695-1696) Commander-in-Chief, Thames and Medway, (1707-1711) Commander-in-Chief, Thames, Medway and Nore, (1711-1745) Commander-in-Chief, Western Approaches - the area from west of Portland to Clyde, HQ Liverpool (1939–1945) Commander-in-Chief on the Lisbon Station - (1779-1841)

Admirals Commanding Admiral Commanding, Coastguard and Reserves, (1903-1923). Admiral Commanding, Reserves, (1923-1976) Admiral Commanding, Orkneys and Shetlands,(1914–1945), Admiral commanding was in charge of the Northern Patrol Force. Admiral Commanding Western Squadron (1650-1849) Admiral of Patrols, (1912-1916) Admiral Superintendent, Contract-Built Ships Admirals-Superintendent on the Clyde Admiral Superintendent, Chatham, (1832-1951) Admiral-Superintendent, Devonport, (1885-1930) Admiral-Superintendent of Esquimalt Dockyard, (1842 to 1905) Admiral-Superintendent, Gibraltar, (1898-1945) Admiral-Superintendent, Halifax Dockyard Admiral Superintendent, Malta, (1832-1934) Admiral Superintendent, Naval Reserves, (1875-1903) Admiral Superintendent, Plymouth, (1846-1970) Admiral-Superintendent, Portsmouth, (1832-1971) Admiral-Superintendent, Naval Reserves, (1874-1903) Admiral-Superintendent, Pembroke (1906-1915) Admiral-Superintendent, Rosyth, (1915-1971) Admiral, British Joint Services Mission, U.S.A, (1942-1997) Deputy Admiral Commanding Reserves, (1942-1946)

Vice-Admirals Commanding Vice-Admiral, Aircraft Carriers. World War II. Became Flag Officer Mediterranean Aircraft Carriers. Vice-Admiral Commanding, Light Forces, and Second-in-Command Mediterranean Fleet Vice-Admiral Commanding Second Division (1909-1912) Vice-Admiral Commanding, 3rd and 4th Divisions Vice-Admiral Commanding Western Squadron (1650-1849) Vice-Admiral Reserve Fleet Destroyers, (1939-1945)

The Vice-Naval Deputy to the Supreme Allied Commander Europe was not technically a Vice-Admiral Commanding.

Rear-Admirals Commanding Rear-Admiral, Aircraft Carriers, Pre World War II. Became Flag Officer, Mediterranean Aircraft Carriers. Rear-Admiral and Senior Officer, Dover (1917-1918) Rear-Admiral Commanding Destroyer Flotillas, Mediterranean Fleet Rear-Admiral, Scapa (responsible to the Admiral Commanding, Orkneys and Shetlands, during the Second World War) Rear-Admiral Commanding Dover Patrol (1914-1915) Rear-Admiral Commanding, Nore Reserve (1919-1922) Rear-Admiral Commanding Portsmouth Reserve (1919-1921) Rear-Admiral Commanding, Rosyth Reserve (1919-1938) Rear-Admiral Commanding, Harwich Force (1914-1919) Rear-Admiral Destroyers British Pacific Fleet Rear-Admiral in the 1st Division, Home Fleet, (1909-1912) Rear-Admiral in the 2nd Division, Home Fleet, (1909-1912) Rear-Admiral in the 3rd and 4th Divisions, Home Fleet (1909-1912) Rear Admiral, Naval Air Stations (1939-1945) Rear-Admiral, Second-in-Command, Atlantic Fleet (1904-1912)

Senior Officers, commanding Senior British Naval Officer, Suez Canal Area (1939-1942) Senior British Naval Officer, Western Atlantic (1942-1945) Senior Naval Officer, Mudros (1914–1919) Senior Naval Officer, Persian Gulf (1818-1972) Senior Naval Officer, Red Sea Force (1939-1941) Senior Naval Officer, West Indies (1956-1976) Senior Officer on the Coast of Ireland (1876-1915) Senior Officer, West Indies, (1854-1859)

Flag Officers

Former Flag Officers Included: Flag Officer Sea Training (1958 - 2020) Flag Officer, Administration Flag Officer, Aircraft Carriers – with variously up to 6–8 carriers in the 1950s/60s, was responsible for providing worked up carriers to the operational commands. Amalgamated with Flag Officer Amphibious Ships to become FOCAS towards the end of the 1960s, after the cancellation of CVA-01. H. R. B. Janvrin, DSC, ADC, was promoted to rear admiral and succeeded Rear Admiral D. C. E. F. Gibson, DSC, as FOAC. Flag Officer, Air, Far East – existing until 1945–47. In late 1946, sailed out from the UK to Singapore as the flagship of Flag Officer Air, Far East. After her arrival, she became flagship of the 1st Aircraft Carrier Squadron. Flag Officer, Air, Home – Flew flag from RNAS Lee-on-Solent (HMS Daedalus) in the 1930s, post extant until 1963. Responsible for shore-based air command working up squadrons to operational effectiveness, and after an Operational Readiness Inspection, delivering them to the Fleet. RA Sir Cloudesley Robinson KCB (1 Jan 1945 – June 1945), VA Sir Dennis Boyd KCB CBE DSC (1 June 1945 – April 1946). Admiral Walter Couchman 1957–60. Flag Officer, Air and Second-in-Command, Mediterranean Fleet (1947-1958) – Admiral Ralph Edwards in the late 1940s. Vice Admiral William Davis, 1952–54. Flag Officer Second-in-Command Mediterranean – F.O.2 i/c MED. In 1951 Rear Admiral G. Grantham, CB, CBE, DSO. Responsible for Mediterranean Fleet aircraft carriers, and, under Captain, Air, Mediterranean, the naval air stations in Malta. Vice-Admiral R A B Edwards (Flag Officer, Second-in-Command Mediterranean), May 1952. Flag Officer, Air, Pacific Fleet Flag Officer, Air, Mediterranean Fleet Flag Officer Admiralty Interview Board – FOAIB Flag Officer Attached Middle East – FOAM – Rear Admiral H T Baillie-Grohman, 1941 Flag Officer, Ceylon - FOCEY - (1942-1945) Flag Officer Commanding HM's Australian Fleet – FOCAF – 1911–88 Flag Officer Commanding, British Naval Forces Germany Flag Officer Commanding, Royal Indian Navy, (1928-1950) Flag Officer, Carriers and Amphibious Ships – FOCAS, succeeded by Flag Officer Third Flotilla - (1971-1979) Flag Officer, Carrier Training and Administration - Vice Admiral Lumley Lyster 1943-1945 Flag Officer Dover Flag Officer, East Africa Flag Officer, Flying Training, Flag Officer First Flotilla – FOF1 – Cold War – (1971-1990). Rear Admiral David Halifax 1980–82. Rear Admiral Sandy Woodward, FOF 1, commanded the Carrier Group (CTG 317.8) of the Falklands War task force. Flag Officer Flotillas, Home Fleet – deployed on the Spring cruise, 1955, under Rear Admiral J.W. Cuthbert. Vice Admiral Richard Onslow in 1955–56. Flew flag in , July 1960–March 1961. Flag Officer Flotillas, Mediterranean Fleet – May 1952 Vice-Admiral F R Parham. Flag Officer Flotillas, Western Fleet 1967-71 Flag Officer Force A Flag Officer Force B Flag Officer Force C Flag Officer Force D Flag Officer Force E Flag Officer Force F Flag Officer Force G Flag Officer Force H Flag Officer Force I Flag Officer Force J Flag Officer Force K Flag Officer Force L Flag Officer Force M Flag Officer Force N Flag Officer Force Q Flag Officer Force R Flag Officer Force X Flag Officer Force Y Flag Officer Force Z Flag Officer Gibraltar (FOGIB) (1902–39, 1946–92) Flag Officer, Gibraltar and North Atlantic (1939–43). Also reported as FOC North Atlantic; (northern Portugal – northern Morocco – Atlantic). Admiral Dudley North commanded the station during the Attack on Mers-el-Kébir, the destruction of the French fleet in 1940. Flag Officer, Gibraltar and Mediterranean Approaches (1943-1946) Flag Officer, Ground Training Flag Officer Malaya - (1939-1941) Flag Officer, Malaya and Forward Areas- (1945-1955) Flag Officer, Malayan Area, by 1956 occupied by Rear Admiral George Thring. Flag Officer Maritime Aviation/AOC No. 3 Group RAF, 2000–2003. Superseded by Rear Admiral Fleet Air Arm who is not a Flag Officer. Flag Officer, Malta – FO Malta (1934–43, 1946–79). Flag Officer, Malta and Central Mediterranean (1943–46) Flag Officer, Medway – FOMDY (1961-1984) Flag Officer, Mediterranean Aircraft Carriers (1940 to 1943)