The Commander-in-Chief Fleet (CINCFLEET) was the admiral responsible for the operations of the ships, submarines and aircraft of the British Royal Navy from 1971 until April 2012. The command's most pressing challenge for most of its existence was the threat of a third Battle of the Atlantic; perhaps its most prominent war was in the Falklands in 1982. The post was subordinate to the First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff, the professional head of the Navy. In its last years, as the Navy shrank, more administrative responsibilities were added.
In April 2012, the post was abolished. Its responsibilities were taken over by a three-star vice admiral, the Fleet Commander and Deputy Chief of Naval Staff.
History Prior to 1964 responsibility for British naval command lay with the Admiralty Naval Staff. Following the merger of the Admiralty in 1964 into the new Ministry of Defence the Admiralty became the Navy Department.
In November 1971, force reductions resulted in the Western Fleet being amalgamated with the Far East Fleet. It was to be commanded by a four star admiral who held the title Commander-in-Chief Fleet, with his headquarters at the Northwood Headquarters, Middlesex, England. Previous to November 1971, on 1 May 1971 CINCWF had already assumed responsibility for the administration of ships in the Far East Fleet. From 1971-72 CINCFLEET directed Flag Officer, Carriers and Amphibious Ships; Flag Officer First Flotilla; Flag Officer, Second Flotilla; Flag Officer Submarines; the Hydrographer of the Navy, Rear Admiral Geoffrey Hall (all survey vessels); Flag Officer Sea Training (all ships in workup at Portland); and Captain, Mine Countermeasures. Operational control was delegated to FOSNI, Flag Officer Plymouth, Flag Officer Gibraltar, Flag Officer Malta, Senior Naval Officer West Indies, Commander, ANZUK Naval Forces, and Commodore-in-Charge, Hong Kong.
In 1976, a Task Group was dispatched to the Middle East consisting of two destroyers and six frigates. The following year, four frigates – , , HMS Cleopatra and HMS Amazon – visited Salalah and Muscat in Oman and Basra in Iraq.
The Flag Officer Gibraltar, and Gibraltar Naval Base Commander, a Rear Admiral, double-hatted as NATO's Commander Gibraltar Mediterranean (COMGIBMED). In the late 1980s two small patrol craft, and , were reported as being attached to FO Gibraltar.
The post of CINCFLEET also was assigned the NATO appointments of Commander-in-Chief, Eastern Atlantic Area (CINCEASTLANT) and Commander-in-Chief Channel (CINCHAN). On 1 July 1994, the Channel Command was disestablished: however most of its subordinate commands remained in existence although reshuffled: most of the headquarters were absorbed within Allied Command Europe particularly as part of the new Allied Forces Northwestern Europe.
In 1992 Fleet Headquarters moved to Portsmouth. In 2005, the Second Sea Lord, reduced in rank from full Admiral to Vice-Admiral, came under CINCFLEET's command, a situation that lasted until the Levene reforms of 2012.
Responsibilities
Full command of the Fleet and responsibility for the Fleet element of military operational capability including the Royal Marines and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, was delegated to Commander-in-Chief Fleet, as is described in official descriptions circa 2010. In 1971 after the amalgamation of the Western and Far East Fleets the headquarters was established at Northwood, in the London Borough of Hillingdon (HMS Warrior). Both the CINCFLEET and CINCEASTLANT staffs were co-located there.
In 2002 the Navy Command Headquarters Building at HMS Excellent in Portsmouth was completed. Thereafter the headquarters was split between the Command HQ and CINCFLEET's Operational Headquarters at Northwood, co-located with the Permanent Joint Headquarters.
By the 2010s, CINCFLEET was supported by: Second Sea Lord and Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command, based in HMS Excellent, who was the Principal Personnel Officer for the Royal Navy. The CINCNAVHOME title lapsed in 2012. Deputy CINCFLEET, based in HMS Excellent, who directed the work of the Fleet Headquarters Commander Operations, based at Northwood, responsible for fleet operations Commander United Kingdom Amphibious Forces, who was Commandant General Royal Marines Commander United Kingdom Maritime Forces (previously known as Commander UK Task Group), who oversaw the commander of the UK Task Group (COMUKTG), subsequently renamed as the commander Amphibious Task Group (COMATG) and the commander UK Carrier Strike Group (COMUKCSG).
Collectively, COMUKMARFOR, COMUKAMPHIBFOR, Commander UK Task Group (COMUKTG), and the 3 Commando Brigade Headquarters comprised the "Fleet Battle Staff".
Commanders-in-Chief Fleet The Commanders-in-Chief were:
Most are listed at their final service rank, not at their rank as CINCFLEET, an admiral's position. Image Rank Name Term began Term endedAdmiral of the FleetSir Edward AshmoreNovember 1971December 1973Admiral of the FleetSir Terence LewinDecember 1973October 1975Admiral of the FleetSir John TreacherOctober 1975March 1977AdmiralSir Henry LeachMarch 1977May 1979AdmiralSir James EberleMay 1979April 1981Admiral of the FleetSir John FieldhouseApril 1981October 1982AdmiralSir William StaveleyOctober 1982June 1985AdmiralSir Nicholas HuntJune 1985May 1987AdmiralSir Julian OswaldMay 1987April 1989AdmiralSir Benjamin BathurstApril 1989January 1991AdmiralSir Jock SlaterJanuary 1991December 1992AdmiralSir Hugo WhiteDecember 1992June 1995AdmiralSir Peter AbbottOctober 1995September 1997AdmiralSir Michael BoyceSeptember 1997September 1998AdmiralSir Nigel EssenhighSeptember 1998November 2000AdmiralSir Alan WestNovember 2000September 2002AdmiralSir Jonathon BandSeptember 2002November 2005AdmiralSir James Burnell-NugentNovember 2005November 2007AdmiralSir Mark StanhopeNovember 2007June 2009AdmiralSir Trevor SoarJune 2009January 2012AdmiralSir George ZambellasJanuary 2012April 2012
Deputy Commander-in-Chief, and Chief of Staff Deputy Commanders have included: Vice Admiral Sir Roy Newman, Feb 1990–June 1992 Vice Admiral Sir Geoffrey Biggs, June 1992–June 1994 Vice Admiral Sir Jonathan Tod, June 1994–June 1997 Vice Admiral Sir Jeremy Blackham, June 1997–Jan 1999 Vice Admiral Sir Fabian Malbon, Jan 1999–May 2001 Vice Admiral Sir Jonathon Band, May 2001–July 2002 Vice Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope, July 2002–June 2004 Vice Admiral Sir Timothy McClement, June 2004–Oct 2006 Vice Admiral Paul Boissier, Oct 2006–July 2009 Vice Admiral Sir Richard Ibbotson, July 2009–Jan 2011 Vice Admiral Sir George Zambellas, Jan 2011–Dec 2011 Vice Admiral Philip Jones Dec 2011–April 2012
Chiefs of Staff The Commander-in-Chief, Fleet's principal staff officer was the Chief of Staff, Fleet, responsible for coordinating the supporting staff of Fleet Headquarters from November 1971 to 2012.
# post holder dates notes/ref 1. Chief of Staff Fleet 1971–2012In 1990 became a joint title of the Deputy C-in-C 2. Chief of Staff, (Warfare) Fleet 2002–2006became CoS Capability 3. Chief of Staff (Capability) Fleet2006–2012 4. Assistant Chief of Staff, Operations1971–2010became ACOS Operations (Navy) in 2002 5. Assistant Chief of Staff, Plans 1971–2012 6. Assistant Chief of Staff, Warfare 1973–2012 7. Command Secretary, Fleet 1971–2012The Civil Service Yearbook 1998 p.164.The Civil Service Yearbook 2002 p.170.
Subordinate commands At various times included:
# post holder see dates 1. Chaplain of the Fleet and Director-General Naval Chaplaincy Services 1971-2012 2. Commandant General Royal Marines 1971-2012 3. Commander Operations 1993-2012 4. Commander UK Amphibious Forces 2001-2012 5. Commander United Kingdom Maritime Forces 2001-2012 6. Flag Officer, Carriers and Amphibious Ships 1971-1979 7. Flag Officer First Flotilla 1971-1990 8. Flag Officer Naval Air Command 1971-2010 9. Flag Officer Gibraltar and Gibraltar Naval Base Commander1971-1992 10. Flag Officer Scotland, Northern England, Northern Ireland 1996-2012 11. Flag Officer Scotland and Northern Ireland 1971-1996 12. Flag Officer Sea Training 1971-2012 13. Flag Officer, Second Flotilla 1971-1992 14. Flag Officer Submarines 1971-1991 15. Flag Officer, Surface Flotilla 1990-2002 16. Flag Officer, Third Flotilla 1979-1992
Structure charts
Flag Officer First Flotilla, 1989
The Flag Officer First Flotilla (FOF1) was a rear admiral based at HMNB Portsmouth who commanded the navy's First Flotilla.
First Flotilla, HMNB Portsmouth 1st Frigate Squadron, HMNB Devonport with Type 22 frigates (Batch 2): , , , , , 2nd Frigate Squadron, HMNB Devonport with Type 22 frigates (Batch 1): , , , 5th Destroyer Squadron, HMNB Portsmouth with Type 42 destroyers: , , , , , 6th Frigate Squadron, HMNB Devonport with s (Batch 3A): , , , , Dartmouth Training Squadron (JFS 1989, p. 651) Type 82 destroyer: , s (Batch 3B): ,
Flag Officer, Second Flotilla, 1989
The Flag Officer, Second Flotilla was a rear admiral based HMNB Devonport who commanded the navy's Second Flotilla.
Second Flotilla, with ships based HMNB Devonport: 3rd Destroyer Squadron, RN Dockyard Rosyth with Type 42 destroyers: , , , , , 4th Frigate Squadron, HMNB Devonport with Type 21 frigates: , , , , , 7th Frigate Squadron, HMNB Devonport with s (Batch 2): , (Batch 1, decommissioned April 1989), , , , , 8th Frigate Squadron, HMNB Devonport with Type 22 frigates (Batch 3): , , (commissioned 4 May 1990),
Flag Officer, Third Flotilla, 1989
The Flag Officer, Third Flotilla was a rear admiral based at HMNB Portsmouth who doubled as NATO Commander Anti-Submarine Warfare Striking Force. In 1989 Vice Admiral Alan Grose held this appointment.
Third Flotilla, HMNB Portsmouth , (refit at HMNB Devonport), , , RFA Argus, RFA Engadine (decommissioned March 1989), , HMS Endurance (ice patrol vessel)
Flag Officer Scotland and Northern Ireland, 1989
The Flag Officer Scotland and Northern Ireland (FOSNI) was a vice admiral based at RAF Pitreavie Castle, who commanded the navy's units in Scotland and Northern Ireland and double-hatted as Naval Base Commander at Rosyth, NATO Commander Northern Sub-Area (NORLANT) and Commander Nore Sub-Area Channel (NORECHAN). The main unit under his command was the Mine Countermeasures Flotilla based at Royal Naval Dockyard Rosyth on the Firth of Forth, which was commanded by a commodore. Additionally the Second Flotilla's 3rd Destroyer Squadron was based at RN Dockyard Rosyth. In war FOSNI would have been one of two naval operational commands, with the other being Flag Officer Plymouth.
Flag Officer Scotland and Northern Ireland, RAF Pitreavie Castle, Rosyth Mine Countermeasures Flotilla, Royal Naval Dockyard Rosyth 1st Mine Countermeasures Squadron, RN Dockyard Rosyth with Hunt-class mine countermeasures vessels: , , , 2nd Mine Countermeasures Squadron, RN Dockyard Rosyth with Hunt-class mine countermeasures vessels: , , , , 3rd Mine Countermeasures Squadron, HMNB Portsmouth with s: HMS Hubberston, , HMS Sheraton, HMS Brinton, , HMS Maxton (decommissioned August 1989) : (commissioned 9 June 1989) 4th Mine Countermeasures Squadron, RN Dockyard Rosyth with Hunt-class mine countermeasures vessels: , , , 10th Mine Countermeasures Squadron, manned by the Royal Naval Reserve and each of the squadron's ships assigned to a reserve divisions: s: HMS Waveney, HMS Carron, HMS Dovey, HMS Helford, HMS Humber, HMS Blackwater, HMS Itchen, HMS Helmsdale, HMS Orwell, HMS Ribble, HMS Spey, HMS Arun Fishery Protection Squadron, RN Dockyard Rosyth with: s: , HMS Soberton, HMS Upton Castle-class patrol vessel: Island-class patrol vessels: HMS Anglesey, HMS Alderney, HMS Jersey, HMS Guernsey, HMS Shetland, HMS Orkney, HMS Lindisfarne Northern Ireland Patrol Squadron, Belfast Harbour with s: HMS Cuxton, HMS Kedleston, HMS Nurton, (built with glass-reinforced plastic) Bird-class patrol vessels: HMS Cygnet, , HMS Redpole
Flag Officer Plymouth, 1989