Commander-in-Chief, Dover

The Commander in Chief, Dover was an operational commander of the Royal Navy. His subordinate units, establishments, and staff were sometimes informally known as the Dover Command.

History

First World War Dover Patrol

In late July 1914, with war looming, 12 Tribal-class destroyers arrived at Dover to join the near obsolete destroyers already at anchor in the harbour, most of them built in the late 19th century. These destroyers formed the nucleus of the fledgling Dover Patrol, which, from its early beginnings as a modest and poorly equipped command, became one of the most important Royal Navy commands of the First World War. The command was instituted on 12 October 1914 under the command of Rear Admiral Rear Admiral Sir Horace Lambert Alexander Hood.

Following the extra strain thrown on the Admiral of Patrols Rear Admiral George Alexander Ballard and his staff caused by the beginning of mine laying and the evacuation of Antwerp, the Admiralty decided to create a separate command encompassing the patrols from the naval base at Dover, the naval base itself, and the Downs Boarding Flotilla. Command was transferred to Rear-Admiral The Honorable Horace L. A. Hood on 11 October, and he hoisted his flag on 13 October. He was given the title of ''Rear-Admiral Commanding the Dover Patrol and Senior Naval Officer Commanding, Dover'', with the short title "Rear-Admiral, Dover Patrol".

The Dover Patrol operated continuously through the end of the war, with its strength consisting primarily of the Sixth Destroyer Flotilla, the Fifth Submarine Flotilla, the Downs Boarding Flotilla, and at times a collection of monitors. Its primary mission was to monitor barriers and defences at the eastern end of the English Channel to prevent U-boats from gaining access to western areas.
It also harassed German fortifications on the coast of occupied Belgium.

Second World War

In 1939, like Rosyth, and Orkneys and Shetlands, the command was re-established/expanded to control and protect sea traffic in the Straits of Dover. It was formed by removing the Straits from Nore Command. Its function was to protect the supply lines to France.

Its primary role failed disastrously during its supervision of the evacuation from Dunkirk code-named ''Operation Dynamo''.

In May 1940 Rear-Admiral Frederic Wake-Walker was appointed rear-admiral in command of all ships and vessels off the Franco-Belgian coast for the evacuation of Dunkirk

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