A squadron, or naval squadron, is a significant group of warships which is nonetheless considered too small to be designated a
fleet. A squadron is typically a part of a fleet. Between different navies there are no clear defining parameters to distinguish a squadron from a fleet (or from a
flotilla), and the size and strength of a naval squadron varies greatly according to the country and time period. Groups of small warships, or small groups of major warships, might instead be designated
flotillas by some navies according to their terminology. Since the size of a naval squadron varies greatly, the rank associated with command of a squadron also varies greatly.
Before 1864 the entire fleet of the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
was divided into three squadrons,
the red, the white, and the blue. Each Royal Navy squadron alone was more powerful than most national navies. Today, a squadron might number three to ten vessels, which might be major
warship
A warship or combatant ship is a naval ship that is used for naval warfare. Usually they belong to the navy branch of the armed forces of a nation, though they have also been operated by individuals, cooperatives and corporations. As well as b ...
s,
transport ships,
submarine
A submarine (often shortened to sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. (It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability.) The term "submarine" is also sometimes used historically or infor ...
s, or small craft in a larger
task force
A task force (TF) is a unit or formation established to work on a single defined task or activity. Originally introduced by the United States Navy, the term has now caught on for general usage and is a standard part of NATO terminology. Many ...
or a
fleet. A squadron may be composed of one type of ship of various types tasked with a specific mission such as
coastal defense,
blockade, or
minesweeping. In the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
, the term squadron has always been used for formations of
destroyers and submarines.
Command element
A fleet is usually commanded by a
flag officer such as a
vice admiral
Vice admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, usually equivalent to lieutenant general and air marshal. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral.
Australia
In the Royal Australian Navy, the rank of Vice ...
or a
rear admiral
Rear admiral is a flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies. In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral.
Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral. It is ...
, but squadrons are sometimes commanded by
commodores or simply the most senior
captain (often one and the same), depending on the importance of the command. A large squadron will sometimes be divided into two or more divisions, each of which might be commanded by a subordinate captain. Like a
fleet, a squadron is usually, but not necessarily, a permanent formation.
Squadron types
There are several types of squadron:
* Independent squadrons. In effect, these are formations that are too small to be called a fleet. Independent squadrons may be assigned to and named after a particular ocean or sea, and the admiral commanding the squadron may be the naval commander in chief in that theatre. An example of this type unit was the US Navy's
Asiatic Squadron stationed in China between 1868 and 1902
* Temporary sub-divisions of a fleet. In the
Age of Sail
The Age of Sail is a period in European history that lasted at the latest from the mid-16th (or mid-15th) to the mid-19th centuries, in which the dominance of sailing ships in global trade and warfare culminated, particularly marked by the int ...
, fleets were divided into van, centre, and rear squadrons, named after each's place in the
line of battle. A temporary detachment from a fleet would also be called a squadron.
* Permanent battle formations. As warships evolved during the 19th century, larger warships began to be formed into and trained as permanent, numbered squadrons of the same class of warship such as the
5th Battle Squadron of the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
's
Grand Fleet. U.S. Navy squadron types have included Battleship Squadrons, Cruiser Squadrons (CruRons), Destroyer Squadrons (DesRons), Escort Squadrons, Transport Squadrons (TransRons),
[{{Cite web , url=http://www.history.navy.mil/books/OPNAV20-P1000/index.html , title=OPNAV 29-P1000 , access-date=2011-04-07 , archive-date=2007-10-14 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071014193011/http://history.navy.mil/books/OPNAV20-P1000/index.html , url-status=dead ] and Submarine Squadrons (
SubRons).
In modern navies, squadrons have tended to become administrative units. Most
navies began to abandon the squadron as a
tactical formation during the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. The need to provide
capital ships with the
anti-submarine protection of a
destroyer screen and air cover from an
aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and hangar facilities for supporting, arming, deploying and recovering carrier-based aircraft, shipborne aircraft. Typically it is the ...
led to the increasing use of the
carrier battle group, or ad hoc
task force
A task force (TF) is a unit or formation established to work on a single defined task or activity. Originally introduced by the United States Navy, the term has now caught on for general usage and is a standard part of NATO terminology. Many ...
s, composed of whichever ships were available for a particular operation.
As
warships have grown larger, the term squadron has gradually replaced the term
flotilla for formations of
destroyers,
frigates and
submarines
A submarine (often shortened to sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. (It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability.) The term "submarine" is also sometimes used historically or info ...
in many navies.
See also
*
Division (naval)
References
External links
Squadron GlobalSecurity.org. Retrieved 2009-08-30.
Naval units and formations by size
Naval units and formations