The Atlantic Fleet was a major fleet formation of the Royal Navy.
| Atlantic Fleet | |
|---|---|
 Battlecruisers of the Atlantic Fleet | |
| Active | 1909-1914;1919-1932 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Branch | Royal Navy |
There have been two main formations in the Royal Navy officially called the Atlantic Fleet. The first was created in 1909 and lasted until 1914. The second lasted from 1919 until 1932.
The Atlantic Fleet was formed in 1909 from the Channel Fleet as part of a reorganisation of the Royal Navy by the then First Sea Lord Admiral of the Fleet Jackie Fisher. National Archives records, however, say that on 14 December 1904 the Channel Fleet was re-styled the 'Atlantic Fleet' and the Home Fleet became the 'Channel Fleet'.
The Atlantic Fleet lasted until 1914 when rising tensions with Germany forced the Royal Navy to relook at fleet formations. As a result, the majority of the fleet's assets were merged together into the Home Fleet which was renamed the Grand Fleet.
The Atlantic Fleet was again formed after the end of World War I, when British naval forces were reorganised to reflect the changed economic and political situation in Europe.
The fleet was created upon the disbandment of the Grand Fleet, which had fought at the Battle of Jutland, absorbing many, but not all of its elements. HMS Queen Elizabeth became the Fleet's flagship and served in that capacity until 1924.
The fleet never fought in a naval battle in its short history. The fleet's only point of note in history was in 1931, during the Invergordon Mutiny. Sailors of the fleet openly refused to obey orders over a dispute on pay sparked by the government at the time. The mutiny lasted 2 days.
The fleet's short history ended in 1932, when the Admiralty having been shaken by the events of the Invergordon Mutiny, renamed the fleet, as the Home Fleet, which had been the name prior to the Grand Fleet. The Admiralty felt that this act would help expunge the memory of the incident.
Commander-Chief's
Admiral Sir Charles Edward Madden 1919-1922