Commander-in-Chief Fleet


The Commander-in-Chief Fleet was the admiral responsible for the operations of the ships, submarines and aircraft of the British Royal Navy from 1971 until April 2012. The post was subordinate to the First Sea Lord, the professional head of the Naval Service. In its last years, as the Navy shrank, more administrative responsibilities were added.
In April 2012, the post was abolished, its rank downgraded from admiral to three-star vice admiral, and re-designated Fleet Commander and Deputy Chief of Naval Staff.

History

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 ; Flag Officer Sea Training ; 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.
The post of CINCFLEET also was assigned the NATO appointments of Commander-in-Chief, Eastern Atlantic Area and Commander-in-Chief Channel. 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 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. Both the CINCFLEET and CINCEASTLANT staffs were co-located there.
By the early 21st century the headquarters was split. In 2002 a new Command Headquarters, 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:
Collectively, COMUKMARFOR, COMUKAMPHIBFOR, Commander UK Task Group, and the 3 Commando Brigade Headquarters comprised the "Fleet Battle Staff".

Commanders-in-Chief Fleet

The Commanders-in-Chief were:
ImageRankNameTerm beganTerm ended
Admiral of the FleetSir Edward AshmoreNovember 1971December 1973
Admiral of the FleetSir Terence LewinDecember 1973October 1975
Admiral of the FleetSir John TreacherOctober 1975March 1977
Admiral of the FleetSir Henry LeachMarch 1977May 1979
AdmiralSir James EberleMay 1979April 1981
Admiral of the FleetSir John FieldhouseApril 1981October 1982
AdmiralSir William StaveleyOctober 1982June 1985
AdmiralSir Nicholas HuntJune 1985May 1987
AdmiralSir Julian OswaldMay 1987April 1989
AdmiralSir Benjamin BathurstApril 1989January 1991
AdmiralSir Jock SlaterJanuary 1991December 1992
AdmiralSir Hugo WhiteDecember 1992June 1995
AdmiralSir Peter AbbottOctober 1995September 1997
AdmiralSir Michael BoyceSeptember 1997September 1998
AdmiralSir Nigel EssenhighSeptember 1998November 2000
AdmiralSir Alan WestNovember 2000September 2002
AdmiralSir Jonathon BandSeptember 2002November 2005
AdmiralSir James Burnell-NugentNovember 2005November 2007
AdmiralSir Mark StanhopeNovember 2007June 2009
AdmiralSir Trevor SoarJune 2009January 2012
AdmiralSir George ZambellasJanuary 2012April 2012

Deputy Commander-in-Chief, and Chief of Staff

Deputy Commanders have included:
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 holderseedatesnotes/ref
1.Chief of Staff Fleet1971-2012In 1990 became a joint title of the Deputy C-in-C
2.Chief of Staff, Fleet2002-2006became CoS Capability
3.Chief of Staff Fleet2006-2012
4.Assistant Chief of Staff, Operations1971-2010became ACOS Operations in 2002
5.Assistant Chief of Staff, Plans1971-2012
6.Assistant Chief of Staff, Warfare1973-2012
7.Command Secretary, Fleet1971-2012

Subordinate commands

At various times included:
#post holderseedates
1.Chaplain of the Fleet and Director-General Naval Chaplaincy Services1971-2012
2.Commandant General Royal Marines1971-2012
3.Commander British Forces Gibraltar1992-2012
4.Commander Operations1993-2012
5.Commander UK Amphibious Forces2001-2012
6.Commander United Kingdom Maritime Forces2001-2012
7.Flag Officer, Carriers and Amphibious Ships1971-1979
8.Flag Officer First Flotilla1971-1990
9.Flag Officer Naval Air Command1971-2010
10.Flag Officer Gibraltar and Gibraltar Naval Base Commander1971-1992
11.Flag Officer Scotland, Northern England, Northern Ireland1996-2012
12.Flag Officer Scotland and Northern Ireland1971-1996
13.Flag Officer Sea Training1971-2012
14.Flag Officer, Second Flotilla1971-1992
15.Flag Officer Submarines1971-1991
16.Flag Officer, Surface Flotilla1990-2002
17.Flag Officer, Third Flotilla1979-1992

Structure charts