Third Fleet (United Kingdom)
The Third Fleet was a reserve formation of the Royal Navy that briefly existed before the First World War.
History
Formed on 1 May 1912 from the 4th Division of the Home Fleet, its elderly ships were ordinarily only manned by a small maintenance crew during peacetime, but were intended to be manned by naval reservists when mobilised. It was conducting a test mobilisation in July 1914 as tensions increased between Great Britain and Imperial Germany and was only partially demobilised before full mobilisation was ordered on 2 August. At this time it consisted of the 7th and 8th Battle Squadrons of pre-dreadnought battleships and five squadrons of cruisers.Vice-Admiral Commanding
Components
| Unit | Notes | |
| 1 | 7th Battle Squadron | |
| 2 | 8th Battle Squadron | |
| 3 | 7th Cruiser Squadron | |
| 3 | 8th Cruiser Squadron | |
| 5 | 10th Cruiser Squadron | |
| 7 | 12th Cruiser Squadron | 4 protected cruisers) |
| 8 | Devonport Local Defence Flotilla | |
| 9 | Nore Local Defence Flotilla | |
| 10 | Portsmouth Local Defence Flotilla |