5th Destroyer Squadron (United Kingdom)

The 5th Destroyer Squadron was a naval unit of the Royal Navy from 1947 to 2002.

History
After World War Two, the British Navy reverted to its previous layout and command structure in February 1947 the 5th Destroyer Flotilla of the Home Fleet was disbanded and succeeded by the 5th Destroyer Squadron. The Admiralty controlled global deployment of the navy until 1964 when that department was abolished and replaced by the new Navy Department, Ministry of Defence. These geographic commands usually comprised fleets, squadrons, flotillas, and single ships. In 1954, major re-structuring of the composition of the navy was undertaken, leading to downsizing and warships being rotated between the various fleets and stations. Between 1954 and 1971, many commands were either abolished or amalgamated into larger geographic commands. By the end of 1966 all royal navy squadrons were disbanded. Squadrons remaining in the Far East Fleet were renamed, 1st, 2nd and 3rd Far East Destroyer Squadrons. No squadrons existed in the Western Fleet for the period 1967-1971. In November 1971, nearly all British naval forces were brought under the command of a single fleet whose headquarters was at Northwood, Middlesex then under the control of Commander-in-Chief Fleet. From 1981 to 2002, both Type 42 destroyers and frigates during this period were deployed to squadrons and the same ship class. In peacetime the squadron's role was usually administrative and during the last two decades of its existence the squadron was based at HMNB Portsmouth.

Operational deployments
Included:

Composition
Included: 🇬🇧, Home Fleet from March 1947 5th Destroyer Squadron
 * HMS Solebay (Leader)
 * HMS Cadiz
 * HMS Gabbard (D47)
 * HMS St. James (D65)
 * HMS St. Kitts (D18)
 * HMS Sluys (D60)

🇬🇧, Home Fleet 1947 5th Destroyer Squadron
 * HMS Solebay (Leader)
 * HMS Cadiz
 * HMS Gabbard
 * HMS St. James
 * HMS St. Kitts
 * HMS Sluys

🇬🇧, Home Fleet 1948 5th Destroyer Squadron
 * HMS Solebay (Leader)
 * HMS Cadiz
 * HMS Gabbard
 * HMS St. James
 * HMS St. Kitts
 * HMS Sluys

🇬🇧, Home Fleet 1949 5th Destroyer Squadron 🇬🇧, Home Fleet 1950 5th Destroyer Squadron
 * HMS Solebay (Leader)
 * HMS Cadiz
 * HMS Gabbard
 * HMS St. James
 * HMS St. Kitts
 * HMS Sluys
 * HMS Solebay (Leader)
 * HMS Cadiz
 * HMS Gabbard - (09-1950)
 * HMS St. James - (09-1950)
 * HMS St. Kitts
 * HMS Sluys

🇬🇧, Home Fleet 1951 5th Destroyer Squadron
 * HMS Solebay (Leader)
 * HMS Cadiz - later replaced by HMS Gabbard
 * HMS St. Kitts - later replaced by HMS St James
 * HMS Sluys

🇬🇧, Home Fleet 1952 5th Destroyer Squadron
 * HMS Solebay (Leader)
 * HMS Gabbard
 * HMS St James
 * HMS St Kitts
 * HMS Sluys - (09-1952)

🇬🇧, Home Fleet 1953 5th Destroyer Squadron
 * HMS Solebay (Leader) - (07.1953)
 * HMS Gabbard - (02-1954)
 * HMS St James - (06-1953)
 * HMS St Kitts - (07-1953)

🇬🇧, Home Fleet to August 1954 5th Destroyer Squadron,
 * HMS Duchess (D154) (Leader)
 * HMS Decoy (D 106) - (01.1959)
 * HMS Diamond (D35)
 * HMS Diana (D126)

🇬🇧, Medierranean Fleet September 1954-June 1955 5th Destroyer Squadron,
 * HMS Duchess (D154) (Leader)
 * HMS Decoy - (01.1959)
 * HMS Diamond
 * HMS Diana

🇬🇧, Home Fleet July 1955- February 1956 5th Destroyer Squadron,
 * HMS Duchess (D154) (Leader)
 * HMS Decoy - (01.1959)
 * HMS Diamond
 * HMS Diana

🇬🇧, Mediterranean Fleet March 1956-January 1957 5th Destroyer Squadron,
 * HMS Duchess (D154) (Leader)
 * HMS Decoy - (01.1959)
 * HMS Diamond
 * HMS Diana

🇬🇧, Home Fleet February 1957- August 1957 5th Destroyer Squadron,
 * HMS Duchess (D154) (Leader)
 * HMS Decoy - (01.1959)
 * HMS Diamond
 * HMS Diana

🇬🇧, Mediterranean Fleet September 1957-June 1958 5th Destroyer Squadron,
 * HMS Duchess (D154) (Leader)
 * HMS Decoy - (01.1959)
 * HMS Diamond
 * HMS Diana

🇬🇧, Home Fleet July 1958- December 1958 5th Destroyer Squadron, 🇬🇧, Home Fleet January 1961-August 1961 5th Destroyer Squadron,
 * HMS Duchess (D154) (Leader)
 * HMS Decoy - (01.1959)
 * HMS Diamond
 * HMS Diana
 * HMS Duchess (D154) (Leader)
 * HMS Diamond
 * HMS Diana
 * HMS Crossbow (D96)
 * HMS Battleaxe (D118), (08.1962)

🇬🇧, Home Fleet September 1961-April 1962 5th Destroyer Squadron,
 * HMS Duchess (D154) (Leader)
 * HMS Diamond
 * HMS Diana
 * HMS Crossbow
 * HMS Battleaxe, (08.1962)

🇬🇧, Home Fleet May 1962-January 1963 5th Destroyer Squadron,
 * HMS Duchess (D154) (Leader)
 * HMS Diamond
 * HMS Diana
 * HMS Crossbow
 * HMS Battleaxe, (08.1962)

🇬🇧, Second Flotilla, Portsmouth December 1980-April 1992 5th Destroyer Squadron,
 * HMS Exeter (D89), (Leader), (1980–84), (1989–96)
 * HMS Southampton (D90), (08.1981-02.2002)
 * HMS Southampton, (Leader) (1985–89)
 * HMS Cardiff (D108) (03.86-02-02)
 * HMS Cardiff, (Leader) (1998-2002)
 * HMS Liverpool (D92), (05.82-02.02)
 * HMS Nottingham (D91), (11.82-02.02)
 * HMS Manchester (D95),(11.82-02.02)
 * HMS Gloucester (D96), (05.85-02.02
 * HMS Newcastle (D87), (03.86–02.02)

🇬🇧, Fleet, Portsmouth May 1992-February 2002 5th Destroyer Squadron,
 * HMS Exeter, (Leader), (1980–84), (1989–96)
 * HMS Southampton, (08.1981-02.2002)
 * HMS Southampton, (Leader) (1985–89)
 * HMS Cardiff (03.86-02-02)
 * HMS Cardiff, (Leader) (1998-2002)
 * HMS Liverpool    (05.82-02.02)
 * HMS Nottingham (11.82-02.02)
 * HMS Manchester (11.82-02.02)
 * HMS Gloucester (05.85-02.02
 * HMS Newcastle (03.86–02.02)

Squadron commander
Of note, for the last few months of its existence, Command of the 5th Destroyer Squadron was combined with that of the 3rd Destroyer Squadron, as the "Commander of the 3rd and 5th Destroyer Squadrons" prior to abolition of both squadrons and the incorporation of all the Type 42 Destroyers within the newly established Portsmouth Flotilla.

Attribution
This article contains some minor copied content from this article 4th Destroyer Squadron.