John de Robeck
Encyclopedia
Admiral of the Fleet
Sir John Michael de Robeck, 1st Baronet GCB
, GCMG
, GCVO
(10 June 1862 – 20 January 1928) was an admiral in the British
Royal Navy
who commanded the Allied naval force in the Dardanelles
during World War I
.
De Robeck was born in Naas
, County Kildare
, Ireland
, the second son of John Henry Edward Fock, fourth Baron de Robeck (1823–1904), to a family of Swedish/Estonian/German origin , long settled in Ireland.
in 1875. In 1914 he was given command of the 9th Cruiser Squadron.
He was second in command, to Admiral Sir Sackville Carden
, of the Allied naval forces at the Dardanelles from February through March 1915, when he succeeded Carden as Commander in Chief. He assumed command a mere three days before the planned attempt to force the Straits on March 18.
The 1914/15 naval campaign to win the straits and push on to Constantinople
was nearly successful due to a lack of ammunition
on the Turkish side. Mines laid in the straits sank or damaged 5 allied battleships.
The arrival of General Hamilton
and his troops gave Admiral de Robeck the possibility to turn over responsibility of taking the straits to the army.
He went on to become Commander of the 2nd Battle Squadron of the Grand Fleet in November 1916. In July 1919 he became Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet
also serving as British High Commissioner in Constantinople during Autumn 1919. He became Commander-in-Chief, Atlantic Fleet from 1922 and retired in 1924.
De Robeck was appointed Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB) in the 1921 New Year Honours.
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Admiral of the Fleet
An admiral of the fleet is a military naval officer of the highest rank. In many nations the rank is reserved for wartime or ceremonial appointments...
Sir John Michael de Robeck, 1st Baronet GCB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, GCMG
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
, GCVO
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
(10 June 1862 – 20 January 1928) was an admiral in the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
who commanded the Allied naval force in the Dardanelles
Dardanelles
The Dardanelles , formerly known as the Hellespont, is a narrow strait in northwestern Turkey connecting the Aegean Sea to the Sea of Marmara. It is one of the Turkish Straits, along with its counterpart the Bosphorus. It is located at approximately...
during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
De Robeck was born in Naas
Naas
Naas is the county town of County Kildare in Ireland. With a population of just over twenty thousand, it is also the largest town in the county. Naas is a major commuter suburb, with many people residing there and working in Dublin...
, County Kildare
County Kildare
County Kildare is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, the second son of John Henry Edward Fock, fourth Baron de Robeck (1823–1904), to a family of Swedish/Estonian/German origin , long settled in Ireland.
Dardanelles Campaign
De Robeck joined the Royal NavyRoyal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
in 1875. In 1914 he was given command of the 9th Cruiser Squadron.
He was second in command, to Admiral Sir Sackville Carden
Sackville Carden
Admiral Sir Sackville Hamilton Carden KCMG was a British admiral who, in cooperation with the French Navy, commanded British naval forces in the Mediterranean Sea during World War I.-Early life:...
, of the Allied naval forces at the Dardanelles from February through March 1915, when he succeeded Carden as Commander in Chief. He assumed command a mere three days before the planned attempt to force the Straits on March 18.
The 1914/15 naval campaign to win the straits and push on to Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
was nearly successful due to a lack of ammunition
Ammunition
Ammunition is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...
on the Turkish side. Mines laid in the straits sank or damaged 5 allied battleships.
The arrival of General Hamilton
Ian Standish Monteith Hamilton
General Sir Ian Standish Monteith Hamilton GCB GCMG DSO TD was a general in the British Army and is most notably for commanding the ill-fated Mediterranean Expeditionary Force during the Battle of Gallipoli....
and his troops gave Admiral de Robeck the possibility to turn over responsibility of taking the straits to the army.
He went on to become Commander of the 2nd Battle Squadron of the Grand Fleet in November 1916. In July 1919 he became Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet
Mediterranean Fleet
Several countries have or have had a Mediterranean Fleet in their navy. See:* Mediterranean Fleet * French Mediterranean Fleet* Mediterranean Squadron * United States Sixth Fleet...
also serving as British High Commissioner in Constantinople during Autumn 1919. He became Commander-in-Chief, Atlantic Fleet from 1922 and retired in 1924.
De Robeck was appointed Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB) in the 1921 New Year Honours.
External links
- Transcription of Official Service Records on www.admirals.org.uk
- Admiral John de Robeck's Despatch on the Gallipoli landings
- Admiral John de Robeck's Despatch on the evacuation of Gallipoli
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