Economies made by William Ewert Gladstone's 1868 cabinet led First Lord of the Admiralty Hugh Culling Eardley Childers to reduce the number of ships on foreign stations. These reductions were compensated by the formation of successive "Flying Squadrons" (or "Detached Squadrons") of unarmoured screw ships which undertook extended world-wide cruises for training (and flag waving) under the command of a Rear Admiral. These squadrons were never directly involved in hostilities, although their movements were sometimes influenced by political or military considerations: the need to contol Spanish "Intransigentes" who had taken over several Spanish warships during the civil war in that country after the abdication of King Amadeus in 1873; supporting Thomas F. Wade, the British minister in China, who persuaded the Chinese to sign the Che-fu Convention in September 1876, allowing - among other things - several additional ports to be opened to foreign trade after tension on the Yunnan-Burmese border following the murder of a British interpreter; and the first Boer War in 1881.
The following Flying or Detached Squadrons were formed during this period (the "Naval Intelligence" column of the Times newspaper gives extensive information on the activities of these Squadrons):
| Rear Admiral | Ships and captains | Route and dates |
| Sir George Granville Randolph to Gibraltar; then (Jun 1875) Rowley Lambert |
|
Gibraltar (.. Oct 1874) - Madeira (.. - 21 Oct) - St Vincent - Montevideo - Falkland Islands (30 Jan - ... 1875) - Cape of Good Hope (3 Apr - ...) - St Helena (... - 14 Apr) - Ascension - St Vincent (23 - ... May) - Gibraltar (20 Jun - 15 Jul) - Cape of Good Hope - Bombay (22 Oct - ...; escorting visit to India by the Prince of Wales, the future Edward VII) - Colombo - Trincomalee - Calcutta - Bombay (14 Feb 1876) - Singapore (31 Oct) - Hong Kong (7 Apr - ... 1876; tension with China) - Shanghai - Amoy - Japan - Chefoo - Talien - Hong Kong (...Nov - 5 Dec) - Singapore (... - 27 Dec) - Mauritius - Cape of Good Hope - St Helena - Ascension (... - 1 Apr) - St Vincent (15 - 19 Apr) - Plymouth (11 May 1877) |
The following quoted or paraphrased extracts from (generally the Naval Intelligence column of) the Times newspaper refer to the activities of the Flying or Detached Squadron in the period 6 July 1874 - 14 April 1876 (the bold date is the issue date; a date before the entry is the earlier date of the reported event).
4 July 1874: The Detached Squadron, consisting of the Narcisus, 28, screw frigate, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral George G. Randolph, C.B., in command of the squadron; the Immoralité, 28, Capt. Algernon M'L. Lyons; the Endymion, 22, Capt. E. Madden; and the Topaze, 31, Capt. Edward Hardinge, arrived in Plymouth Sound from Gibraltar.
An intimation arrived at Chatham Dockyard yesterday of what will be the movements of the detached squadron, which will be under the command of Rear-Admiral Randolph, and will consist of the following ships:- The Narcissus, the Immortalité, the Topaze, the Newcastle, the Raleigh, and the Doris. The ships are ordered to assemble at Gibraltar on the 25th of October, excepting the Doris, which is to join the squadron at Madeira. The whole will leave Madeira on the 20th of November, and arrive at St. Vincent on the 29th of November; leave St. Vincent on the 3d of December, and arrive at Montevideo on the 2d of January, 1875; leave Montevideo on the 20th of January, and arrive at the Falkland Islands on the 30th of January; leave the Falkland Islands on the 13th of February, and arrive at the Cape of Good Hope on the 9th of March. The squadron will leave the Cape of Good Hope on the 30th of March, and arrive at St. Helena on the 11th of April; leave St. Helena on the 17th of April, and arrive at Ascension on the 22d of April, leaving Ascension on the 26th of April, and returning to Gibraltar on the 3d of June.
26 October 1874: The detached squadron, under the command of Rear-Admiral Randolph, C.B., consisting of the Narcissus, Immortalité and Raleigh, arrived at Gibraltar - Army and Navy Gazette
The following particulars in reference to the cruise of the Detached Squadron under the command of Rear-Admiral G.G. Randolph have just been published. The vessels composing the squadron are the screw frigate Narcissus, 28, Capt. N. Bowden-Smith, the flagship; the screw frigate Doris, 24, Capt. the Hon. G.R. Fremantle, C.B.; the screw frigate Immortalité, 28, Capt, F.A. Hume; the Newcastle, 28, screw frigate, Capt, R.G. Douglas; the iron screw frigate Raleigh, 22, Capt. George Tryon, C.B.; and the screw frigate Topaze, 28, Capt. Arthur T. Thrupp. The squadron first visited Madeira, where they remained until the 21st ult., proceeding thence to St. Vincent, where they were timed to arrive on the 29th inst. They will remain there until the 3d of December, when they will proceed to Montevideo, which they will reach about the 2d of January, 1875. After remaining there until the 20th of that month, the squadron will go to the Falkland Islands, where they will arrive in ten days. They will stay there about 13 days, when they will leave for the Cape of Good Hope, where they are expected to arrive about the 9th of March. The squadron will leave the Cape on the 30th of March for St. Helena, which port they will make on the 11th of April. They will remain there till the 17th, thence proceeding to Ascension, where they are to arrive on the 23d of April. They will leave for Gibraltar on the 26th of April, reaching the Rock on the 3d of June next, and leaving again for England after a short stay. Letters to meet the squadron at the various places of call should be posted in time to leave London by the following mails:- For Montevideo, December 1 and 15; Falkland Islands, December 19; Cape of Good Hope; January 25, February 5 and 15; St. Helena, March 15; and Gibraltar, May 26.
30 January 1875: The Detached Squadron arrived at Stanley, Falkland Islands.
14 April 1875: The detached squadron, under the command of Rear-Admiral Randolph, was at St. Helena today.
23 May 1875: The detached squadron arrived at St. Vincent, Cape de Verde, all well on board.
The Detached Squadron will leave Gibraltar to-morrow or thereabout. Letters should be sent to the Cape of Good Hope by mails of the 14th, and 24th inst., and August 4, afterwards to Bombay.
The detached squadron left Gibraltar on Thursday morning for the Cape of Good Hope and Bombay. Letters should be sent to the Cape of Good Hope by the mails made up in London on the 24th inst., and 4th prox., via Southampton; and if so marked they can also be sent by Messrs. Donald, Currie, and Co.'s steamers Windsor Castle and Elizabeth Martin, leaving Dartmouth at noon on the 23d of July and the 4th of August respectively.
22 October 1875: The following telegram has been received at the Admiralty from Bombay, dated 22d October, 1875:- "Detached Squadron arrived from Capetown, all well".
The Flying Squadron, consisting of the Narcissus (flagship), Immortalité, Raleigh, Doris, and Newcastle, is expected to remain on the East India station until March next, and will accompany the Prince of Wales in his Indian sea tour to Colombo, Trincomalee, Madras, and Calcutta. During the whole of this period the Squadron will remain temporarily under the command of Vlce-Admiral Macdonald, the Commander-in-Chief of the East India station. It is three years since the Flying Squadron visited India.
The following vessels of the Detached Squadron will leave Bombay in a few days for Hongkong, calling at Singapore for orders :- The Narcissus, the Immortalité, the Newcastle, and the Topaze.
14 February 1876: Detached Squadron.- Narcissus, Flag of Rear-Admiral Lambert, Immortalité, Topaze, and Newcastle will sail forenoon of the 14th inst. from Bombay for Singapore.
The movements of the Detached Squadron, under the orders of Rear-Admiral Lambert, are so uncertain that it is considered advisable not to address letters to the ships in China until further information be received.
7 April 1876: The Detached Squadron (Narcissus, Newcastle, Topaze, and Immortalité) arrived at Hongkong on the 7th of April from Singapore. Rear-Admiral Lambert landed on Saturday at the Murray Pier, where a guard of honour, with the band of the 28th Regiment, was stationed to receive him. The Royal Artillery fired a salute of 11 guns on his leaving his flagship.
9 April 1876: Detached Squadron at Hongkong.- Narcissus, Immortalité, Newcastle, Topaze, arrived at Hongkong.