In the hopes of this sticky being a useful source of information to refer to & not just a rehash of the fractious debates we already have........
Royal Navy dispositions in home waters from Pink List 16.09.40. National Archive ADM 187/9
Approx steaming time from Straits of Dover at 20 knots is given for each location in brackets. Destroyers with sweeping gear are indicated with *.
Dover (1hr)
2 MTB
Harwich (3.5hrs)
6 DD (Malcolm, Venerious, Verity, Wild Swan, Wivern, Worcester)
11 MTB
Portsmouth (3.5hrs)
1 CL (Cardiff)
14 DD (Beagle, Bulldog, Havelock, Harvester, Hesperus, Highlander Vanoc, Viscount, Saladin, Sturdy, Berkeley, Fernie, Mistral (FR))
5 TB (Branlebas, L'Incomprise, La Cordeliere, La Flore (FR), Z7 (Dutch))
6 MTB
Southampton (3.5hrs)
2 DD (Volunteer, Wolverine)
Sheerness/Chatham (4hrs)
2 CL (Galatea, Aurora)
18 DD (Brilliant, Icarus*, Impulsive*, Campbell, Venetia, Vesper, Vivacious, Walpole, Cattistock, Holderness, Garth, Hambledon, Vanity, Viriera*, Wallace, Westminster, Winchester, Wolsey)
London (4.5hrs)
1 MTB
Lowestoft (5hrs)
1 TB (Draug (Norwegian))
1 MTB
Portland (5hrs)
2 MTB
Plymouth
1 BB (Revenge)
2 CL (Newcastle, Emerald)
11 DD (Isis*, Broke, Vansihart, Whitehall, Westcott, La Melporiene (FR), Ouragan (FR), Bouclier (FR), Blyskawica (Pol), Burza (Pol), Garland (Pol))
The Humber (10hrs)
3 CL (Manchester, Southampton, Birmingham)
5 DD (Javelin*, Jupiter*, Jaguar*, Kelvin*, Watchman)
11 MTB
Milford Haven (14hrs)
1 TB (G13 (Dutch))
Roysth (18hrs)
2 BB (Nelson, Rodney)
1 BC (Hood)
3 CLAA (Bonaventure, Naiad, Cairo)
17 DD (Cossack, Maori, Sikh, Zulu, Jackel*, Kashmir*, Kipling*, Ashanti, Bedouin, Punjabi, Tartar, Electra*, Vortigen, Valorous, Vega*, Verdun*, Woolston)
1 TB (Sleipner (Norwegian))
Liverpool (18.5hrs)
3 DD (Vanquisher, Walker, Sabre)
Dundee (19hrs)
3 TB (Z5, Z6, Z8 (all Dutch))
Belfast (20hrs)
3 DD (Shikari, Scimitar, Skate)
Firth of Clyde (21.5hrs)
1 CL (Sheffield)
10 DD (Keppel, Achates*, Active*, Amazon*, Antelope*, Arrow*, Douglas, St. Laurent (RCN), Ottowa (RCN), Skeena* (RCN))
Scapa Flow (26hrs)
1 BC (Repulse)
1 CV (Furious)
2 CA (Berwick, Norfolk)
1 CL (Glasgow)
1 CLA (Curacoa)
7 DD (Somalia, Eskimo, Matabele, Duncan, Versatile, Vimy, Eglington
On patrol or escort duty
10 DD (Veteran, Witherington, Mackay, Hurricane, Winchelsea, Warwick, Witch, Wanderer, Vivien, Wolfhound)
1 TB (G15 (Dutch))
Auxiliary Patrol - from Wash to Selsey Bill approx 700 small patrol vessels of which 300 at sea at any one time.
Apologies for any typo's, I'm working from a written record taken from the internet several years ago & my typing is worse than my handwriting.
I'm curious if anyone has any information regarding readiness at port that could impact on the steaming times. Also manning on the French & Dutch vessels, were there really enough Free French/ Dutch manpower for there?