Comments by "COL BEAUSABRE" (@colbeausabre8842) on "HMS Janus - Guide 297" video.
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@SmilingIbis Funnel bands designated the flotilla that a ship was assigned to and its number within the flotilla Second World War
When single funnelled destroyers entered the fleet with the J class in 1939 and with an expansion in the number of flotillas, the system was changed accordingly. Single funnelled ships wore a 3 feet (0.91 m) deep band as a flotilla leader. As a divisional leader they had a 2 feet (0.61 m) wide vertical band the same colour as, and extending 6 feet (1.8 m) below, the upper flotilla band. Leaders bands were white for Home Fleet, red for Mediterranean Fleet, and the system of flotilla bands changed to;
1st Destroyer Flotilla (Mediterranean) — 1 red, G class
2nd Destroyer Flotilla (Mediterranean) — 2 red, H class
3rd Destroyer Flotilla (Mediterranean) — 3 red bands, then none, I class
4th Destroyer Flotilla (Mediterranean) — none, Tribal class
5th Destroyer Flotilla (Mediterranean) — none, K class
6th Destroyer Flotilla (Home) — 1 white, Tribal class
7th Destroyer Flotilla (Home) — 2 white, J class
8th Destroyer Flotilla (Home) — 3 white, F class
9th Destroyer Flotilla (Home) — 1 black & 2 white, V and W class
10th Destroyer Flotilla (Home) — none, V & W class
11th Destroyer Flotilla (Western Approaches) — 1 black over 2 red, V and W class
12th Destroyer Flotilla (Rosyth) — 1 white over 1 red, E class
13th Destroyer Flotilla (Gibraltar) — 1 white over 2 red, V and W class
14th Destroyer Flotilla (Home) — 1 red over 1 black, V and W class
15th Destroyer Flotilla (Rosyth) — 1 red over 2 black, V and W class
16th Destroyer Flotilla (Portsmouth) — 1 red over 1 white, V and W class
17th Destroyer Flotilla (Western Approaches) (from 1940) — 1 red over 2 white, Town class
18th Destroyer Flotilla (Channel) — 1 white & 1 black, A class
19th Destroyer Flotilla (Dover)— 1 white over 2 black, B class
20th Destroyer Flotilla (Portsmouth) — 2 white over 1 black, C class
21st Destroyer Flotilla (China Station) — 2 white over 1 red, D class
Flotilla bands were used throughout the war although war-losses, operational requirements, and new construction broke up the homogeneity of the destroyer flotillas. Vessels were deployed as and when they were needed or available, and were often incorporated into mixed "escort groups" containing a range of vessel types such as sloops, corvettes, frigates and escort carriers. A few of the escort groups adopted funnel bands; others (like the B7 escort group) wore letters on their funnels.
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