Mediterranean Fleet
The British Mediterranean Fleet also known as the Mediterranean Station was a formation of the Royal Navy. The Fleet was one of the most prestigious commands in the navy for the majority of its history, defending the vital sea link between the United Kingdom and the majority of the British Empire in the Eastern Hemisphere. The first Commander-in-Chief for the Mediterranean Fleet was the appointment of General at Sea Robert Blake in September 1654 the Fleet was in existence until 1967.
Pre-Second World War
The Royal Navy gained a foothold in the Mediterranean Sea when Gibraltar was captured by the British in 1704 during the War of Spanish Succession, and formally allocated to Britain in the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht. Though the British had maintained a naval presence in the Mediterranean before, the capture of Gibraltar allowed the British to establish their first naval base there. The British also used Port Mahon, on the island of Menorca, as a naval base. However, British control there was only temporary; Menorca changed hands numerous times, and was permanently ceded to Spain in 1802 under the Treaty of Amiens. In 1800, the British took Malta, which was to be handed over to the Knights of Malta under the Treaty of Amiens. When the Napoleonic Wars resumed in 1803, the British kept Malta for use as a naval base. Following Napoleon's defeat, the British continued their presence in Malta, and turned it into the main base for the Mediterranean Fleet. Between the 1860s and 1900s, the British undertook a number of projects to improve the harbours and dockyard facilities, and Malta's harbours were sufficient to allow the entire fleet to be safely moored there.In the last decade of the nineteenth century, the Mediterranean Fleet was the largest single squadron of the Royal Navy, with ten first-class battleships—double the number in the Channel Fleet—and a large number of smaller warships.
On 22 June 1893, the bulk of the fleet, eight battleships and three large cruisers, were conducting their annual summer exercises off Tripoli, Lebanon, when the fleet's flagship, the battleship, collided with the battleship. Victoria sank within fifteen minutes, taking 358 crew with her. Vice-Admiral Sir George Tryon, commander of the Mediterranean Fleet, was among the dead.
Of the three original s which entered service in the first half of 1908, two joined the Mediterranean Fleet in 1914. They and formed the nucleus of the fleet at the start of the First World War when British forces pursued the German ships Goeben and Breslau.
A recently modernised became the flagship of the Commander-in-Chief and Second-in-Command, Mediterranean Fleet in 1926.
Second World War
, as part of the British Empire from 1814, was a shipping station and was the headquarters for the Mediterranean Fleet until the mid-1930s. Due to the perceived threat of air-attack from the Italian mainland, the fleet was moved to Alexandria, Egypt, shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War.Sir Andrew Cunningham took command of the fleet from on 3 September 1939, and under him the major formations of the Fleet were the 1st Battle Squadron 1st Cruiser Squadron, 3rd Cruiser Squadron, Rear Admiral John Tovey, with the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Destroyer Flotillas, and the aircraft carrier.
In 1940, the Mediterranean Fleet carried out a successful aircraft carrier attack on the Italian Fleet at Taranto by air. Other major actions included the Battle of Cape Matapan and the Battle of Crete. The Fleet had to block Italian and later German reinforcements and supplies for the North African Campaign.
Post war
In October 1946, hit a mine in the Corfu Channel, starting a series of events known as the Corfu Channel Incident. The channel was cleared in "Operation Recoil" the next month, involving 11 minesweepers under the guidance of, two cruisers, three destroyers, and three frigates.In May 1948, Sir Arthur Power took over as Commander-in-Chief Mediterranean, and in his first act arranged a show of force to discourage the crossing of Jewish refugees into Palestine. When later that year Britain pulled out of the British Mandate of Palestine, Ocean, four destroyers, and two frigates escorted the departing High Commissioner, aboard the cruiser. The force stayed to cover the evacuation of British troops into the Haifa enclave and south via Gaza.
From 1952 to 1967, the post of Commander in Chief Mediterranean Fleet was given a dual-hatted role as NATO Commander in Chief of Allied Forces Mediterranean in charge of all forces assigned to NATO in the Mediterranean Area. The British made strong representations within NATO in discussions regarding the development of the Mediterranean NATO command structure, wishing to retain their direction of NATO naval command in the Mediterranean to protect their sea lines of communication running through the Mediterranean to the Middle East and Far East. When a NATO naval commander, Admiral Robert B. Carney, C-in-C Allied Forces Southern Europe, was appointed, relations with the incumbent British C-in-C, Admiral Sir John Edelsten, were frosty. Edlesten, on making an apparently friendly offer of the use of communications facilities to Carney, who initially lacked secure communications facilities, was met with "I'm not about to play Faust to your Mephistopheles through the medium of communications!"
In 1956, ships of the fleet, together with the French Navy, took part in the Suez War against Egypt.
From 1957 to 1959, Rear Admiral Charles Madden held the post of Flag Officer, Malta, with responsibilities for three squadrons of minesweepers, an amphibious warfare squadron, and a flotilla of submarines stationed at the bases around Valletta Harbour. In this capacity, he had to employ considerable diplomatic skill to maintain good relations with Dom Mintoff, the nationalistic prime minister of Malta.
In the 1960s, as the importance of maintaining the link between the United Kingdom and British territories and commitments East of Suez decreased as the Empire was dismantled, and the focus of Cold War naval responsibilities moved to the North Atlantic, the Mediterranean Fleet was gradually drawn down, finally disbanding in June 1967. Eric Grove, in Vanguard to Trident, details how by the mid-1960s the permanent strength of the Fleet was "reduced to a single small escort squadron and a coastal minesweeper squadron." Deployments to the Beira Patrol and elsewhere reduced the escort total in 1966 from four to two ships, and then to no frigates at all. The Fleet's assets and area of responsibility were absorbed into the new Western Fleet. As a result of this change, the UK relinquished the NATO post of Commander in Chief, Allied Forces Mediterranean, which was abolished.
Principal officers
Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Sea
Note: This list is incomplete. The majority of officers listed were appointed as Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Sea sometimes Commander-in-Chief, at the Mediterranean Sea earlier officers appointed to command either fleets/squadrons stationed in the Mediterranean for particular operations were styled differently see notes next to their listing| Commander-in-chief | From | To | Flagship | Note |
| General at Sea: Robert Blake | September 1654 | August 1657 | ||
| Admiral of the Blue: Sir Thomas Allin | 1668 | 1669 | ||
| Admiral of the Blue: Sir George Rooke | August 1695 | 1696 | ||
| Vice-Admiral: John Neville | November 1696 | August 1697 | ||
| Admiral of the Fleet: Sir Cloudesley Shovell | May 1705 | 1707 | ||
| Admiral of the white: Sir John Leake | January 1707 | 1708 | ||
| Admiral of the White: George Byng | 1708 | |||
| Admiral of the Blue: Sir John Norris | December 1709 | 1710 | ||
| Admiral of the White: Sir John Jennings | November 1710 | 1711 | HMS Blenheim | |
| Admiral of the White Sir James Wishart | December 1713 | 1714 | ||
| Vice-Admiral of the Blue: John Baker | February 1714 | 1715 | ||
| Vice-Admiral of the Blue: Charles Cornewall | October 1716 | 1717 | ||
| Admiral of the White: George Byng | June 1718 | 1720 | ||
| Rear-Admiral of the White: Hon. George Clinton | April 1737 | |||
| Rear-Admiral of the Red: Nicholas Haddock | May 1738 | December 1741 | ||
| Rear-Admiral of the White: Richard Lestock | November 1741 | December 1741 | ||
| Vice-Admiral of the Red: Thomas Mathews | March 1742 | |||
| Vice-admiral of the White: Richard Lestock | December 1743 | 1744 | ||
| Vice-Admiral of the Blue: William Rowley | June 1744 | July 1745 | ||
| Vice-Admiral of the White: Henry Medley | July 1745 | August 1747 | ||
| Vice-Admiral of the Blue: Hon. John Byng | September 1747 | August 1748 | ||
| Rear-Admiral of the White: John Forbes | August 1748 | 1749 | ||
| Rear-Admiral of the Blue: Charles Saunders | January 1757 | May 1757 |
Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet
The first Commander-in-Chief for the Mediterranean Fleet may have been named as early as 1665. Commanders-in-chief have included:| Commander-in-chief | From | To | Flagship | Note |
| Vice-Admiral Henry Osborn | May 1757 | April 1760 | ||
| Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Saunders | April 1760 | 1763 | ||
| Vice-Admiral Augustus Hervey | 1763 | ? | ||
| Vice-Admiral Sir Richard Spry | 1766 | 1769 | ||
| Vice-Admiral Lord Howe | 1770 | 1774 | ||
| Vice-Admiral Robert Man | 1774 | 1778 | ||
| Vice-Admiral Robert Duff | 1778 | 1780 | ||
| Vacant | 1780 | 1783 | ||
| Vice-Admiral Sir John Lindsay | 1783 | 1784 | ||
| Vice-Admiral Phillips Cosby | 1785 | 1789 | ||
| Rear-Admiral Joseph Peyton | 1789 | 1792 | ||
| Rear-Admiral Samuel Granston Goodall | 1792 | 1793 | ||
| Vice-Admiral Sir Samuel Hood | February 1793 | October 1794 | ||
| Vice-Admiral Lord Hotham | October 1794 | November 1795 | ||
| Vice-Admiral Lord Jervis | 1796 | 1799 | ||
| Vice-Admiral Lord Keith | November 1799 | 1802 | ||
| Vice-Admiral Lord Nelson | May 1803 | January 1805 | Died after Battle of Trafalgar | |
| Vice-Admiral Lord Collingwood | 1805 | 1810 | ||
| Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Cotton | 1810 | 1811 | ||
| Vice-Admiral Sir Edward Pellew | 1811 | 1814 | ||
| Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Penrose | 1814 | 1815 | ||
| Vice-Admiral Lord Exmouth | 1815 | 1816 | ||
| Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Penrose | 1816 | 1818 | ||
| Vice-Admiral Sir Thomas Fremantle | 1818 | 1820 | ||
| Vice-Admiral Sir Graham Moore | 1820 | 1823 | ||
| Vice-Admiral Sir Harry Burrard-Neale | 1823 | 1826 | ||
| Vice-Admiral Sir Edward Codrington | 1826 | 1828 | ||
| Vice-Admiral Sir Pulteney Malcolm | 1828 | 1831 | ||
| Vice-Admiral Sir Henry Hotham | 30 March 1831 | 19 April 1833 | Died 19 April 1833 | |
| Vice-Admiral Sir Pulteney Malcolm | 3 May 1833 | 18 December 1833 | ||
| Vice-Admiral Sir Josias Rowley | 18 December 1833 | 9 February 1837 | ||
| Admiral Sir Robert Stopford | 9 February 1837 | 14 October 1841 | ||
| Vice-Admiral Sir Edward Owen | 14 October 1841 | 27 February 1845 | ||
| Vice-Admiral Sir William Parker | 27 February 1845 | 13 July 1846 | Parker was briefly First Naval Lord in July 1846 but requested permission to return to the Mediterranean on ground of his health. | |
| Vice-Admiral Sir William Parker | 24 July 1846 | 17 January 1852 | ||
| Rear-Admiral Sir James Dundas | 17 January 1852 | 1854 | Vice-Adm. 17 December 1852 | |
| Rear-Admiral Sir Edmund Lyons | 1854 | 22 February 1858 | Vice-Adm. 19 March 1857 | |
| Vice-Admiral Sir Arthur Fanshawe | 22 February 1858 | 19 April 1860 | ||
| Vice-Admiral Sir William Martin | 19 April 1860 | 20 April 1863 | Marlborough | |
| Vice-Admiral Sir Robert Smart | 20 April 1863 | 28 April 1866 | Marlborough then | |
| Vice-Admiral Lord Clarence Paget | 28 April 1866 | 28 April 1869 | Victoria then | |
| Vice-Admiral Sir Alexander Milne | 28 April 1869 | 25 October 1870 | Adm. 1 April 1870 | |
| Vice-Admiral Sir Hastings Yelverton | 25 October 1870 | 13 January 1874 | Lord Warden | |
| Vice-Admiral Sir James Drummond | 13 January 1874 | 15 January 1877 | Lord Warden then | |
| Vice-Admiral Sir Geoffrey Hornby | 5 January 1877 | 5 February 1880 | Adm. 15 June 1879 | |
| Vice-Admiral Sir Beauchamp Seymour | 5 February 1880 | 7 February 1883 | and | Adm. 6 May 1882 |
| Vice-Admiral Lord John Hay | 7 February 1883 | 5 February 1886 | Adm. 8 July 1884 | |
| Vice-Admiral H.R.H. the Duke of Edinburgh | 5 February 1886 | 11 March 1889 | Adm. 18 October 1887 | |
| Vice-Admiral Sir Anthony Hoskins | 11 March 1889 | 20 August 1891 | Mar 89 – Dec 89 Dec 89 – May 90 May 90 onwards | Adm. 20 June 1891 |
| Vice-Admiral Sir George Tryon | 20 August 1891 | 22 June 1893 | Died in commission; lost in Victoria | |
| Admiral Sir Michael Culme-Seymour | 29 June 1893 | 10 November 1896 | ||
| Admiral Sir John Hopkins | 10 November 1896 | 1 July 1899 | ||
| Admiral Sir John Fisher | 1 July 1899 | 4 June 1902 | ||
| Admiral Sir Compton Domvile | 4 June 1902 | June 1905 | ||
| Admiral Lord Charles Beresford | appointed 1 May 1905 assumed command 6 June 1905 | February 1907 | ||
| Admiral Sir Charles Drury | appointed 5 March 1907 assumed command 27 March 1907 | 1908 | ||
| Admiral Sir Assheton Curzon-Howe | appointed 20 November 1908 assumed command 20 November 1908 | 1910 | ||
| Admiral Sir Edmund Poë | appointed 30 April 1910 assumed command 30 April 1910 | November 1912 | ||
| Admiral Sir Berkley Milne | appointed 1 June 1912 assumed command 12 June 1912 | 27 August 1914 | ||
| During World War I plans were put in place to separate the Mediterranean into specific areas of responsibility. The British were charged with responsibility for Gibraltar, Malta, Egyptian coast, and Aegean in August 1917 Vice Admiral Somerset Gough-Calthorpe became CinC, MF commanding all British forces in the Mediterranean. Overall allied command would remain under the control of the Allied Commander in Chief, who was the head of the French Navy. Vice-Admiral Somerset Gough-Calthorpe was also responsible for coordinating other allied forces in Mediterranean. British forces were divided into a number of sub-commands namely Gibraltar, Malta, the British Adriatic Squadron, the British Aegean Squadron, the Egypt Division and Red Sea and the Black Sea and Marmora Force. Post titles have been put in bold in the notes column. | During World War I plans were put in place to separate the Mediterranean into specific areas of responsibility. The British were charged with responsibility for Gibraltar, Malta, Egyptian coast, and Aegean in August 1917 Vice Admiral Somerset Gough-Calthorpe became CinC, MF commanding all British forces in the Mediterranean. Overall allied command would remain under the control of the Allied Commander in Chief, who was the head of the French Navy. Vice-Admiral Somerset Gough-Calthorpe was also responsible for coordinating other allied forces in Mediterranean. British forces were divided into a number of sub-commands namely Gibraltar, Malta, the British Adriatic Squadron, the British Aegean Squadron, the Egypt Division and Red Sea and the Black Sea and Marmora Force. Post titles have been put in bold in the notes column. | During World War I plans were put in place to separate the Mediterranean into specific areas of responsibility. The British were charged with responsibility for Gibraltar, Malta, Egyptian coast, and Aegean in August 1917 Vice Admiral Somerset Gough-Calthorpe became CinC, MF commanding all British forces in the Mediterranean. Overall allied command would remain under the control of the Allied Commander in Chief, who was the head of the French Navy. Vice-Admiral Somerset Gough-Calthorpe was also responsible for coordinating other allied forces in Mediterranean. British forces were divided into a number of sub-commands namely Gibraltar, Malta, the British Adriatic Squadron, the British Aegean Squadron, the Egypt Division and Red Sea and the Black Sea and Marmora Force. Post titles have been put in bold in the notes column. | During World War I plans were put in place to separate the Mediterranean into specific areas of responsibility. The British were charged with responsibility for Gibraltar, Malta, Egyptian coast, and Aegean in August 1917 Vice Admiral Somerset Gough-Calthorpe became CinC, MF commanding all British forces in the Mediterranean. Overall allied command would remain under the control of the Allied Commander in Chief, who was the head of the French Navy. Vice-Admiral Somerset Gough-Calthorpe was also responsible for coordinating other allied forces in Mediterranean. British forces were divided into a number of sub-commands namely Gibraltar, Malta, the British Adriatic Squadron, the British Aegean Squadron, the Egypt Division and Red Sea and the Black Sea and Marmora Force. Post titles have been put in bold in the notes column. | During World War I plans were put in place to separate the Mediterranean into specific areas of responsibility. The British were charged with responsibility for Gibraltar, Malta, Egyptian coast, and Aegean in August 1917 Vice Admiral Somerset Gough-Calthorpe became CinC, MF commanding all British forces in the Mediterranean. Overall allied command would remain under the control of the Allied Commander in Chief, who was the head of the French Navy. Vice-Admiral Somerset Gough-Calthorpe was also responsible for coordinating other allied forces in Mediterranean. British forces were divided into a number of sub-commands namely Gibraltar, Malta, the British Adriatic Squadron, the British Aegean Squadron, the Egypt Division and Red Sea and the Black Sea and Marmora Force. Post titles have been put in bold in the notes column. |
| Admiral Sir Somerset Gough-Calthorpe | 26 August 1917 | 25 July 1919 | Commander-in-Chief Mediterranean | |
| Vice Admiral Sir John de Robeck | 26 July 1919 | 14 May 1922 | ||
| Vice Admiral Sir Osmond Brock | 15 May 1922 | 7 June 1925 | Admiral 31 July 1924 | |
| Admiral Sir Roger Keyes | 8 June 1925 | 7 June 1928 | ||
| Admiral Sir Frederick Field | 8 June 1928 | 28 May 1930 | - | |
| Admiral Sir Ernle Chatfield | 27 May 1930 | 31 October 1932 | ||
| Admiral Sir William Fisher | 31 October 1932 | 19 March 1936 | later | |
| Admiral Sir Dudley Pound | 20 March 1936 | 31 May 1939 | ||
| During World War II, the Fleet was split in two for a period. Post titles in the notes column. | During World War II, the Fleet was split in two for a period. Post titles in the notes column. | During World War II, the Fleet was split in two for a period. Post titles in the notes column. | During World War II, the Fleet was split in two for a period. Post titles in the notes column. | During World War II, the Fleet was split in two for a period. Post titles in the notes column. |
| Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham | 1 June 1939 6 June 1939 assumed command | March 1942 | August 1939 HMS St Angelo April 1940 February 1941 | Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet. Vice-Admiral Cunningham was given acting rank of Admiral on 1 June 1930, and promoted to Admiral on 3 January 1941. |
| Admiral Sir Henry Harwood | 22 April 1942 | February 1943 | Warspite HMS Nile Aug 1942 | Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet. Vice-Admiral Harwood was given acting rank of Admiral. |
| Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham | 1 November 1942 | 20 February 1943 | HMS Hannibal | Naval Commander Expeditionary Force North Africa and Mediterranean |
| In February 1943 the Fleet was divided into a command of ships and a command of ports & naval bases: Mediterranean Fleet: Commander-in-Chief Mediterranean Fleet, 15th Cruiser Squadron, Cdre. Levant: Commander-in-Chief, Levant, Alexandria, Malta, Port Said, Haifa, Bizerta, Tripoli, Mersa Matruh, Benghazi, Aden, Bone, Bougie, Philippeville C-in-C Levant was renamed C-in-C Levant and Eastern Mediterranean in late December 1943. In January 1944 the two separate commands were re-unified with the Flag Officer, Levant and East Mediterranean reporting to the C-in-C Mediterranean. | In February 1943 the Fleet was divided into a command of ships and a command of ports & naval bases: Mediterranean Fleet: Commander-in-Chief Mediterranean Fleet, 15th Cruiser Squadron, Cdre. Levant: Commander-in-Chief, Levant, Alexandria, Malta, Port Said, Haifa, Bizerta, Tripoli, Mersa Matruh, Benghazi, Aden, Bone, Bougie, Philippeville C-in-C Levant was renamed C-in-C Levant and Eastern Mediterranean in late December 1943. In January 1944 the two separate commands were re-unified with the Flag Officer, Levant and East Mediterranean reporting to the C-in-C Mediterranean. | In February 1943 the Fleet was divided into a command of ships and a command of ports & naval bases: Mediterranean Fleet: Commander-in-Chief Mediterranean Fleet, 15th Cruiser Squadron, Cdre. Levant: Commander-in-Chief, Levant, Alexandria, Malta, Port Said, Haifa, Bizerta, Tripoli, Mersa Matruh, Benghazi, Aden, Bone, Bougie, Philippeville C-in-C Levant was renamed C-in-C Levant and Eastern Mediterranean in late December 1943. In January 1944 the two separate commands were re-unified with the Flag Officer, Levant and East Mediterranean reporting to the C-in-C Mediterranean. | In February 1943 the Fleet was divided into a command of ships and a command of ports & naval bases: Mediterranean Fleet: Commander-in-Chief Mediterranean Fleet, 15th Cruiser Squadron, Cdre. Levant: Commander-in-Chief, Levant, Alexandria, Malta, Port Said, Haifa, Bizerta, Tripoli, Mersa Matruh, Benghazi, Aden, Bone, Bougie, Philippeville C-in-C Levant was renamed C-in-C Levant and Eastern Mediterranean in late December 1943. In January 1944 the two separate commands were re-unified with the Flag Officer, Levant and East Mediterranean reporting to the C-in-C Mediterranean. | In February 1943 the Fleet was divided into a command of ships and a command of ports & naval bases: Mediterranean Fleet: Commander-in-Chief Mediterranean Fleet, 15th Cruiser Squadron, Cdre. Levant: Commander-in-Chief, Levant, Alexandria, Malta, Port Said, Haifa, Bizerta, Tripoli, Mersa Matruh, Benghazi, Aden, Bone, Bougie, Philippeville C-in-C Levant was renamed C-in-C Levant and Eastern Mediterranean in late December 1943. In January 1944 the two separate commands were re-unified with the Flag Officer, Levant and East Mediterranean reporting to the C-in-C Mediterranean. |
| Admiral of the Fleet Sir Andrew Cunningham | 20 February 1943 | 15 October 1943 | HMS Hannibal | Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet. |
| Admiral Sir John Cunningham | 15 October 1943 | February 1946 | Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Station & Allied Naval Commander Mediterranean | |
| Admiral Sir Algernon Willis | 1946 | 1948 | ||
| Admiral Sir Arthur Power | 1948 | 1950 | HMS St Angelo | Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean |
| Admiral Sir John Edelsten | 1950 | 1952 | HMS St Angelo | Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean |
| Admiral Earl Mountbatten of Burma | 1952 | 1954 | HMS St Angelo | Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean |
| Admiral Sir Guy Grantham | 10 Dec 1954 | 10 Apr 57 | HMS St Angelo | |
| Vice Admiral Sir Ralph Edwards | 10 Apr 57 | 11 Nov 58 | HMS St Angelo | |
| Admiral Sir Charles Lambe | 11 Nov 58 | 2 Feb 59 | HMS Phoenicia | |
| Admiral Sir Alexander Bingley | 2 Feb 59 | 30 Jun 61 | HMS Phoenicia | |
| Admiral Sir Deric Holland-Martin | 30 Jun 61 | 1 Feb 64 | HMS Phoenicia | - |
| Admiral Sir John Hamilton | 1 Feb 1964 | 5 June 1967 | HMS St Angelo |
Chief of Staff
The Chief of Staff was the principal staff officer, who is the coordinator of the supporting staff or a primary aide-de-camp to the Commander-in-Chief.| Name | Date/s | Notes/Ref |
| Chief of Staff Mediterranean Fleet | 1893 to 1967 | |
| Additional Chief of Staff, Mediterranean Fleet | 1943 to 1944 |
Fleet Headquarters
The Mediterranean Fleets shore headquarters was initially based at Port Mahon Dockyard, Minorca for most of the eighteenth century. It rotated between Gibraltar and Malta from 1791 to 1812. From 1813 to July 1939 it was permanently at Malta Dockyard. In August 1939 the C-in-C Mediterranean Fleet moved his HQ afloat on board until April 1940. He was then back onshore at Malta until February 1941. He transferred it again to HMS Warspite until July 1942. In August 1942 headquarters were moved Alexandria from June 1940 to February 1943. HQ was changed again but this time in rotation between Algiers and Taranto until June 1944. It then moved back to Malta until it was abolished in 1967.Senior Flag Officers with fleet responsibilities
| In command unit or formation | Date/s | Notes/Ref |
| Second-in-Command, Mediterranean Fleet | 1861-1939 | |
| Vice-Admiral Commanding, Light Forces and Second-in-Command Mediterranean Fleet | 1940-1942 | |
| Vice-Admiral Commanding, Mediterranean Fleet Destroyers | 1922 to 1965 | |
| Flag Officer, Air and Second-in-Command, Mediterranean Fleet | 1947-1958 | |
| Flag Officer, Mediterranean Aircraft Carriers | 1940 to 1943 | |
| Rear-Admiral Commanding, Mediterranean Fleet Destroyers | 1922 to 1965 | |
| Rear-Admiral, Mediterranean Fleet | 1903 to 1905 | |
| Commodore Commanding, Mediterranean Fleet Destroyers | 1922 to 1965 |
Subordinate formations
Note: At various times included the following.| In command of unit or formation | Date/s | Notes and Ref |
| Admiral Superintendent Malta | 1832 to 1934 | |
| Commodore, Adriatic Patrols | 1915 to 1918 | |
| Commodore-in-Charge, Algiers | December 1942 to February 1943 | |
| Commodore, Smyrna | 1919-1920 | |
| Commodore Commanding, British Adriatic Force | 1917 to 1919 | |
| Commodore Commanding, Red Sea Division | 1884 to 1885 | |
| Flag Officer Commanding Force H | 1940 to 1941 | |
| Flag Officer Commanding, Red Sea and Canal Area | May 1942 to February 1943 | |
| Flag Officer, Gibraltar | 1902 to 1939, 1946 to 1967 | |
| Flag Officer, Gibraltar and North Atlantic | May to November 1939 | |
| Flag Officer, Gibraltar and Mediterranean Approaches | 1943 to 1946 | |
| Flag Officer, Levant and East Mediterranean | 1944 to 1946 | |
| Flag Officer, Malta | 1934 to 1943, 1946 to 1963 | |
| Flag Officer, Malta and Central Mediterranean | 1943 to 1946 | |
| Flag Officer, Red Sea | October 1941 to May 1942 | |
| Flag Officer, Western Mediterranean | July 1944 to May 1945 | |
| Rear-Admiral, Alexandria | 1939 to 1944 | |
| Rear-Admiral, Egypt and Red Sea | 1917 to 1920 | |
| Rear-Admiral, Training Establishment Mediterranean | May to August 1942 | |
| Rear-Admiral Commanding 1st Cruiser Squadron | 1914 to 1915, 1924 to 1939, 1947 to 1955 | |
| Rear-Admiral Commanding 2nd Cruiser Squadron | 1946 to 1947 | |
| Rear-Admiral Commanding, 3rd Cruiser Squadron | 1939 to 1941 | |
| Rear-Admiral Commanding, 6th Cruiser Squadron | 1910 to 1912 | |
| Rear-Admiral Commanding, 12th Cruiser Squadron | 1942 to 1943 | |
| Rear-Admiral Commanding, 15th Cruiser Squadron | 1942 to 1944 | |
| Rear-Admiral Commanding, Black Sea, Caspian Sea and Sea of Marmora | 1918 to 1919 | |
| Rear-Admiral Commanding, British Adriatic Squadron | 1915 to 1917 | |
| Rear-Admiral Commanding, British Aegean Squadron | 1917 to 1918 | |
| Rear-Admiral Commanding, Mediterranean Cruiser Squadron | 1912 | |
| Rear-Admiral, Second-in-Command, Eastern Mediterranean Squadron | 1915 to 1918 | |
| Senior British Naval Officer, Suez Canal Area | 1939 to 1942 | |
| Senior Naval Officer-in-Charge, Suez | 1941 to 1942 | |
| Senior Naval Officer, Mudros | 1915 to 1918 | |
| Vice-Admiral Commanding 1st Battle Squadron | 1939 to 1941 | |
| Vice-Admiral Commanding, 2nd Aircraft Carrier Squadron | 1947 to 1951 | |
| Vice-Admiral Commanding, Battlecruiser Squadron | 1947 to 1951 | |
| Vice-Admiral Commanding, Eastern Mediterranean Squadron | 1937 to 1939 | |
| Vice-Admiral-in-Charge, Malta | 1937 to 1941 |
Parts of the Admiral of Patrols' Auxiliary Patrol during World War One were within the Mediterranean. Several patrol zones were under British authority.
Major support sub-commands
Note: At various times included the following.| In command of unit or formation | Date/s | Notes and Ref |
| Principal Naval Transport Officer, Mudros | 31 August 1915 – 20 January 1916 | Commodore-in-Command |
| Principal Naval Transport Officer, Salonika | 20 January 1916 – June, 1916 | Commodore-in-Command |
Minor shore sub-commands
Included:| Location | In Command | Dates | Notes/Ref |
| Aden | Naval Officer-in-Charge, Aden | 1935 to 1938 | |
| Alexandria | Naval Officer-in-Charge, Cyprian Ports | 1941 to 1943 | |
| Bone | Naval Officer-in-Charge, Bone | January to February 1943 | |
| Bougie | Naval Officer-in-Charge, Bougie | January to February 1943 | |
| Brindisi | British Senior Naval Officer, Brindisi | 1916 to 1918 | |
| Genoa | Senior Naval Officer, Genoa | 1919 | |
| Gibraltar | Senior Officer, Gibraltar | 1889 to 1902 | |
| Haifa | Naval Officer in Charge, Haifa | 1935 to 1939 | |
| Haifa | Naval Officer-in-Charge, Palestinian Ports | 1940 to 1943 | |
| Mersa Matruh | Naval Officer-in-Charge, Mersa Matruh | 1941 to 1943 | |
| Mudros | Captain of Base, Mudros | 1918 to 1920 | |
| Phillippeville | Naval Officer-in-Charge, Phillippeville | January to February 1943 | |
| Port Said | Naval Officer-in-Charge, Port Said | December, 1916 to February 1943 | |
| Salonika | Divisional Naval Transport Officer, Salonika | 26 January 1917 to 16 April 1919 | |
| Taranto | Senior Naval Officer, Taranto | December, 1918 to March 1919 | |
| Trieste | Naval Transport Officer in Charge, Trieste | January 1916 to December 1918 |