East Indies Station

The East Indies Station, also known as the East Indies Command, was a federation of the British Royal Navy.

History

The East Indies Station was established in the second half of the 18th century as a naval unit, ships in the inventory of the station can be from 1764, demonstrate officers since 1760. The area of ​​responsibility of the station included the Indian Ocean ( excluding the waters around the Dutch East Indies, South Africa and Australia) and included the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea. This implied no territorial demands, although the Royal Navy was often used to enforce British Handeslinteressen in these territories.

In 1820 the station from 10 war and two auxiliary vessels was. The stock rose to 1845 on 22 war and 10 auxiliary ships. Thus, the East Indies Station was the largest naval force of the Royal Navy overseas. In the same year, the East Indies Station was established as a permanent naval force. Until the establishment of the Australia Station in 1848, the East Indies Station was also responsible for the waters around Australia and New Zealand. With the transition to steam-powered ships, the stock 1871 decreased to 10 warships.

Bases of the East Indies Station were in Colombo, Trincomalee, Bombay, Basra and Aden. In 1939, the station of the 4th Cruiser Squadron with three ships and one each Division in the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf was. The divisions had three or four sloops in stock.

Given the growing Japanese threat was the China combined station with the East Indies Station for Eastern Fleet in December 1941. The Eastern Fleet Command was in Singapore.