The command began in 1650 under Captain William Penn with six ships assigned from Beachy Head to Land's End. Its early responsibilities extended beyond battle fleet work to coastal security, smuggling, and threats linked to royalist forces. North African corsairs raided the Spanish, French, British, and Irish coasts for captives, making slavery a direct maritime security problem for coastal communities. The command continued after the Restoration and gained renewed importance under Edward Russell when Channel defence became a fleet responsibility. These origins explain why the later Western Squadron combined several missions instead of serving one set-piece campaign.
Chapter · 24:36-26:26
The Western Squadron's early coastal role
The squadron began as a small force for coastal defence, anti-raiding work, and control of threats in the Channel approaches.