Downs Station

Downs Station
Active	1717–1834
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Navy
Type	Fleet
Role	Patrol
Part of	Royal Navy
Garrison/HQ	Deal, Kent, England

The Downs Station also known as the Commander-in-Chief, the Downs was a former formation of the Kingdom of Great Britain and then the United Kingdom's Royal Navy based at Deal it was considered a major command of the Royal Navy from 1777 until 1834.

The Downs station was the name an naval area of sea during the 17th to 19th centuries it served as permanent base for the navy operating out of Deal for warships patrolling the North Sea during the age of sail the command generally covered an area in the southern North Sea near the English Channel off the east Kent coast it is primarily known in Naval History for the earlier Battle of the Downs that took place in 1639 however at that point there was no specific geographic command established until 1777 the station lasted until 1815 when it was absorbed into the Nore Command who's role and geographic area of responsibility was re-defined by the Admiralty.

Incomplete list includes:

Station not active 1782 to 1790

Station not active 1791 to 1793

Temporary command in absence of senior officer *

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