The decision to form the force was made on 11 July 1918 at the British military HQ in Baghdad.

Its purpose was twofold: The force was established under the command of Commodore David Norris in September 1918.

[1] Norris traveled by road from Baghdad to Enzeli with a convoy of lorries transporting naval guns.

[2] In January 1919 he was reinforced by 12 Coastal Motor Boats sent by train from Batumi the Black Sea.

[2] The flotilla maintained bases at Enzeli and Krasnovodsk, and in addition facilitated lines of communication between British land units in Baku, Petrovsk (Chechen Island), Fort Alexandrovsk.