1st Battlecruiser Squadron (United Kingdom)
Encyclopedia
The First Battlecruiser Squadron was a Royal Navy
squadron of battlecruisers that saw service as part of the Grand Fleet during the First World War. It was created in 1909 as the First Cruiser Squadron and was renamed in 1913 to First Battle Cruiser Squadron. It participated in the battles of Heligoland Bight, Dogger Bank
and the Battle of Jutland
. After the end of the war it became the sole Battlecruiser Squadron.
battlecruiser
s of the Invincible class
— and —were commissioned into the Nore Division of the Home Fleet in October 1908. In early 1909, the Nore Division became the First Division of a reorganised Home Fleet, and Inflexible and Indomitable were transferred to the new First Cruiser Squadron in March 1909; they were joined by their recently completed sister
. Also part of the squadron were the armoured cruisers and (flagship
). Rear-Admiral the Honourable Stanley Colville
took command of the squadron on 24 February and transferred his flag to Indomitable on 29 July. Drake then became flagship of the Fifth Cruiser Squadron in the Atlantic Fleet.
On 24 February 1911, Rear-Admiral Lewis Bayly
assumed command of the First Cruiser Squadron, which had been joined in February by the new Indefatigable-class battlecruiser
. Upon joining on 4 June 1912, became Rear-Admiral Bayly's flagship. joined on 14 November. A reorganisation of the fleet renamed the First Cruiser Squadron to First Battlecruiser Squadron on 1 January 1913. During 1913 gradually all the older battlecruisers left to join the Second Battlecruiser Squadron in the Mediterranean Fleet. Rear-Admiral David Beatty was selected to command the squadron and succeeded Bayly on 1 March 1913. The near-sister to the Lion class
——joined on 4 September. At a conference at Cromarty
in May 1914, it was announced to the assembled flag officers that in May 1915 the First Battlecruiser Squadron would be disbanded and its ships allocated in pairs to light cruiser squadrons. This plan was abandoned due to the outbreak of war.
on 16 December. On 15 January 1915, New Zealand left to become flagship of the Second Battlecruiser Squadron and was joined by Indomitable, which had served with the First Battlecruiser Squadron over the New Year.
The Squadron took part in the Battle of Dogger Bank
, where Beatty's battlecruisers forced the Germans to retreat, and in the process sank the German
armoured cruiser , while Lion suffered heavy damage. As a result of the battle, in February the battlecruiser force was reorganised, and a Battlecruiser Fleet (BCF) was incorporated, with Beatty reappointed to command it. Captain Osmond De B. Brock
of Princess Royal was appointed Commodore, First Class and given command of the First Battlecruiser Squadron, until he was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral in March. At the Battle of Jutland
on 31 May 1916, all ships were damaged by German shell fire as the First Battle Squadron under Rear-Admiral Brock and Beatty in Lion lead the British line against the enemy. Early in the action, Queen Mary was lost and all but a small number of her crew were killed. Two other battlecruiser—Invincible and Indefatigable—were sunk during the battle.
The squadron's losses were made up for by the arrival of the new battlecruisers and in September 1916 and January 1917 respectively. Brock was replaced by Rear-Admiral Richard F. Phillimore. When Phillimore left to become Rear-Admiral Commanding, Aircraft Carriers, he was superseded by Rear-Admiral Henry Oliver
on 14 March 1918.
.. Captain William O. Boothby.. Captain Herbert G. King-Hall
.. Captain Henry H. Torlesse.. Captain Mark E. F. Kerr.
.. Captain W. R. Hall
.. Captain Lionel Halsey
.
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
squadron of battlecruisers that saw service as part of the Grand Fleet during the First World War. It was created in 1909 as the First Cruiser Squadron and was renamed in 1913 to First Battle Cruiser Squadron. It participated in the battles of Heligoland Bight, Dogger Bank
Battle of Dogger Bank
The Battle of Dogger Bank refers to a number of naval battles fought near and over the Dogger Bank in the North Sea:*The Battle of Dogger Bank , 7 June 1696, during the War of the Grand Alliance between a French squadron under Jean Bart and a Dutch convoy under Rutger Bucking*The Battle of Dogger...
and the Battle of Jutland
Battle of Jutland
The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only...
. After the end of the war it became the sole Battlecruiser Squadron.
Formation
The first two BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
battlecruiser
Battlecruiser
Battlecruisers were large capital ships built in the first half of the 20th century. They were developed in the first decade of the century as the successor to the armoured cruiser, but their evolution was more closely linked to that of the dreadnought battleship...
s of the Invincible class
Invincible class battlecruiser
The three Invincible class battlecruisers were built for the Royal Navy and entered service in 1908 as the world's first battlecruisers. They were the brainchild of Admiral Sir John Fisher, the man who had sponsored the construction of the world's first "all big gun" warship,...
— and —were commissioned into the Nore Division of the Home Fleet in October 1908. In early 1909, the Nore Division became the First Division of a reorganised Home Fleet, and Inflexible and Indomitable were transferred to the new First Cruiser Squadron in March 1909; they were joined by their recently completed sister
Sister ship
A sister ship is a ship of the same class as, or of virtually identical design to, another ship. Such vessels share a near-identical hull and superstructure layout, similar displacement, and roughly comparable features and equipment...
. Also part of the squadron were the armoured cruisers and (flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
). Rear-Admiral the Honourable Stanley Colville
Stanley Colville
Admiral Sir Stanley Cecil James Colville GCB GCMG GCVO was a British Royal Navy officer.Colville was born in Eaton Place, London, the second son of Charles Colville, 10th Lord Colville of Culross, entitling him to the style "The Honourable". His mother, Cecile, was the daughter of Robert...
took command of the squadron on 24 February and transferred his flag to Indomitable on 29 July. Drake then became flagship of the Fifth Cruiser Squadron in the Atlantic Fleet.
On 24 February 1911, Rear-Admiral Lewis Bayly
Lewis Bayly (Royal Navy officer)
Sir Lewis Bayly , KCB, KCMG, CVO, was a British admiral during the First World War.-Early life:Bayly was born at Woolwich on 28 September 1857. He was a greatgreatnephew of Admiral Keats. Bayly joined the Royal Navy in 1870. He served in the Third Anglo-Ashanti War and against pirates in the Congo...
assumed command of the First Cruiser Squadron, which had been joined in February by the new Indefatigable-class battlecruiser
Indefatigable class battlecruiser
The Indefatigable class were the second class built of British battlecruisersThe Indefatigable-class ships were formally known as armoured cruisers until 1911 when they were redesignated as battlecruisers by an Admiralty order of 24 November 1911. Unofficially a number of designations were used...
. Upon joining on 4 June 1912, became Rear-Admiral Bayly's flagship. joined on 14 November. A reorganisation of the fleet renamed the First Cruiser Squadron to First Battlecruiser Squadron on 1 January 1913. During 1913 gradually all the older battlecruisers left to join the Second Battlecruiser Squadron in the Mediterranean Fleet. Rear-Admiral David Beatty was selected to command the squadron and succeeded Bayly on 1 March 1913. The near-sister to the Lion class
Lion class battlecruiser
The Lion class were a class of battlecruisers built by the British Royal Navy before World War I. Nicknamed the "Splendid Cats", the ships were a significant improvement over their predecessors of the in terms of speed, armament and armour...
——joined on 4 September. At a conference at Cromarty
Cromarty
The Royal Burgh of Cromarty is a burgh in Ross and Cromarty, Highland, Scotland.-History:It was previously the county town of the former county of Cromartyshire...
in May 1914, it was announced to the assembled flag officers that in May 1915 the First Battlecruiser Squadron would be disbanded and its ships allocated in pairs to light cruiser squadrons. This plan was abandoned due to the outbreak of war.
First World War
The First Battlecruiser Squadron at the outbreak of war was composed of the four newest battlecruisers in the Royal Navy. On 3 October, it was joined by the recently completed . The squadron took part in the successful Battle of Heligoland Bight against the Imperial German Navy on 28 August 1914 and participated in the abortive attempt to engage the Germans during their bombardment of Scarborough, Whitby and HartlepoolRaid on Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby
The raid on Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby, which took place on 16 December 1914, was an attack by the Imperial German Navy on the British seaport towns of Scarborough, Hartlepool, West Hartlepool, and Whitby. The attack resulted in 137 fatalities and 592 casualties, many of which were civilians...
on 16 December. On 15 January 1915, New Zealand left to become flagship of the Second Battlecruiser Squadron and was joined by Indomitable, which had served with the First Battlecruiser Squadron over the New Year.
The Squadron took part in the Battle of Dogger Bank
Battle of Dogger Bank
The Battle of Dogger Bank refers to a number of naval battles fought near and over the Dogger Bank in the North Sea:*The Battle of Dogger Bank , 7 June 1696, during the War of the Grand Alliance between a French squadron under Jean Bart and a Dutch convoy under Rutger Bucking*The Battle of Dogger...
, where Beatty's battlecruisers forced the Germans to retreat, and in the process sank the German
Kaiserliche Marine
The Imperial German Navy was the German Navy created at the time of the formation of the German Empire. It existed between 1871 and 1919, growing out of the small Prussian Navy and Norddeutsche Bundesmarine, which primarily had the mission of coastal defense. Kaiser Wilhelm II greatly expanded...
armoured cruiser , while Lion suffered heavy damage. As a result of the battle, in February the battlecruiser force was reorganised, and a Battlecruiser Fleet (BCF) was incorporated, with Beatty reappointed to command it. Captain Osmond De B. Brock
Osmond Brock
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Osmond de Beauvoir Brock KCB, KCMG, KCVO was a Royal Navy officer.-Naval career:Brock was the eldest son of Commander Osmond de Beauvoir Brock of Guernsey and he joined the Navy in 1882. Appointed midshipman in 1886, he passed for Lieutenant with first classes in every...
of Princess Royal was appointed Commodore, First Class and given command of the First Battlecruiser Squadron, until he was promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral in March. At the Battle of Jutland
Battle of Jutland
The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only...
on 31 May 1916, all ships were damaged by German shell fire as the First Battle Squadron under Rear-Admiral Brock and Beatty in Lion lead the British line against the enemy. Early in the action, Queen Mary was lost and all but a small number of her crew were killed. Two other battlecruiser—Invincible and Indefatigable—were sunk during the battle.
The squadron's losses were made up for by the arrival of the new battlecruisers and in September 1916 and January 1917 respectively. Brock was replaced by Rear-Admiral Richard F. Phillimore. When Phillimore left to become Rear-Admiral Commanding, Aircraft Carriers, he was superseded by Rear-Admiral Henry Oliver
Henry Oliver
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Henry Francis Oliver, GCB, KCMG, MVO was a British naval officer.-Naval career:...
on 14 March 1918.
March 1909
. Flying the Flag of Rear-Admiral the Honourable Stanley C. J. ColvilleStanley Colville
Admiral Sir Stanley Cecil James Colville GCB GCMG GCVO was a British Royal Navy officer.Colville was born in Eaton Place, London, the second son of Charles Colville, 10th Lord Colville of Culross, entitling him to the style "The Honourable". His mother, Cecile, was the daughter of Robert...
.. Captain William O. Boothby.. Captain Herbert G. King-Hall
Herbert King-Hall
Admiral Sir Herbert Goodenough King-Hall KCB CVO DSO was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, Cape of Good Hope Station.-Naval career:...
.. Captain Henry H. Torlesse.. Captain Mark E. F. Kerr.
July 1909
- Indomitable. Flying the Flag of Rear-Admiral the Honourable Stanley C. J. ColvilleStanley ColvilleAdmiral Sir Stanley Cecil James Colville GCB GCMG GCVO was a British Royal Navy officer.Colville was born in Eaton Place, London, the second son of Charles Colville, 10th Lord Colville of Culross, entitling him to the style "The Honourable". His mother, Cecile, was the daughter of Robert...
. Captain C. M. de Bartolomé. - Minotaur. Captain William O. Boothby.
- Inflexible. Captain Henry H. Torlesse.
- Invincible. Captain Mark E. F. Kerr.
August 1914
. Captain A. E. M. Chatfield.. Captain Osmond De B. BrockOsmond Brock
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Osmond de Beauvoir Brock KCB, KCMG, KCVO was a Royal Navy officer.-Naval career:Brock was the eldest son of Commander Osmond de Beauvoir Brock of Guernsey and he joined the Navy in 1882. Appointed midshipman in 1886, he passed for Lieutenant with first classes in every...
.. Captain W. R. Hall
William Reginald Hall
Admiral Sir William Reginald Hall, KCMG, CB, RN was the British Director of Naval Intelligence from 1914 to 1919...
.. Captain Lionel Halsey
Lionel Halsey
Admiral Sir Lionel Halsey GCMG GCVO KCIE CB ADC was a British Royal Navy officer and courtier.-Early life and career:...
.
Battle of Jutland
- Lion. Flying the flag of Vice-Admiral Sir David Beatty. Captain A. E. M. Chatfield.
- Princess Royal Flying the flag of Rear-Admiral Osmond De B. Brock. Captain Captain W. H. CowanWalter CowanAdmiral Sir Walter Henry Cowan, 1st Baronet, KCB, MVO, DSO & & Bar , known as Tich Cowan, was a British Royal Navy admiral who saw service in both World War I and World War II; in the latter he was one of the oldest British servicemen on active duty.-Early days:Cowan was born in Crickhowell,...
. - Queen Mary. Captain Cecil I. Prowse.
- Tiger. Captain Henry B. Pelly.
January 1918
. Flying the Flag of Rear-Admiral Richard F. Phillimore. Captain John S. Dumaresq (Temporary).. Captain Michael H. Hodges.- Princess Royal. Captain Sidney R. Drury-Lowe (Temporary).
- Tiger. Captain Arthur A. M. Duff.
November 1918
- Repulse. Flying the flag of Rear-Admiral Henry F. OliverHenry OliverAdmiral of the Fleet Sir Henry Francis Oliver, GCB, KCMG, MVO was a British naval officer.-Naval career:...
. Captain William H. D. Boyle. - Renown. Captain Arthur W. Craig.
- Princess Royal. Captain John D. Kelly.
- Tiger. Captain Arthur A. M. Duff.