3rd Battlecruiser Squadron (United Kingdom)
Encyclopedia
The 3rd Battlecruiser Squadron was a short-lived Royal Navy
squadron
of battlecruisers that saw service as part of the Grand Fleet during the First World War
.
s— and —following the Battle of the Falkland Islands
and the Dardanelles
operation. They were joined by their sister
, and, under the command of Rear Admiral Sir Horace Hood
, the squadron was based at Rosyth
Scotland.
On 31 May 1916, the squadron—attached to the Grand Fleet rather than David Beatty's
Battlecruiser Fleet—participated in the Battle of Jutland
. During the battle, Invincible was hit in her "Q" turret by a salvo from the German
battlecruiser , causing a massive explosion. The ship broke in two and sank with the loss of all but six of her crew of 1,021. Admiral Hood was among the dead.
in June 1916..
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
Squadron (naval)
A squadron, or naval squadron, is a unit of 3-4 major warships, transport ships, submarines, or sometimes small craft that may be part of a larger task force or a fleet...
of battlecruisers that saw service as part of the Grand Fleet during the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
Creation
The 3rd Battlecruiser Squadron was created in 1915, with the return to home waters of two of the three Invincible-class battlecruiserInvincible 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,...
s— and —following the Battle of the Falkland Islands
Battle of the Falkland Islands
The Battle of the Falkland Islands was a British naval victory over the Imperial German Navy on 8 December 1914 during the First World War in the South Atlantic...
and the Dardanelles
Dardanelles
The Dardanelles , formerly known as the Hellespont, is a narrow strait in northwestern Turkey connecting the Aegean Sea to the Sea of Marmara. It is one of the Turkish Straits, along with its counterpart the Bosphorus. It is located at approximately...
operation. They were joined by their 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...
, and, under the command of Rear Admiral Sir Horace Hood
Horace Hood
Rear Admiral the Honourable Sir Horace Lambert Alexander Hood KCB, DSO, MVO was a British Royal Navy admiral of the First World War, whose lengthy and distinguished service saw him engaged in operations around the world, frequently participating in land campaigns as part of a shore brigade...
, the squadron was based at Rosyth
Rosyth
Rosyth is a town located on the Firth of Forth, three miles south of the centre of Dunfermline. According to an estimate taken in 2008, the town has a population of 12,790....
Scotland.
Battle of Jutland
- Invincible - flagship of Rear Admiral the Honourable H. L. A. HoodHorace HoodRear Admiral the Honourable Sir Horace Lambert Alexander Hood KCB, DSO, MVO was a British Royal Navy admiral of the First World War, whose lengthy and distinguished service saw him engaged in operations around the world, frequently participating in land campaigns as part of a shore brigade...
; Captain A. L. Cay - Inflexible - Captain E. H. F. Heaton-Ellis
- Indomitable - Captain F. W. Kennedy
On 31 May 1916, the squadron—attached to the Grand Fleet rather than David Beatty's
David Beatty, 1st Earl Beatty
Admiral of the Fleet David Richard Beatty, 1st Earl Beatty, GCB, OM, GCVO, DSO was an admiral in the Royal Navy...
Battlecruiser Fleet—participated in 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...
. During the battle, Invincible was hit in her "Q" turret by a salvo from 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...
battlecruiser , causing a massive explosion. The ship broke in two and sank with the loss of all but six of her crew of 1,021. Admiral Hood was among the dead.
After Jutland
With the loss of Invincible and several other battlecruisers at Jutland, the squadron was no longer required. Indomitable and Inflexible were transferred to the 2nd Battlecruiser Squadron2nd Battlecruiser Squadron (United Kingdom)
The 2nd Battlecruiser Squadron was a Royal Navy squadron of battlecruisers that saw service as part of the Grand Fleet during the First World War.-August 1914:In August 1914, the 2nd Battlecruiser Squadron was in the Mediterranean, and consisted of:-1915:...
in June 1916..