The First Battlecruiser Squadron was a

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

squadron of

battlecruisers The battlecruiser (also written as battle cruiser or battle-cruiser) was a type of capital ship of the first half of the 20th century. These were similar in displacement, armament and cost to battleships, but differed in form and balance of attr ...

that saw service as part of the

Grand Fleet The Grand Fleet was the main battlefleet of the Royal Navy during the First World War. It was established in August 1914 and disbanded in April 1919. Its main base was Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands. History Formed in August 1914 from the ...

during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. 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 The Heligoland Bight, also known as Helgoland Bight, (german: Helgoländer Bucht) is a bay which forms the southern part of the German Bight, itself a bay of the North Sea, located at the mouth of the Elbe river. The Heligoland Bight extends fro ...

Dogger Bank Dogger Bank (Dutch: ''Doggersbank'', German: ''Doggerbank'', Danish: ''Doggerbanke'') is a large sandbank in a shallow area of the North Sea about off the east coast of England. During the last ice age the bank was part of a large landmass c ...

and the

Battle of Jutland The Battle of Jutland (german: Skagerrakschlacht, the Battle of the Skagerrak) was a naval battle fought between Britain's Royal Navy Grand Fleet, under Admiral John Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe, Sir John Jellicoe, and the Imperial German Navy ...

. After the end of the war it became the sole

Battlecruiser Squadron The Battlecruiser Squadron was a Royal Navy squadron of battlecruisers that saw service from 1919 to the early part of the Second World War. Its best-known constituent ship was HMS ''Hood'', "The Mighty Hood", which was lost in the Battle of t ...

Formation

The first two

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

battlecruiser The battlecruiser (also written as battle cruiser or battle-cruiser) was a type of capital ship of the first half of the 20th century. These were similar in displacement, armament and cost to battleships, but differed in form and balance of attr ...

s of the — 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 A sister is a woman or a girl who shares one or more parents with another individual; a female sibling. The male counterpart is a brother. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to ...

. Also part of the squadron were the

armoured cruiser The armored cruiser was a type of warship of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It was designed like other types of cruisers to operate as a long-range, independent warship, capable of defeating any ship apart from a battleship and fast eno ...

s and (

flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically the fi ...

). 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 Lewis may refer to: Names * Lewis (given name), including a list of people with the given name * Lewis (surname), including a list of people with the surname Music * Lewis (musician), Canadian singer * " Lewis (Mistreated)", a song by Radiohea ...

assumed command of the First Cruiser Squadron, which had been joined in February by the new . 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 ——joined on 4 September.

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 The Imperial German Navy or the Imperial Navy () was the navy of the German Empire, which existed between 1871 and 1919. It grew out of the small Prussian Navy (from 1867 the North German Federal Navy), which was mainly for coast defence. Wilhel ...

on 28 August 1914 and participated in the abortive attempt to engage the Germans during their bombardment of Scarborough, Whitby and Hartlepool 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 German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

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

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 battlecruisers—''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 Admiral of the Fleet Sir Henry Francis Oliver, (22 January 1865 – 15 October 1965) was a Royal Navy officer. After serving in the Second Boer War as a navigating officer in a cruiser on the Cape of Good Hope and West Coast of Africa Station ...

on 14 March 1918.

Composition

March 1909

* . Flying the flag of Rear-Admiral the Honourable Stanley C. J. Colville. * . Captain William O. Boothby. * . Captain Herbert G. King-Hall. * . Captain Henry H. Torlesse. * . Captain Mark E. F. Kerr.

July 1909

* ''Indomitable''. Flying the flag of Rear-Admiral the Honourable Stanley C. J. Colville. Captain C. M. de Bartolomé. * ''Minotaur''. Captain William O. Boothby. * ''Inflexible''. Captain Henry H. Torlesse. * ''Invincible''. Captain Mark E. F. Kerr.

August 1914

1st Battlecruiser Squadron in Kronstadt, June 1914

* . Captain A. E. M. Chatfield. * . Captain Osmond De B. Brock. * . Captain W. R. Hall. * . Captain

Lionel Halsey Admiral Sir Lionel Halsey, (26 February 1872 – 26 October 1949) was a Royal Navy officer and courtier. Early life and career Halsey was born in London, the fourth son of Sir Thomas Frederick Halsey, 1st Baronet. After primary education at S ...

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 W. H. Cowan. * ''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. Oliver. Captain William H. D. Boyle. * ''Renown''. Captain Arthur W. Craig. * ''Princess Royal''. Captain John D. Kelly. * ''Tiger''. Captain Arthur A. M. Duff.

Rear-Admirals commanding

Post holders included:

Notes

Bibliography

* * * * * *

External links

Composition of the Grand Fleet
{{Battle Cruiser squadrons of the Royal Navy, state=collapsed Battlecruiser squadrons of the Royal Navy Military units and formations of the Royal Navy in World War I