1st Battle Squadron

The 1st Battle Squadron was a naval squadron of the British Royal Navy consisting of battleships. The 1st Battle Squadron was initially part of the Royal Navy's Grand Fleet. After World War I the Grand Fleet was reverted to its original name, the Atlantic Fleet. The squadron changed composition often as ships were damaged, retired or transferred.

History

First World War

As an element in the Grand Fleet, the Squadron participated in the Battle of Jutland.

August 1914

On 5 August 1914, the squadron was constituted as follows:
* HMS ''Marlborough''
* HMS ''Collingwood''
* HMS ''Colossus''
* HMS ''Hercules''
* HMS ''Neptune''
* HMS ''St. Vincent''
* HMS ''Superb''
* HMS ''Vanguard''

Battle of Jutland, June 1916

During the Battle of Jutland, the composition of the 1st Battle Squadron was as follows:Macintyre, Donald. ''Jutland'' Evans Brothers Ltd. 1957;
* Sixth Division
* HMS ''Marlborough'' Flagship of Vice-Admiral Sir Cecil Burney; Captain G. P. Ross;
* HMS ''Revenge'' Captain E. B. Kiddle;
* HMS ''Hercules'' Captain L. Clinton-Baker;
* HMS ''Agincourt'' Captain H. M. Doughty;
* Fifth Division
* HMS ''Colossus'' Flagship of Rear Admiral E. F. A. Gaunt; Captain A. D. P. R. Pound;
* HMS ''Collingwood'' Captain J. C. Ley;
* HMS ''St. Vincent'' Captain W. W. Fisher;
* HMS ''Neptune'' Captain V. H. G. Bernard;

1917 and 1918

Following the Battle of Jutland, the 1st Battle Squadron was reorganized, with ''Colossus'', ''Hercules'', ''St. Vincent'', ''Collingwood'' and ''Neptune'' all transferred to the 4th Battle Squadron. In January 1917, the squadron was constituted as follows:
* HMS ''Marlborough''
* HMS ''Agincourt''
* HMS ''Benbow'' – joined July, 1916
* HMS ''Canada''
* HMS ''Emperor of India'' – joined July, 1916
* HMS ''Revenge''
* HMS ''Royal Oak'' – joined May, 1916
* HMS ''Royal Sovereign'' – joined June, 1916

By 1918, ''Agincourt'' had been transferred to the 2nd Battle Squadron, and ''Resolution'', ''Ramillies'' and ''Iron Duke'' had joined the squadron on completion.

Second World War

For many years the squadron served in the Mediterranean as the main British battle force there. On 3 September 1939 the 1st Battle Squadron, serving in the Mediterranean Fleet, consisted of ''Barham'', ''Warspite'' and ''Malaya'', with headquarters at Alexandria, Egypt, under the command of Vice-Admiral Geoffrey Layton.

In December 1943 the Squadron was under the command of Vice Admiral Arthur Power. In January 1944 the Eastern Fleet was reinforced by , , , , and seven destroyers. The Admiralty sent this force out to India under the title of the First Battle Squadron.

From November 1944, the squadron served in the British Pacific Fleet under the command of Vice-Admiral Henry Rawlings, who also served as Second-in-Command of the Fleet. It consisted of , , and at various times.

Admirals commanding

Commanders were as follows:
* Vice-Admiral Sir Stanley Colville (1912–14)
* Vice-Admiral Sir Lewis Bayly (June–December 1914)
* Admiral Sir Cecil Burney (1914–16)
* Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Madden (1916–19)
* Vice-Admiral Sir Sydney Fremantle (1919–21)
* Vice-Admiral Sir William Nicholson (1921–22)
* Vice-Admiral Sir Edwyn Alexander-Sinclair (1922–24)
* Rear-Admiral William Fisher (1924–25)
* Rear-Admiral Cecil Staveley (1925–26)
* Vice-Admiral Sir Michael Hodges (1926–27)
* Vice-Admiral Sir John Kelly (1927–29)
* Vice-Admiral Howard Kelly (1929–30)
* Vice-Admiral Sir Wiliam Fisher (1930–32)
* Vice-Admiral Sir Roger Backhouse (1932–34)
* Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Forbes (1934–36)
* Vice-Admiral Hugh Binney (1936–38)
* Rear-Admiral Ralph Leatham (1938–39)
* Vice-Admiral Geoffrey Layton (January–November 1939)
* Rear-Admiral Henry Pridham-Wippell (July–October 1940)
* Vice-Admiral John Tovey (October–December 1940)
* Rear-Admiral Bernard Rawlings (1940–41)
* Vice-Admiral Sir Henry Pridham-Wippell (1941–42)
* Vice-Admiral Sir Arthur Power (1943–44)
* Vice-Admiral Sir Bernard Rawlings (1944–45)

Rear-Admirals, Second-in-Command

Post holders included:
* Rear-Admiral Charles E. Madden, 5 January 1912 – 10 November 1912
* Rear-Admiral The Hon. Somerset A. Gough-Calthorpe, 10 December 1912 – 10 December 1913
* Rear-Admiral Hugh Evan-Thomas, 10 December 1913 – 25 August 1915
* Rear-Admiral Ernest Gaunt, 25 August 1915 – 12 June 1916
* Rear-Admiral Alexander L. Duff, 12 June 1916 – 30 November 1916
* Rear-Admiral Sir William C. M. Nicholson, 1 December 1916 – 20 March 1919
* Rear-Admiral The Hon. Victor A. Stanley, 1 April 1919 – 1 April 1920
* Rear-Admiral Henry M. Doughty, 24 March 1920 – 14 April 1921
* Rear-Admiral Sir Rudolf W. Bentinck, 3 May 1921 – 3 May 1922
* Rear-Admiral Arthur A. M. Duff, 3 May 1922
* Rear-Admiral William A. H. Kelly, 3 May 1923
* Rear-Admiral William H. D. Boyle, 3 May 1924 – 3 May 1924
* Rear-Admiral William W. Fisher, 14 October 1924 – 7 September 1925
* Rear-Admiral Cecil M. Staveley, 15 October 1925 – 1 October 1926
* Rear-Admiral David T. Norris, 1 October 1926
* Rear-Admiral Bernard St. G. Collard, 1 October 1927
* Rear-Admiral William M. Kerr, 20 March 1928 – 5 April 1929
* Rear-Admiral The Hon. Reginald A. R. P.-E.-E.-Drax, 12 April 1929 – 26 April 1930
* Rear-Admiral Henry D. Pridham-Wippell, 8 May 1940 – 24 October, 1941

References

External links

First Battle Squadron at DreadnoughtProject.org

Royal Navy History

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Battle squadrons of the Royal Navy
Ship squadrons of the Royal Navy in World War I
Squadrons of the Royal Navy in World War II
Military units and formations established in 1912
Military units and formations disestablished in 1945