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:Dittmar, F.J & Colledge J.J., British Warships 1914–1919 Ian Allan, London. 1972; 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:Dittmar, F.J & Colledge J.J., British Warships 1914–1919 Ian Allan, London. 1972; pp20 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.Dittmar, F.J & Colledge J.J., British Warships 1914–1919 Ian Allan, London. 1972; pp24
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.Orbat.com/Niehorster, Mediterranean Fleet, 3 September 1939, accessed May 2008
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 William 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 Composition of the Grand Fleet