1st Battlecruiser Squadron

Military unit of the British Navy First Battlecruiser Squadron File:Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg 130px 1909–1919 United Kingdom British Empire Royal Navy David Beatty thumb|HMS Repulse 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. Formation The first two British battlecruisers of the Invincible battlecruiser 4—Inflexible 1907 2 and Indomitable 1907 2—were commissioned into the Nore Division of the Home Fleet in October 1908.Battlecruiser Roberts 122 In early 1909, the Nore Division became the First Division of a reorganised Home Fleet,The North Sea Fleet News 15 February 1909 9 38883 C and Inflexible and Indomitable were transferred to the new First Cruiser Squadron in March 1909; they were joined by their recently completed sister Invincible 1907 2. Also part of the squadron were the armoured cruisers Minotaur 1906 2 and Drake 1901 2 (flagship).Naval and Military Intelligence Official Appointments and Notices 15 April 1909 6 38984 B Rear-Admiral the Honourable Stanley Colville took command of the squadron on 24 FebruaryNaval and Military Intelligence Official Appointments and Notices 18 January 1909 5 38859 E and transferred his flag to Indomitable on 29 July. Drake then became flagship of the Fifth Cruiser Squadron in the Atlantic Fleet.The Fleet in the Thames News 17 July 1909 8 39014 A 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 battlecruiser 2 Indefatigable 1909 2. Upon joining on 4 June 1912, Lion 1910 2 became Rear-Admiral Bayly's flagship. Princess Royal 1911 2 joined on 14 November. A reorganisation of the fleet renamed the First Cruiser Squadron to First Battlecruiser Squadron on 1 January 1913.Battlecruiser Roberts 123 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.Beatty Papers I 57 The near-sister to the Lion battlecruiser 4—Queen Mary 2—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 Tiger 1913 2. 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 Hartlepool on 16 December.Beatty Papers I 107–110 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 Blücher 6, 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.The Life and Letters of David, Earl Beatty Chalmers 201 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.Brock service record. ADM 196/43. p. 49. 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 battlecruisers—Invincible and Indefatigable—were sunk during the battle. The squadron's losses were made up for by the arrival of the new battlecruisers Repulse 1916 2 and Renown 1916 2 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, Beatty Papers I 453 he was superseded by Rear-Admiral Henry Oliver on 14 March 1918.Oliver service record. ADM 196/42. p. 319. Composition March 1909 Drake 1901 2. Flying the flag of Rear-Admiral the Honourable Stanley C. J. Colville. Minotaur 1906 2. Captain William O. Boothby. Indomitable 1907 2. Captain Herbert G. King-Hall. Inflexible 1907 2. Captain Henry H. Torlesse. Invincible 1907 2. 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 thumb|The squadron in Kronstadt, Russia, in June 1914. HMS Boadicea is in the foreground Lion 1910 2.British Warships 1914–1919 Dittmar Colledge 15 Captain A. E. M. Chatfield.Navy List. December 1914 348 Princess Royal 1911 2. Captain Osmond De B. Brock.Navy List. December 1914 375a Queen Mary 2. Captain W. R. Hall.The Eyes of the Navy James 20 New Zealand 1911 2. Captain Lionel Halsey.Navy List. December 1914 361 Battle of Jutland Lion. Flying the flag of Vice-Admiral Sir David Beatty. Captain A. E. M. Chatfield.Beatty Papers I 323 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 Repulse 1916 2.British Warships 1914–1919 Dittmar Colledge 22 Flying the Flag of Rear-Admiral Richard F. Phillimore. Captain John S. Dumaresq (Temporary).Navy List. November 1917 397k Renown 1916 2. Captain Michael H. Hodges.Navy List. November 1917 397j Princess Royal. Captain Sidney R. Drury-Lowe (Temporary).Navy List. November 1917 397d Tiger. Captain Arthur A. M. Duff.Navy List. November 1917 398l November 1918 Repulse. Flying the flag of Rear-Admiral Henry F. Oliver. Captain William H. D. Boyle.Navy List. December 1918 892 Renown. Captain Arthur W. Craig.Navy List. December 1918 891 Princess Royal. Captain John D. Kelly.Navy List. December 1918 885a Tiger. Captain Arthur A. M. Duff.Navy List. December 1918 920 Rear-Admirals commanding Post holders included:Mackie Colin Royal Navy Senior Appointments from 1865 https://www.gulabin.com/armynavy/pdf/Senior%20Royal%20Navy%20Appointments%201865-.pdf gulabin.com Colin Mackie. pp.203–204. March 2018 12 March 2018 Rank Flag Name Term Notes Rear-Admiral Commanding, 1st Battle Cruiser Squadron 1 Rear-Admiral 25px Stanley Colville 24 February 1909 – 24 February 1911 2 Rear-Admiral 25px Lewis Bayly24 February 1911 – 1 March 19133 Rear-Admiral 25px David Beatty 1 March 1913 – February 19154 Rear-Admiral 25px Osmond BrockMarch 1915 – December 1916 5 Rear-Admiral 25px Richard F. Phillimore December 1916 – 14 March 19186 Rear-Admiral 25px Henry Oliver14 March 1918 – March 1919 Notes 2 Bibliography The Beatty Papers Beatty David I Ranft, Bryan McL. 1989 Navy Records Society London 978-0-85967-807-0 The Life and Letters of David, Earl Beatty Chalmers W. S. 1951 Hodder and Stoughton London British Warships 1914–1919 Dittmar F.J. Colledge, J.J. 1972 Ian Allan London The Rules of the Game: Jutland and British Naval Command Gordon Andrew 1996 John Murray London 0-7195-5533-7 James William The Eyes of the Navy: A Biographical Study of Admiral Sir Reginald Hall https://archive.org/details/eyesofnavybiogra0000jame registration 1956 Methuen & Co. London Battlecruisers Roberts John Arthur 2003 Caxton Editions London 1-84067-530-6 External links Composition of the Grand Fleet collapsed Category:Battlecruiser squadrons of the Royal Navy Category:Ship squadrons of the Royal Navy in World War I Category:Military units and formations established in 1909 Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1919