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The '''British 1st Battle Squadron''' was a formation of [[battleship]]s of the [[Royal Navy]]. The squadron changed composition often as ships were damaged, retired or transferred. For tactical reasons the squadron was divided into two divisions. ==May, 1912== *[[HMS Neptune (1909)|''Neptune'']] (Flagship, Vice-Admiral) *[[HMS St. Vincent (1908)|''St. Vincent'']] *[[HMS Bellerophon (1907)|''Bellerophon'']] *[[HMS Dreadnought (1906)|''Dreadnought'']] *[[HMS Collingwood (1908)|''Collingwood'']] *[[HMS Temeraire (1907)|''Temeraire'']] *[[HMS Superb (1907)|''Superb'']] *[[HMS Vanguard (1909)|''Vanguard'']] On [[22 June]], [[1912]] Vice-Admiral [[Stanley Cecil James Colvill|S.C. Colville]] raised his flag in ''Collingwood'' as commander of the First Squadron (as it was then known). ==Outbreak of war, August, 1914== *[[HMS Marlborough (1912)|''Marlborough'']] (Flagship, Vice-Admiral) *''Collingwood'' *[[HMS Colossus (1910)|''Colossus'']] *[[HMS Hercules (1910)|''Hercules'']] *''Neptune'' *''St. Vincent'' *''Superb'' *''Vanguard'' ==Battle of Jutland, June 1916== The 1st Battle Squadron was initially part of the Royal Navy's [[British Home Fleet|Home Fleet]]. During the [[First World War]] the Home Fleet was renamed the [[British Grand Fleet|Grand Fleet]]. As an element in the Grand Fleet, the Squadron participated in the [[Battle of Jutland]]. During the Battle of Jutland, the composition of the 1st Battle Fleet was as follows: *1st Division **[[HMS Iron Duke (1912)|''Iron Duke'']] - Captain [[Frederic Charles Dreyer|Dreyer]], Admiral of the Fleet Sir [[John Jellicoe, 1st Earl Jellicoe|John Jellicoe]] **[[HMS Revenge (1915)|''Revenge'']] - Captain [[Edward Buxton Kiddle|Kiddle]] **''Hercules'' - Captain Bernard **[[HMS Agincourt (1913)|Agincourt]] - Captain Doughty *2nd Division **''Colossus'' - Captain Pound, Rear-Admiral Gaunt **''Collingwood'' - Captain Ley **''Neptune'' - Captain Bernard **''St. Vincent'' - Captain Fisher ==After Jutland, 1916== Following the Battle of Jutland, the 1st Battle Squadron was reorganized. Much of the 1st Squadron was transferred to the [[4th Battle Squadron|British 4th Battle Squadron]]. The organization was as follows, with dates the ship entered and left the squadron indicated. ** ''Colossus'' - Transferred to 4th Battle Squadron in [[July]],[[1916]] ** ''Hercules'' - Transferred to 4th Battle Squadron in July, 1916 ** ''St Vincent'' - Transferred to 4th Battle Squadron in July, 1916 ** ''Collingwood'' - Transferred to 4th Battle Squadron in July, 1916 ** ''Neptune'' - Transferred to 4th Battle Squadron in July, 1916 ** ''Agincourt'' - Transferred to [[British 2nd Battle Squadron|2nd Battle Squadron]] in [[October]],[[1918]] ** Revenge - Squadron Flagship, flying Flag Vice-Admiral ** [[HMS Royal Oak (1914)|''Royal Oak'']] - Joined [[May]],[[1916]] ** [[HMS Royal Sovereign (1915)|''Royal Sovereign'']] - Joined [[June]],[[1916]] ** [[HMS Benbow (1913)|''Benbow'']] - Joined [[July]],[[1916]] ** [[HMS Emperor of India (1913)|''Emperor of India'']] - Joined July, 1916 ** [[HMS Resolution (1915)|''Resolution'']] - Joined [[December]],[[1916]] ** [[HMS Ramillies (1916)|''Ramillies'']] - Joined [[September]],[[1917]] ==Command of the 1st Battle Squadron== The Vice-Admiral Commanding the Battle Squadron commanded one division. His second in command, Rear-Admiral 1st Battle Squadron, commanded the other division. ===Vice-Admiral, 1st Battle Squadron=== *Vice-Admiral [[Stanley Cecil James Colville]], (22 June, 1912 - ?, 1914) *Rear-Admiral [[Lewis Bayly]] (promoted to Vice-Admiral in September, [[1914]]) (?, 1914 - December, 1914) *Vice-Admiral [[Cecil Burney]], (December, 1914 - November, 1916) *Vice-Admiral [[Charles Edward Madden, 1st Baronet|Charles Madden]], (November, 1916 - April, 1919) ===Rear-Admiral, 1st Battle Squadron=== *Rear-Admiral [[Hugh Evan-Thomas]] (July, 1913 - August, 1915) *Rear-Admiral [[Ernest Frederic Augustus Gaunt|Ernest Gaunt]] (August, 1915 - December, 1916) ==External links== *[http://www.royal-navy.mod.uk/server/show/nav.3940 Royal Navy History] *[http://www.gwpda.org/naval/fdrn0004.htm Composition of the Grand Fleet] [[Category:Formations]] [[Category:Royal Navy Squadrons|1st Battle Squadron]]

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