First Light Cruiser Squadron (Royal Navy)

In Command

Dates of appointment given:

Commodore, Second Class William E. Goodenough, 5 July, 1913^[1]
Rear-Admiral Edwyn S. Alexander-Sinclair, 8 February, 1915^[2] – 7 July, 1917^[3]
Rear-Admiral Sir Walter H. Cowan, 7 July, 1917^[4] – 5 July, 1920^[5] (flag transferred to Delhi in June, 1919)
Vice-Admiral James A. Fergusson, 1920
Rear-Admiral Hubert G. Brand, 1922
Rear-Admiral Arthur K. Waistell, 1924^[Inference]

History

July, 1914

The squadron was:^[6]

Outbreak of War

Two additional light cruisers have reinforced the squadron.^[7]^[8]

November, 1915

Attached to the Battle Cruiser Fleet.^[9]

Battle of Jutland

Main article: First L.C.S. (Royal Navy) at the Battle of Jutland

The squadron was one of three screening the battlecruisers:^[10]

17 November, 1917

At the Second Battle of Heligoland Bight^[11]

Screened by:

July, 1918

The Squadron is still assigned to screen the Battle Cruiser Force.^[12]

November, 1918

No change since July.^[13]

This roster would apply until March, 1919.^[14]

March, 1919

Now attached to the Battle Cruiser Force, Cleopatra has joined,^[15] coming from the Seventh Light Cruiser Squadron.^[16]

April, 1919

Still attached to the Battle Cruiser Force, Comus has joined,^[17] having come from the Fourth Light Cruiser Squadron,^[18] bringing the strength to seven light cruisers.

May, 1919

A considerable reorganization has occurred. All the ships except Comus (which is a "miscellaneous ship in commission") have been left to embody, with Champion, the Home Fleet's Second Light Cruiser Squadron.

1 L.C.S. is now part of the Atlantic Fleet; the reinvented squadron is comprised the six very modern light cruisers that were dubbed the Fifth Light Cruiser Squadron just a month ago.^[19]^[20]

June, 1919

Still part of the Atlantic Fleet, the squadron is now eight light cruisers.^[21] Danae is on her way, having just entered service while Cleopatra has come over from the Second Light Cruiser Squadron and Canterbury has recently been recommissioned.Template:SMLNLMay19

Cleopatra (temporarily detached)
Coventry
Curacoa (refitting)
Danae
Dauntless
Delhi (to join "shortly", would in fact become flagship this month)
Dragon
Canterbury (temporarily assigned)

July, 1919

Still part of the Atlantic Fleet, Delhi seems to have fully arrived and assumed flagship duties.^[22]

Delhi
Coventry
Curacoa (refitting)
Danae
Dauntless
Canterbury (temporarily assigned)
Dragon
Cleopatra (temporarily detached)

Drill and Practice

In 1917, the squadron fired 56 practice torpedoes of which 45 or 80% were judged to be likely to endanger the enemy.^[23]

Footnotes

↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (December, 1914). p. 5.
↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (July, 1917). p. 6.
↑ Alexander-Sinclair Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 361.
↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (July, 1919). p. 5.
↑ Cowan Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 249.
↑ Printed page "Fleets and Squadrons in Commission at Home and Abroad" in Albert Francis Barclay Bridges papers at The Caird Library at the National Maritime Museum. [BRG 1/1]
↑ Naval Operations. Volume I. p. 440.
↑ Dittmar; Colledge. British Warships 1914–1919. p. 15.
↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (November, 1915). p. 11.
↑ Battle of Jutland Official Despatches. p. 33, 46.
↑ Naval Operations. Vol. V. pp. 168-169.
↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (July, 1918). p. 11.
↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (November, 1918). p. 11.
↑ Supplements from December, 1918 through March, 1919.
↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (March, 1919). p. 10.
↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (February, 1919). p. 10.
↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (April, 1919). p. 10.
↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (March, 1919). p. 10.
↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (May, 1919). pp. 10, 12, 19.
↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (April, 1919). p 13.
↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (June, 1919). p. 10.
↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (July, 1919). p. 10.
↑ Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1917. p. 121.

Bibliography

Corbett, Sir Julian S. (1920). Naval Operations. Volume I. London: Longmans, Green and Co..
Newbolt, Henry (1931). Naval Operations. Vol. V. London: Longmans, Green and Co..

Light Cruiser Squadrons of the Royal Navy

[1] Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (December, 1914). p. 5.

[2] Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (July, 1917). p. 6.

[3] Alexander-Sinclair Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 361.

[4] Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (July, 1919). p. 5.

[5] Cowan Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/43. f. 249.

[6] Printed page "Fleets and Squadrons in Commission at Home and Abroad" in Albert Francis Barclay Bridges papers at The Caird Library at the National Maritime Museum. [BRG 1/1]

[7] Naval Operations. Volume I. p. 440.

[8] Dittmar; Colledge. British Warships 1914–1919. p. 15.

[9] Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (November, 1915). p. 11.

[10] Battle of Jutland Official Despatches. p. 33, 46.

[11] Naval Operations. Vol. V. pp. 168-169.

[12] Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (July, 1918). p. 11.

[13] Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (November, 1918). p. 11.

[14] Supplements from December, 1918 through March, 1919.

[15] Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (March, 1919). p. 10.

[16] Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (February, 1919). p. 10.

[17] Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (April, 1919). p. 10.

[18] Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (March, 1919). p. 10.

[19] Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (May, 1919). pp. 10, 12, 19.

[20] Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (April, 1919). p 13.

[21] Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (June, 1919). p. 10.

[22] Supplement to the Monthly Navy List. (July, 1919). p. 10.

[23] Annual Report of the Torpedo School, 1917. p. 121.

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