Fifth Battle Squadron (Royal Navy)
The Fifth Battle Squadron was a fighting unit of the British Royal Navy before and during the First World War.
Composition
December, 1912[1]
The Fleet flagship was Neptune, which was not part of any Battle Squadron.
December, 1913[2]
Despite some shuffling in other Battle Squadrons, the Fifth is unchanged from the previous year's roster. It is part of the Second Fleet.
July, 1914[3]
Operating as part of the Second Fleet. Some handwritten notes on this source indicate flux of some kind.
- Prince of Wales
- Bulwark
- Formidable
- Implacable
- Irresistible
- London
- Queen (detached for Training Duties at Home Ports)
- Venerable
- Lord Nelson (faintly handwritten in, possibly coming in from Sixth Battle Squadron soon after July)
- Agamemnon (faintly handwritten in, possibly coming in from Fourth Battle Squadron soon after July)
Attached: third class protected cruiser Topaze
5 August, 1914
With the fleet organised under flagship Iron Duke, the squadron was based at Portland along with the Sixth Battle Squadron, and had the same eight pre-dreadnoughts as in December, 1912, now supported by a cruiser.[4]
- Prince of Wales
- Bulwark
- Implacable
- Irresistible
- Formidable
- London
- Queen
- Venerable
- third class protected cruiser Topaze
Battle of Jutland
By 1916, the squadron had been transformed to become the home of the most powerful dreadnoughts in the fleet, comprised solely of fast super-dreadnoughts. At Jutland, four of the five were at sea supporting the Battle Cruiser Fleet, commanded as follows.[5]
- Barham, Captain Craig
Rear-Admiral Evan-Thomas - Valiant, Captain Woolcombe
- Warspite, Captain Phillpotts
- Malaya, Captain Boyle
- Queen Elizabeth, in dock at time of battle
Vice and Rear-Admirals Commanding
Dates of appointment given:
- Vice-Admiral Sir Cecil Burney, 5 December, 1913. And as Vice-Admiral Commanding, Channel Fleet.[6]
- Vice-Admiral Sir Lewis Bayly, 20 December, 1914. And as Vice-Admiral Commanding, Channel Fleet.[7][8]
- The Honourable Sir Alexander E. Bethell, 17 January, 1915. And as Vice-Admiral Commanding, Channel Fleet.[9]
- Vice-Admiral Sir Hugh Evan-Thomas, 25 August, 1915.[10]
- Vice-Admiral Sir Arthur C. Leveson, 1 October, 1918.[11][12]
- Rear-Admiral Cecil F. Thursby, 1 August, 1914.[13]
- Rear-Admiral Lewis Clinton-Baker, 1 April, 1919 - 7 April, 1919.[14]
Footnotes
- ↑ Handwritten notes in Albert Francis Barclay Bridges papers at The Caird Library at the National Maritime Museum. [BRG 1/1]
- ↑ Handwritten notes in Albert Francis Barclay Bridges papers at The Caird Library at the National Maritime Museum. [BRG 1/1]
- ↑ 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]
- ↑ Dittmar; Colledge. British Warships 1914–1919. p. 15.
- ↑ Battle of Jutland Official Despatches. pp. 33, 46.
- ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List (September, 1914). f. 6.
- ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List (January, 1915). f. 6.
- ↑ Bayly Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/38. f. 39.
- ↑ "Squadrons and Senior Naval Officers in Existence on 11th November, 1918, and Which Have Now Ceased to Exist." The National Archives. ADM 6/461. f.
6. - ↑ "Squadrons." f. 6.
- ↑ Supplement to the Monthly Navy List (September, 1914). p. 6.
- ↑ Currey Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 36.
- ↑ "Squadrons." f. 6.
- ↑ Clinton-Baker Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/42. f. 394.
Bibliography
- Dittmar, F.J.; Colledge, J.J. (1972). British Warships 1914–1919. London: Ian Allan.
| British Battle Squadrons |
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| Fifth Battle Squadron | Sixth Battle Squadron | Seventh Battle Squadron | Eighth Battle Squadron |
