Battlecruiser Squadron
Active1919–1941
CountryUnited Kingdom
AllegianceBritish Empire
BranchRoyal Navy
TypeNaval squadron
EngagementsBattle of the Denmark Strait
Commanders
Notable
commanders
Lancelot E. Holland, CB

The Battlecruiser Squadron was a Royal Navy squadron of battlecruisers that saw service from 1919 to the early part of the Second World War. Its best-known constituent ship was HMS Hood, "The Mighty Hood", which was lost in the Battle of the Denmark Strait on 24 May 1941. Following the loss of HMS Repulse on 10 December 1941, Battlecruiser Squadron was disbanded. Its last surviving member, HMS Renown, survived World War II and was removed from service and scrapped in 1948.

Formation

During the First World War, the Royal Navy had initially maintained three squadrons of battlecruisers, until losses at the Battle of Jutland had reduced the number of available battlecruisers sufficiently to warrant a reduction to two squadrons. Following the War, battlecruiser numbers were again increased to three, with a fourth building.

In late 1919, the Battlecruiser Squadron was formed, consisting of HMS Tiger, flagship of Rear Admiral Sir Roger B. Keyes, KCB, KCVO, CMG, along with HMS Renown and HMS Repulse. HMS Tiger was removed from operational service with the commissioning of HMS Hood in May 1920, and relegated to a training role. HMS Hood then became the flagship of the Battlecruiser Squadron on 18 May 1920.

Special Service Squadron

In 1923, HMS Hood and HMS Repulse, along with several smaller ships of the First Light Cruiser Squadron, formed part of the Special Service Squadron, under command of Vice-Admiral Sir Frederick Field.[1] The Squadron departed Devonport on 27 November 1923 and returned on 29 September 1924 after travelling around the world.

Inter-War Period

Hood was decommissioned for a major overhaul from May 1929 to May 1931. During this period, flagship duties were transferred to Renown, and Tiger was returned to active service, to maintain the three ship strength of the squadron. Following her recommissioning, Hood again became flagship of the squadron, and remained the flagship until her loss on 24 May 1941. Tiger was decommissioned on 30 March 1931 and scrapped shortly after.

Dissolution

HMS Hood was lost in action with the German battleship Bismarck at the Battle of Denmark Strait on 24 May 1941. HMS Repulse was sunk by Japanese aircraft off Kuantan, Malaya on 10 December 1941. With the loss of the Hood and later the Repulse, the squadron ceased to exist. HMS Renown survived the war and was scrapped in 1948.

Rear-Admiral/Vice-Admiral commanding

Included:[2]

Rear-Admiral/Vice-Admiral Commanding, Battlecruiser Squadron
RankFlagNameTermFlagship
1Rear-AdmiralSir Roger Keyes8 April 1919 – 31 March 1921Tiger
Hood
2Rear-AdmiralSir Walter Cowan31 March 1921 – 15 May 1923Hood
3Vice-AdmiralSir Frederick Field5 May 1923 – 13 October 1924
4Vice-AdmiralCyril Fuller30 April 1925 – 21 May 1927
5Vice-AdmiralSir Frederic Dreyer21 May 1927 – 21 May 1929
6Vice-AdmiralDudley Pound21 May 1929 – 24 April 1931Renown
7Vice-AdmiralWilfred Tomkinson24 April 1931 – 15 August 1934Hood
8Vice-AdmiralSir William James15 August 1932 – 14 August 1934
9Vice-AdmiralSir Sidney Bailey14 August 1934 – 22 July 1936
10Vice-AdmiralSir Geoffrey Blake22 July 1936 – 3 July 1937
11Vice-AdmiralSir Andrew Cunningham3 July 1937 – 23 July 1938
12Rear-AdmiralGeoffrey Layton23 July 1938 – 1 June 1939
13Rear-AdmiralWilliam Whitworth1 June 1939 – 11 March 1940
14Rear-AdmiralSir James Somerville30 June - 10 August 1940
15Rear-AdmiralWilliam Whitworth10 August 1940 – 8 May 1941
16Vice-AdmiralLancelot Holland12–24 May 1941

References

  1. "The "World Cruise" of the Special Service Squadron". HMS Hood Association. Archived from the original on 12 April 2009. Retrieved 12 April 2009.
  2. Harley, Simon; Lovell, Tony. "Battle Cruiser Squadron (Royal Navy) - The Dreadnought Project". www.dreadnoughtproject.org. Harley and Lovell, 28 October 2016. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
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