2nd Battle Squadron (United Kingdom)

2nd Battle Squadron
Country	Great Britain
Branch	Royal Navy
Size	Squadron

The British Royal Navy 2nd Battle Squadron was a naval squadron consisting of battleships. The 2nd Battle Squadron was initially part of the Royal Navy's Grand Fleet. After World War I the Grand Fleet was reverted to its original name, the Atlantic Fleet. The squadron changed composition often as ships were damaged, retired or transferred.

August 1914

On 5 August 1914, the squadron was constituted as follows:

• • HMS King George V
  • HMS Ajax
  • HMS Audacious
  • HMS Centurion
  • HMS Conqueror
  • HMS Monarch
  • HMS Orion
  • HMS Thunderer

Battle of Jutland, June 1916

As an element in the Grand Fleet, the Squadron participated in the Battle of Jutland. During the Battle of Jutland, the composition of the 2nd Battle Squadron was as follows:

• • First Division
  • HMS King George V Flagship of Vice Admiral Sir Martyn Jerram; Captain F. L. Field;
  • HMS Ajax Captain G. H. Baird;
  • HMS Centurion Captain M. Culme-Seymour;
  • HMS Erin Captain the Honourable V. A. Stanley;
  • Second Division
  • HMS Orion Flagship of Rear Admiral A. C. Leveson; Captain O. Backhouse;
  • HMS Monarch Captain G. H. Borrett;
  • HMS Conqueror Captain H. H. D. Tothill;
  • HMS Thunderer Captain J. A. Fergusson.

January 1918

By 1918, HMS Agincourt had been transferred from the 1st Battle Squadron.

September 1939

By this time the squadron was in the Home Fleet and consisted of:

• • HMS Royal Oak Flagship of Rear Admiral Henry Blagrove; Captain W.G. Benn;
  • HMS Royal Sovereign Captain L. V. Morgan;
  • HMS Ramilies Captain H. T. Baillie-Grohman;
  • HMS Nelson Captain G. J. A. Miles;
  • HMS Rodney Captain E. N. Syfret.

References

• Dittmar, Frederick J; Colledge, J J (1972). British Warships 1914–1919. London: Ian Allan Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7110-0380-4. 
• MacIntyre, Donald (1957). Jutland. London: Evans Brothers. ISBN 978-0-330-20142-1. 
• Niehorster, Leo; Donald Kindell, Mark E Horan (5 January 2001). "British and Dominion Royal Navies, Home Fleet order of battle 3 September 1939". World War II at Orbat.com. http://www.orbat.com/site/ww2/drleo/017_britain/39_navy/home-fleet.html. Retrieved 14 July 2009.