5th Battle Squadron (United Kingdom)

The British 5th Battle Squadron was a squadron consisting of Battleships. The 5th Battle Squadron was initially part of the Royal Navy's Home Fleet. During World War I the Home Fleet was renamed the Grand Fleet.

August 1914

In August 1914, the 5th Battle Squadron was based at Portland, and was comprised of a number of pre-dreadnought battleships. These were [Dittmar, F.J & Colledge J.J., "British Warships 1914-1919" Ian Allan, London. 1972; ISBN 0-7110-0380-7] :

* "HMS Prince of Wales"
* "HMS Bulwark"
* "HMS Implacable"
* "HMS Irresistible"
* "HMS Formidable"
* "HMS London"
* "HMS Queen"
* "HMS Venerable"

Following the loss of HMS "Bulwark" in 1914, "HMS Lord Nelson" was transferred from the 6th Battle Squadron. With the commissioning of the five fast battleships of the "Queen Elizabeth" class, the remaining pre-dreadnoughts were sent to the Mediterranean. The "Queen Elizabeth" was delayed in joining the squadron, instead taking part in the Dardanelles Campaign until May 1915.

Battle of Jutland

In 1916, the 5th Battle Squadron, under the command of Rear Admiral Hugh Evan-Thomas, [Gordon, Andrew. "The Rules of the Game" John Murray. 1996; ISBN 0-7195-5076 9] was temporarily transferred to David Beatty's Battlecruiser Fleet. On 31 May that year, four ships of the Squadron served with distinction in the battle of Jutland. These were [Macintyre, Donald. "Jutland" Evans Brothers Ltd. 1957; ISBN 0-330-20142-5] :

* "HMS Barham" Flagship of Rear Admiral H. Evan-Thomas; Captain A. W. Craig;
* "HMS Valiant" Captain M. Woollcombe;
* "HMS Warspite" Captain E. M. Philpotts;
* "HMS Malaya" Captain the Honourable A. D. E. H. Boyle;

In the clash with the German 1st Scouting Group under Admiral Franz von Hipper, the 5th Battle Squadron "fired with extraordinary rapidity and accuracy" (according to Reinhard Scheer), damaging "Lützow" and "Seydlitz" and a number of other German warships.

Three of the "Queen Elizabeths" received hits from German warships during the engagement, yet they all returned home, though "Warspite", whose steering was jammed, was targeted by the German line, taking fifteen hits and coming close to foundering.

After the battle, HMS Queen Elizabeth, which had missed the battle due to being in dock, rejoined the squadron.

References

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]