6th Battle Squadron (United Kingdom)

The British 6th Battle Squadron was a Royal Navy squadron consisting of Battleships serving in the Grand Fleet.

August 1914

In August 1914, the 6th Battle Squadron was based at Portland and comprised a number of the older pre-dreadnought battleships. These included

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HMS|Revenge|1892|6 briefly joined the squadron in 1915, before the squadron was broken up. Most of the ships were sent to the Mediterranean.

Reformation

On 13 November 1917, Rear Admiral Hugh Rodman broke his flag in USS|New York|BB-34|6 as Commander, Battleship Division 9. After preparations for "distant service", USS|Wyoming|BB-32|6, USS "New York", USS|Delaware|BB-28|6, and USS|Florida|BB-30|6 sailed for the British Isles on 25 November and reached Scapa Flow, Orkney Islands, on 7 December 1917. Although retaining their American designation as Battleship Division 9, those four dreadnoughts became the Sixth Battle Squadron of the British Grand Fleet upon arrival in British waters. The 6th Battle Squadron operated from Scapa Flow and Rosyth.

The U.S. Battleships serving in the 6th Battle Squadron were:

*USS|Florida|BB-30
*USS|Wyoming|BB-32
*USS|New York|BB-34
*USS|Delaware|BB-28
*USS|Texas|BB-35 arrived January 1918
*USS|Arkansas|BB-33 replaced USS "Delaware" July 1918

References

** Dittmar, F.J & Colledge J.J., "British Warships 1914-1919" Ian Allan, London. 1972; ISBN 0-7110-0380-7
** McMahon, William E., "Dreadnought Battleships and Battle Cruisers" University Press of America, 1978; ISBN 0-8191-0465-5