4th Battle Squadron (United Kingdom)

The British 4th Battle Squadron was a squadron consisting of Battleships. The 4th Battle Squadron was initially part of the Royal Navy's Home Fleet. During World War I the Home Fleet was renamed the Grand 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 [Dittmar, F.J & Colledge J.J., "British Warships 1914-1919" Ian Allan, London. 1972; ISBN 0-7110-0380-7] :
** "HMS Dreadnought"
** "HMS Bellerophon"
** "HMS Temeraire"
** "HMS Agincourt"

January 1915

By January, 1915, the composition had changed slightly [Dittmar, F.J & Colledge J.J., "British Warships 1914-1919" Ian Allan, London. 1972; ISBN 0-7110-0380-7] :

** "HMS Benbow"
** "HMS Agincourt"
** "HMS Bellerophon"
** "HMS Dreadnought"
** "HMS Emperor of India"
** "HMS Erin"
** "HMS Temeraire"

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 4th Battle Squadron was as follows [Macintyre, Donald. "Jutland" Evans Brothers Ltd. 1957; ISBN 0-330-20142-5] :
**Third Division
** "HMS Iron Duke" (Fleet Flagship of Admiral Sir John Jellicoe; Captain Frederic Dreyer;
** "HMS Royal Oak" Captain C. Maclachlan;
** "HMS Superb" Flagship of Rear Admiral A. L. Duff; Captain E. Hyde-Parker;
** "HMS Canada" Captain W. C. M. Nicholson;

**Fourth Division
** "HMS Benbow" Flagship of Vice Admiral Sir Doveton Sturdee; Captain H. W. Parker;
** "HMS Bellerophon" Captain E. F. Bruen;
** "HMS Temeraire" Captain E. V. Underhill;
** "HMS Vanguard" Captain J. D. Dick;

January 1917

Following the Battle of Jutland, the 4th Battle Squadron was reorganized, with "Colossus", "Hercules", "St. Vincent", "Collingwood" and "Neptune" all transferred from the 1st Battle Squadron. In January 1917, the squadron was constituted as follows [Dittmar, F.J & Colledge J.J., "British Warships 1914-1919" Ian Allan, London. 1972; ISBN 0-7110-0380-7 pp20] :

** "HMS Bellerophon"
** "HMS Colossus"
** "HMS Hercules"
** "HMS Neptune"
** "HMS St. Vincent"
** "HMS Collingwood"
** "HMS Superb"
** "HMS Vanguard"
** "HMS Temeraire"

After the loss of HMS "Vanguard" in July, 1917, HMS "Superb" and HMS "Temeraire" were detached to the Mediterranean in 1918. HMS "Dreadnought" rejoined the 4th BS as flagship in March 1918.

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]