6th Battle Squadron
Active1913–1917
Country United Kingdom
Branch Royal Navy
TypeSquadron

The 6th Battle Squadron was a squadron of the British Royal Navy consisting of Battleships serving in the Grand Fleet and existed from 1913 to 1917.

History

First World War

August 1914

HMS Lord Nelson

In August 1914, the 6th Battle Squadron was based at Portland and comprised a number of the older pre-dreadnought battleships it was then assigned to the Second Fleet[1] these included:

HMS Lord Nelson and Agamemnon transferred to the 5th Battle Squadron in late 1914. HMS Revenge briefly joined the squadron in 1915, before the squadron was broken up. Most of the ships were sent to the Mediterranean.

Reformation

Main article: United States Battleship Division Nine (World War I)

On 13 November 1917, Rear Admiral Hugh Rodman broke his flag in USS New York as Commander, Battleship Division 9. After preparations for "distant service", USS Wyoming, New York, Delaware, and Florida 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:

Vice and Rear-Admirals commanding

Post holders as follows:[2][3]

Rank Flag Name Term Notes
Vice/Rear-Admiral, Commanding, 6th Battle Squadron
1 Vice-Admiral Sir Alexander Bethell 15 July 1913 as 6BS 2FL
2 Rear-Admiral Charles H. Dundas 1913 - 20 December 1914 as 6BS 2FL
3 Rear-Admiral Stuart Nicholson 5 December 1913 - 12 April 1916 as RADMHFSNORE
4 Rear Admiral Hugh Rodman 13 November, - December, 1917 BS DIV9 USN

Note: RADMHFSNORE Rear-Admiral, Home Fleets at the Nore.

References

  1. ^ Smith, Graham. "Royal Navy ship dispositions 1914-1918: by Admiral Jellicoe". www.naval-history.net. Graham Smith, 6 January 2015. Retrieved 27 December 2017.
  2. ^ Mackie, Colin. "Senior Royal Navy Appointments from 1860". gulabin. Colin Mackie, p.203, 2010-2014. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  3. ^ Harley, Simon; Lovell, Tony. "Sixth Battle Squadron (Royal Navy) - The Dreadnought Project". www.dreadnoughtproject.org. Harley & Lovell, 1 August 2017. Retrieved 27 December 2017.

Sources

External links

Battle squadrons of the Royal Navy
Categories