6th Battle Squadron

{{Short description|Former British Royal Navy squadron}}

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|dates= 1913–1917

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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==

File:HMS Lord Nelson (1906) during trials 1908.jpg

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{{cite web|last1=Smith|first1=Graham|title=Royal Navy ship dispositions 1914-1918: by Admiral Jellicoe|url=http://www.naval-history.net/WW1NavyBritishShips-Locations5Contemp.htm|website=www.naval-history.net|publisher=Graham Smith, 6 January 2015|access-date=27 December 2017}} these included:

  • {{HMS|Lord Nelson|1906|6}}
  • {{HMS|Agamemnon|1906|6}}
  • {{HMS|Russell|1901|6}}
  • {{HMS|Albemarle|1901|6}}
  • {{HMS|Cornwallis|1901|6}}
  • {{HMS|Duncan|1901|6}}
  • {{HMS|Exmouth|1901|6}}
  • {{HMS|Vengeance|1899|6}}

{{HMS|Lord Nelson|1906|6}} and {{HMS|Agamemnon|1906|2}} transferred to the 5th Battle Squadron in late 1914. {{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==

{{main|United States Battleship Division Nine (World War I)}}

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|BB-34|2}}, {{USS|Delaware|BB-28|2}}, and {{USS|Florida|BB-30|2}} 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|6}}
  • {{USS|Wyoming|BB-32|6}}
  • {{USS|New York|BB-34|6}}
  • {{USS|Delaware|BB-28|6}}
  • {{USS|Texas|BB-35|6}} - arrived January 1918
  • {{USS|Arkansas|BB-33|6}} - replaced USS Delaware July 1918

Vice and Rear-Admirals commanding

Post holders as follows:{{cite web|last1=Mackie|first1=Colin|title=Senior Royal Navy Appointments from 1860|url=http://www.gulabin.com/|website=gulabin|publisher=Colin Mackie, p.203, 2010-2014|access-date=21 February 2017}}{{cite web|last1=Harley|first1=Simon|last2=Lovell|first2=Tony|title=Sixth Battle Squadron (Royal Navy) - The Dreadnought Project|url=http://www.dreadnoughtproject.org/tfs/index.php/Sixth_Battle_Squadron_(Royal_Navy)#Vice_.26_Rear-Admirals_Commanding|website=www.dreadnoughtproject.org|publisher=Harley & Lovell, 1 August 2017|access-date=27 December 2017|language=en}}

class="wikitable"

! !! Rank !! Flag !! Name !! Term !! Notes

colspan="6" align="center" style="background:#dcdcfe;" | Vice/Rear-Admiral, Commanding, 6th Battle Squadron
1Vice-Admiral25pxSir Alexander Bethell15 July 1913as 6BS 2FL
2Rear-Admiral25pxCharles H. Dundas1913 - 20 December 1914as 6BS 2FL
3Rear-Admiral25pxStuart Nicholson5 December 1913 - 12 April 1916as RADMHFSNORE
4Rear Admiral25pxHugh Rodman13 November, - December, 1917BS DIV9 USN

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

References

Sources

  • 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}}