Battlecruiser Squadron

During the First World War, the Royal Navy had initially maintained three squadrons of battlecruisers, until losses at the Battle of Jutland had reduced the number of available battlecruisers sufficiently to warrant a reduction to two squadrons. Following the War, battlecruiser numbers were again increased to three, with a fourth building.

In late 1919, the Battlecruiser Squadron was formed, consisting of HMS Tiger, flagship of Rear Admiral Sir Roger B. Keyes, KCB, KCVO, CMG, along with HMS Renown and HMS Repulse. HMS Tiger was removed from operational service with the commissioning of HMS Hood in May 1920, and relegated to a training role. HMS Hood then became the flagship of the Battlecruiser Squadron on 18 May 1920.

In 1923, HMS Hood and HMS Repulse, along with several smaller ships of the First Light Cruiser Squadron, formed part of the Special Service Squadron, under command of Vice-Admiral Sir Frederick Field.[1] The Squadron departed Devonport on 27 November 1923 and returned on 29 September 1924 after travelling around the world.

Hood was decommissioned for a major overhaul from May 1929 to May 1931. During this period, flagship duties were transferred to Renown, and Tiger was returned to active service, to maintain the three ship strength of the squadron. Following her recommissioning, Hood again became flagship of the squadron, and remained the flagship until her loss on 24 May 1941. Tiger was decommissioned on 30 March 1931 and scrapped shortly after.

HMS Hood was lost in action with the German battleship Bismarck at the Battle of Denmark Strait on 24 May 1941. HMS Repulse was sunk by Japanese aircraft off Kuantan, Malaya on 10 December 1941. With the loss of the Hood and later the Repulse, the squadron ceased to exist. HMS Renown survived the war and was scrapped in 1948.

Included:[2]

	Rank	Flag	Name	Term	Flagship
Rear-Admiral/Vice-Admiral Commanding, Battlecruiser Squadron
1	Rear-Admiral		Sir Roger B. Keyes, KCB, KCVO, CMG	8 April 1919 – 31 March 1921	Tiger
					Hood
2	Rear-Admiral		Sir Walter H. Cowan, DSO	31 March 1921 – 15 May 1923	Hood
3	Vice-Admiral		Sir Frederick L Field	5 May 1923 – 13 October 1924
4	Vice-Admiral		Cyril T.M. Fuller, CB, CMG, DSO	30 April 1925 – 21 May 1927
5	Vice-Admiral		Sir Frederic C. Dreyer, CB, CBE	21 May 1927 – 21 May 1929
6	Vice-Admiral		A. Dudley P. R. Pound	21 May 1929 – 24 April 1931	Renown
7	Vice-Admiral		Wilfred Tomkinson, CB, MVO	24 April 1931 – 15 August 1934	Hood
8	Vice-Admiral		Sir William M. James, CB	15 August 1932 – 14 August 1934
9	Vice-Admiral		Sir Sidney R. Bailey	14 August 1934 – 22 July 1936
10	Vice-Admiral		Sir Geoffrey Blake, CB, DSO	22 July 1936 – 3 July 1937
11	Vice-Admiral		Sir Andrew B. Cunningham, CB, DSO	3 July 1937 – 23 July 1938
12	Rear-Admiral		Geoffrey Layton, CB, DSO	23 July 1938 – 1 June 1939
13	Rear-Admiral		William J. Whitworth, CB, DSO	1 June 1939 – 11 March 1940
14	Rear-Admiral		Sir James Somerville, KCB, DSO	30 June - 10 August 1940
15	Rear-Admiral		William J. Whitworth, CB, DSO	10 August 1940 – 8 May 1941
16	Vice-Admiral		Lancelot E. Holland, CB	12–24 May 1941