{{Short description|Battleship formation of the Royal Navy}} {{for|the German counterpart during World War I|II Battle Squadron}} {{Infobox military unit |unit_name= 2nd Battle Squadron |image=250px |caption=2nd Battle Squadron in 1914 |dates= 1912–1944 |country= {{flag|United Kingdom}} |allegiance= |branch= {{navy|United Kingdom}} |type= |role= |size= Squadron |command_structure= |garrison= |garrison_label= |nickname= |patron= |motto= |colors= |colors_label= |march= |mascot= |equipment= |equipment_label= |battles=Battle of Jutland |anniversaries= |decorations= |battle_honours= |disbanded= <!-- Commanders --> |commander1= |commander1_label= |commander2= |commander2_label= |commander3= |commander3_label= |notable_commanders= <!-- Insignia --> |identification_symbol= |identification_symbol_label= |identification_symbol_2= |identification_symbol_2_label= |identification_symbol_3= |identification_symbol_3_label= |identification_symbol_4= |identification_symbol_4_label= }}
The '''2nd Battle Squadron''' was a naval squadron of the British Royal Navy consisting of battleships. The 2nd Battle Squadron was initially part of the Royal Navy's Grand Fleet. After World War I the Grand Fleet was reverted to its original name, the Atlantic Fleet. The squadron changed composition often as ships were damaged, retired or transferred.
==History==
===First World War=== As an element in the Grand Fleet, the Squadron participated in the Battle of Jutland.<ref name=MacIntyre>MacIntyre</ref>
====August 1914==== On 5 August 1914, the squadron was constituted as follows:<ref name=Dittmar>Dittmar & Colledge</ref> * HMS ''King George V'' * HMS ''Ajax'' * HMS ''Audacious'' * HMS ''Centurion'' * HMS ''Conqueror'' * HMS ''Monarch'' * HMS ''Orion'' * HMS ''Thunderer''
====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 2nd Battle Squadron was as follows:<ref name=MacIntyre>MacIntyre</ref> * '''First Division''' * HMS ''King George V'' Flagship of Vice Admiral Sir Martyn Jerram; Captain F. L. Field; * HMS ''Ajax'' Captain G. H. Baird; * HMS ''Centurion'' Captain M. Culme-Seymour; * HMS ''Erin'' Captain the Honourable V. A. Stanley; * '''Second Division''' * HMS ''Orion'' Flagship of Rear Admiral A. C. Leveson; Captain O. Backhouse; * HMS ''Monarch'' Captain G. H. Borrett; * HMS ''Conqueror'' Captain H. H. D. Tothill; * HMS ''Thunderer'' Captain J. A. Fergusson.
====January 1918==== By 1918, HMS ''Agincourt'' had been transferred from the 1st Battle Squadron.
===Second World War===
====September 1939==== By this time the squadron was in the Home Fleet and consisted of:<ref name=Orbat>Orbat</ref> * HMS ''Royal Oak'' Flagship of Rear Admiral Henry Blagrove; Captain W.G. Benn; * HMS ''Royal Sovereign'' Captain L. V. Morgan; * HMS ''Ramillies'' Captain H. T. Baillie-Grohman; * {{HMS|Nelson|28|6}} Captain G. J. A. Miles; * HMS ''Rodney'' Captain E. N. Syfret.
==Admirals commanding== Commanders were as follows:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gulabin.com/armynavy/pdf/Senior%20Royal%20Navy%20Appointments%201900-.pdf |title=Senior Royal Navy appointments |access-date=4 October 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110711133321/http://www.gulabin.com/armynavy/pdf/Senior%20Royal%20Navy%20Appointments%201900-.pdf |archive-date=11 July 2011 }}</ref> * Vice-Admiral Sir John Jellicoe (May–December 1912) * Vice-Admiral Sir George Warrender (1912–15) * Vice-Admiral Sir Martyn Jerram (1915–16) * Vice-Admiral Sir John de Robeck (1916–19) * Vice-Admiral Sir Henry Oliver (March–April 1919) * Vice-Admiral Sir Arthur Leveson (1919–20) * Vice-Admiral Sir William Nicholson (1920–21) * Rear-Admiral Reginald Drax (1929–30) * Rear-Admiral Charles Little (1930–31) * Rear-Admiral Wilfred French (1931–32) * Rear-Admiral Ragnar Colvin (1932–33) * Rear-Admiral Max Horton (1933–35) * Rear-Admiral Charles Ramsey (1935–37) * Vice-Admiral Lachlan MacKinnon (1937–39) * Rear-Admiral Lancelot Holland (January–September 1939) * Rear-Admiral Henry Blagrove (September–October 1939) * Vice-Admiral Sir Alban Curteis (1941–42) * Vice-Admiral Sir Bruce Fraser (1942–43) * Vice-Admiral Sir Henry Moore (1943–44)
==Rear-Admirals Second-in-Command== Post holders included:<ref>{{cite web|last1=Harley|first1=Simon|last2=Lovell|first2=Tony|title=Second Battle Squadron (Royal Navy) - The Dreadnought Project|url=http://www.dreadnoughtproject.org/tfs/index.php/Second_Battle_Squadron_(Royal_Navy)#In_Command|website=www.dreadnoughtproject.org|publisher=Harley and Lovell, 30 June 2017|access-date=14 February 2018|language=en}}</ref> * Rear-Admiral Herbert G. King-Hall, 29 March 1912 – 29 October 1912 * Rear-Admiral The Hon. Rosslyn E. Wemyss, 29 October 1912 – 28 October 1913 * Rear-Admiral Sir Robert K. Arbuthnot, Bart., 28 October 1913 – January 1915 * Rear-Admiral Arthur C. Leveson, 17 January 1915 – 4 December 1916 * Rear-Admiral Sir William E. Goodenough, 5 December 1916 – 31 March 1919 * Rear-Admiral Sir Douglas R. L. Nicholson, 1 April 1919 – 7 April 1919 * Rear-Admiral Lewis Clinton-Baker, 8 April 1919 * Rear-Admiral Edward B. Kiddle, 1 April 1920 – 8 April 1921 * Rear-Admiral Francis H. Mitchell, 5 May 1925 – 5 May 1926 * Rear-Admiral Charles J. C. Little, 26 April 1930 – 25 April 1931 * Rear-Admiral Lancelot E. Holland, 10 January 1939 – 25 August 1939 * Rear-Admiral Henry E. C. Blagrove, 25 August 1939 – 2 October 1939
==References== {{Reflist}}
==Sources== * {{cite book |last1=Dittmar |first1=Frederick J|last2=Colledge |first2=J J |title=British Warships 1914–1919|year=1972 |publisher=Ian Allan Publishing |location=London |isbn=978-0-7110-0380-4 |ref=Dittmar }} * {{cite book |last1=MacIntyre |first1=Donald |title=Jutland |year=1957 |publisher=Evans Brothers |location=London |isbn=978-0-330-20142-1|ref=MacIntyre}} * {{cite web |first=Leo |last=Niehorster |author2=Donald Kindell|author3=Mark E Horan |title=British and Dominion Royal Navies, Home Fleet order of battle 3 September 1939 |url=http://niehorster.org/017_britain/39_navy/home-fleet.html|publisher=World War II at Orbat.com |date=5 January 2001|access-date=14 July 2009|ref=Orbat}}
==External links== * [http://dreadnoughtproject.org/tfs/index.php/Second_Battle_Squadron_(Royal_Navy) Second Battle Squadron at DreadnoughtProject.org] {{Battle squadrons of the Royal Navy|state=collapsed}}
Category:Battle squadrons of the Royal Navy Category:Ship squadrons of the Royal Navy in World War I Category:Squadrons of the Royal Navy in World War II Category:Military units and formations established in 1912 Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1944