British Grand Fleet
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{{Infobox Military Unit |unit_name=Grand Fleet |image=Image:British Grand Fleet.jpg |caption=Grand Fleet battleships |dates=1914-1918 |country=United Kingdom |allegiance= |branch=Royal Navy |type= |role= |size= |command_structure= |current_commander= |garrison= |ceremonial_chief= |colonel_of_the_regiment= |nickname= |patron= |motto= |colors= |march= |mascot= |battles= |notable_commanders=John Jellicoe, David Beatty |anniversaries= }} During World War I, the British Home Fleet was renamed the Grand Fleet. It was initially commanded by Admiral Sir John Jellicoe. He was later succeeded by the commander of the Grand Fleet battlecruisers Admiral Sir David Beatty.
The Grand Fleet only took part in one fleet action during the war, the indecisive Battle of Jutland. More British ships were sunk than German, although the German High Seas Fleet was damaged to the extent that it was unable to put to sea for a number of months. Strategically, Jutland was a British victory because the British fleet retained control of the North Sea with no further challenge from the German Navy.
Image:British Grand Fleet 2.jpg The Grand Fleet was based in Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands.
The Grand Fleet's order of battle in May 1916 was as follows:
The Grand Fleet
1st Battle Squadron
- 1st Division
- Iron Duke - Captain Dreyer, Admiral of the Fleet Sir John Jellicoe
- Revenge - Captain Kiddle
- Hercules - Captain Bernard
- Agincourt - Captain Doughty
- 2nd Division
- Colossus - Captain Pound, Rear-Admiral Gaunt
- Collingwood - Captain Ley
- Neptune - Captain Bernard
- St Vincent - Captain Fisher
2nd Battle Squadron
- 3rd Division
- King George V - Captain Field, Admiral Sturdee
- Ajax - Captain Baird
- Centurion - Captain Culme-Seymour
- Erin - Captain Stanley
- 4th Division
- Orion - Captain Backhouse, Rear-Admiral Leveson
- Monarch - Captain Borrett
- Conqueror - Captain Tothill
- Thunderer - Captain Fergusson
4th Battle Squadron
- 7th Division
- Marlborough - Captain Ross, Vice-Admiral Burney
- Royal Oak - Captain MacLachlan
- Superb - Captain Hyde-Parker, Rear-Admiral Duff
- Canada - Captain Nicholson
- 8th Division
- Benbow - Captain Parker, Vice-Admiral Jerram
- Bellerophon - Captain Bellerophen
- Temeraire - Captain Underhill
- Vanguard - Captain Dick
3rd Battlecruiser Squadon
- Invincible - Captain Cay, Rear-Admiral Hood
- Inflexible - Captain Heaton-Ellis
- Indomitable - Captain Kennedy
1st Cruiser Squadron
(Armoured Cruisers)
- Defence - Captain Ellis, Rear-Admiral Arbuthnot
- Warrior - Captain Molteno
- Duke of Edinburgh - Captain Blackett
- Black Prince - Captain Bonham
2nd Cruiser Squadron
(Armoured Cruisers)
- Minotaur - Captain d'Aeth, Rear-Admiral Heath
- Hampshire - Captain Savill
- Cochrane - Captain Leatham
- Shannon - Captain Dumaresq
4th Light Cruiser Squadron
- Calliope - Commodore Le Mesurier
- Constance - Captain Townsend
- Caroline - Captain Crooke
- Royalist - Captain Meade
- Comus - Captain Hotham
Attached Light Cruisers
- Active - Captain Withers
- Bellona - Captain Dutton
- Blanche - Captain Casement
- Boadicea - Captain Casement
- Canterbury - Captain Royds
- Chester - Captain Lawson
4th Destroyer Flotilla
- Tipperary - Captain Wintour
- Acasta
- Achates
- Ambuscade
- Ardent
- Broke
- Christopher
- Contest
- Fortune
- Garland
- Hardy
- Midge
- Ophelia
- Owl
- Porpoise
- Shark
- Sparrowhawk
- Spitfire
- Unity
11th Destroyer Flotilla
- Castor (Light Cruiser) - Commodore Hawksley
- Kempenfelt
- Magic
- Mandate
- Manners
- Marne
- Martial
- Michael
- Milbrook
- Minion
- Mons
- Moon
- Morning Star
- Mounsey
- Mystic
- Ossory
12th Destroyer Flotilla
- Faulknor - Captain Stirling
- Maenad
- Marksman
- Marvel
- Mary Rose
- Menace
- Mindful
- Mischief
- Munster
- Narwhal
- Nessus
- Noble
- Nonsuch
- Obedient
- Onslaught
- Opal
Miscellaneous
- Abdiel (Minelayer)
- Oak (Destroyer tender)
The Battlecruiser Fleet
1st Battlecruiser Squadron
- Lion - Captain Chatfield, Vice-Admiral Sir David Beatty
- Princess Royal - Captain Cowan, Rear Admiral O de Brock
- Queen Mary - Captain Prowse
- Tiger - Captain Pelly
2nd Battlecruiser Squadron
- New Zealand - Captain Green, Rear-Admiral Pakenham
- Indefatigable - Captain Sowerby
5th Battle Squadron
- Barham - Captain Craig, Rear-Admiral Evan-Thomas
- Valiant - Captain Woollcombe
- Warspite - Captain Philpotts
- Malaya - Captain Boyle
1st Light Cruiser Squadron
- Galatea - Commodore Alexander-Sinclair
- Phaeton - Captain Cameron
- Inconstant - Captain Thesiger
- Cordelia - Captain Beamish
2nd Light Cruiser Squadron
- Southampton - Commodore Goodenough
- Birmingham - Captain Duff
- Nottingham - Captain Miller
- Dublin - Captain Scott
3rd Light Cruiser Squadron
- Falmouth - Captain Edwards, Rear-Admiral Napier
- Yarmouth - Captain Pratt
- Birkenhead - Captain Reeves
- Gloucester - Captain Blunt
Seaplane Carrier
- Engadine
1st Destroyer Flotilla
- Fearless (Light Cruiser) - Captain Roper
- Acheron
- Ariel
- Attack
- Badger
- Defender
- Goshawk
- Hydra
- Lapwing
- Lizard
9th and 10th Destroyer Flotillas (combined)
- Lydiard - Commander Goldsmith
- Landrail
- Laurel
- Liberty
- Moorsom
- Morris
- Termagant
- Turbulent
13th Destroyer Flotilla
- Champion (Light Cruiser) - Captain Farie
- Moresby
- Narborough
- Nerissa
- Nestor
- Nicator
- Nomad
- Obdurate
- Onslow
- Pelican
- Petard