The British Royal Navy 2nd Battle Squadron was a naval squadron 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.
As an element in the Grand Fleet, the Squadron participated in the Battle of Jutland.
On 5 August 1914, the squadron was constituted as follows:
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:
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.
By 1918, HMS Agincourt had been transferred from the 1st Battle Squadron.
By this time the squadron was in the Home Fleet and consisted of:
HMS Royal Oak Flagship of Rear Admiral Henry Blagrove; Captain W.G. Benn;
HMS Royal Sovereign Captain L. V. Morgan;
HMS Ramilies Captain H. T. Baillie-Grohman;
HMS Nelson Captain G. J. A. Miles;
HMS Rodney Captain E. N. Syfret.
Commanders
Commanders were as follows:
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)
