1st Cruiser Squadron

The First Cruiser Squadron was a Royal Navy squadron of cruisers that saw service as part of the Grand Fleet during World War I, then later as part of the Mediterranean during the Interwar period and World War II. It was first established in 1904 and existed until 1952.

First formation
The squadron was formed in December 1904 when Cruiser Squadron was re-designated the 1st Cruiser Squadron. In March 1909, then consisting of battlecruisers, it was assigned to the 1st Division of the Home Fleet until April 1912. When the First World War began, the squadron was assigned to the Mediterranean Fleet where it participated in the pursuit of the German battlecruiser SMS Goeben and the light cruiser SMS Breslau. It joined then Grand Fleet in January 1915 where it participated in the battles of Dogger Bank and the Battle of Jutland. It was disbanded after the battle as three of its four ships had been sunk in June 1916. In July 1917 H.M. Ships HMS Courageous (50), HMS Glorious and HMS Furious (47) were detached from the 3rd Light Cruiser Squadron and named the First Cruiser Squadron, part of the newly formed Light Cruiser Force. It remained part of Light Cruiser Force until April 1919 when it was once again disbanded.

Rear/Vice Admiral commanding
Post holders included:

Composition, April–May 1907
As per:
 * HMS Good Hope (1901)
 * HMS Roxburgh (1904)
 * HMS Hampshire (1903)
 * HMS Argyll (1904)

August 1914
As of:
 * Armoured cruisers


 * HMS Defence (1907) - Flagship of Rear-Admiral Ernest C. T. Troubridge. Captain Fawcet Wray
 * HMS Black Prince (1904) - Captain Frederick D. Gilpin-Brown
 * HMS Duke of Edinburgh - Captain Henry Blackett
 * HMS Warrior (1905) - Captain George H. Borrett

Light cruisers
 * HMS Chatham (1911) - Captain Sidney R. Drury-Lowe
 * HMS Dublin (1912) - Captain John D. Kelly
 * HMS Gloucester (1909) - Captain Howard Kelly
 * HMS Weymouth (1910) - Captain William D. Church

24 January 1915
As of:
 * Duke of Edinburgh - Temporary flagship of Rear-Admiral Sir Robert K. Arbuthnot
 * Black Prince
 * Warrior

22 February 1915
As of:
 * Defence - Flagship of Rear-Admiral Sir Robert K. Arbuthnot
 * Duke of Edinburgh
 * Black Prince
 * Warrior

30 May 1916
As of:
 * Defence - Flagship of Rear-Admiral Sir Robert K. Arbuthnot
 * Duke of Edinburgh
 * Black Prince
 * Warrior

October 1917
As of:
 * HMS Courageous (50)
 * HMS Glorious
 * HMS Furious (47)

17 November 1917
As of:
 * Courageous
 * Glorious

Second formation
In October 1924 the 1st Light Cruiser Squadron was re-designated the 1st Cruiser Squadron. This took effect in November 1924 and the squadron was reformed as an enlarged unit of the Mediterranean Fleet under the command of Rear Admiral Arthur Waistell.

In June 1942 the squadron under the commander of Rear-Admiral Louis Keppel Hamilton was assigned to provide distant cover for Convoy PQ 17. The squadron consisted of the British cruisers HMS London (69) (flagship) and HMS Norfolk (78), the American cruisers USS Wichita (CA-45) and USS Tuscaloosa (CA-37) and four destroyers, two from the United States Navy. Louis Mountbatten served as commander of the squadron in the Mediterranean Fleet after the war. Having been granted the substantive rank of vice admiral on 22 June 1949, Mountbatten became Second-in-Command of the Mediterranean Fleet in April 1950.

Rear/Vice Admiral commanding
Post holders included:

Deployments
Included: