The 10th Cruiser Squadron, also known as Cruiser Force B was a formation of cruisers of the British Royal Navy from 1913 to 1917 and then again from 1940 to 1946.[1][2]
First formation
The squadron was established in July 1913 and allocated to the Third Fleet.[3] In July 1914 it was reassigned to the new Grand Fleet, the squadron was also made Cruiser Force B in August 1914 but was more famously known as the Northern Patrol. It remained with the Grand Fleet until December 1917.[4]
| Rank | Flag | Name | Term | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rear-Admiral |  |
Edmund Pears | 15 July 1913 – 29 June 1914 | RAdm-Comm, 10th Cruiser Squadron |
| 2 | Rear-Admiral | |
Charles Napier | 13–26 July 1914 | RAdm-Comm, 10th Cruiser Squadron |
| 3 | Rear-Admiral | |
Dudley de Chair | 1 August 1914 – 6 March 1916. | RAdm-Comm, Cruiser Force B (the Northern Patrol) |
| 4 | Vice-Admiral |  |
Sir Reginald Tupper | 6 March 1916 – 8 December 1917 | RAdm-Comm, Cruiser Force B (the Northern Patrol) |
The squadron was disbanded from January 1918 to 1937
Second formation
On 22 March 1937 the Admiralty announced the temporary formation of the squadron for the coronation fleet review by King George VI on 20 April 1937. The squadron was commanded by Rear-Admiral Arthur Dowding.[8]
Third formation
The squadron reformed in September 1940 and attached to the Home Fleet for the duration of the Second World War until September 1945.[6] On 22 December 1943 the squadron was involved in the Battle of the North Cape where it was called Force 2.[9] On 27 December 1943, it was engaged at the Battle of the Barents Sea as Force R. In October 1946 the squadron was renamed the 2nd Cruiser Squadron and assigned to the Mediterranean Fleet.[10]
| Rank | Flag | Name | Term | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rear-Admiral | |
Harold Burrough | 10 September 1940 – August 1942 | FO 10th Cruiser Squadron |
| 2 | Rear-Admiral | |
Cecil Harcourt | August 1942 – 12 January 1943 | (ditto) |
| 3 | Rear-Admiral | |
Robert Burnett | 12 January – 3 March 1944 | (ditto), promoted to VAdm 09/1943 |
| 4 | Rear-Admiral | |
Frederick Dalrymple-Hamilton | 3 March – 8 April 1945 | (ditto) |
| 5 | Rear-Admiral | |
Angus Cunningham-Grahame | 8 April 1945 – October 1946 | (ditto) |
Notes
- ^ "10th Cruiser Squadron, July - December 1915". The National Archives UK (Catalogue description). ADM 137/1101. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
- ^ "Ships intercepted by the 10th Cruiser Squadron (Cruiser Force B) from December 24, 1914". National Archives UK. CAB 37/125/13. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
- ^ Watson, Graham (8 August 2015). "Royal Navy Organisation and Ship Deployments 1900-1914". Naval History. Gordon Smith. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
- ^ Watson, Graham (27 October 2015). "Royal Navy Organisation and Ship Deployment, Inter-War Years 1914-1918: Cruiser Squadrons". Naval History. Gordon Smith. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
- ^ Harley Tony; Lovell Simon, eds. (15 July 2016). "Northern Patrol". The Dreadnought Project. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
- ^ a b c Watson, Graham (19 September 2015). "Royal Navy Organization in World War 2, 1939-1945". Naval History. Gordon Smith. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
- ^ Mackie, Gordon (February 2018). "Royal Navy Senior Appointments from 1865" (PDF). gulabin.com. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
- ^ "Navy Notes". Royal United Services Institution Journal. 82 (526): 415–426. 1937. doi:10.1080/03071843709424925.
- ^ Hawes, Richard (6 July 2017). "World War II: Battle of North Cape 26 December 1943". NavWeaps. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
- ^ a b Mackie. 2018.
- ^ Harley, Tony; Lovell, Simon, eds. (15 July 2016). "Northern Patrol". The Dreadnought Project. Retrieved 31 October 2016.
References
- Watson, Graham. (2015) "Royal Navy Organization and Ship Deployments 1900–1914". www.naval-history.net. Graham Smith.
- Watson, Graham. (2015) "Royal Navy Organization in World War 2, 1939–1945: Overseas Commands and Fleets". www.naval-history.net. Gordon Smith.
