3rd Battle Squadron (United Kingdom) - First World War

First World War

On 5 August 1914, the squadron had eight ships: King Edward VII, Africa, Britannia, Commonwealth, Dominion, Hibernia, Hindustan and New Zealand. The squadron of eight King Edward VII-class pre-dreadnought battleships were nicknamed "the wobbly eight" after their slight tendency to roll under way.

The squadron was initially used as part of the Grand Fleet in support of the cruisers on the Northern Patrol. On 29 April 1916, the 3rd Battle Squadron was moved to Sheerness from Rosyth and came under the Nore Command in the Thames estuary. The move was intended to make more large ships available for coastal defence duties, after the Bombardment of Yarmouth and Lowestoft by German ships on 24 April 1916.

Essentially made obsolete by the introduction of the revolutionary battleship Dreadnought, and as battleships the world over began mimicking her design, the 3rd Battle Squadron played no role in the Battle of Jutland. The need for accompanying destroyers for these battleships was later given as the reason the Harwich destroyer squadron was also held back and took no part in the Jutland action.

Following the loss of King Edward VII in January 1916, Africa and Britannia served in the Mediterranean 1916-1917. The remaining ships were augmented by Dreadnought until March 1918.