135-748: The British Mediterranean Fleet , also known as the Mediterranean Station , was a formation of the Royal Navy . The Fleet was one of the most prestigious commands in the navy for the majority of its history, defending the vital sea link between the United Kingdom and the majority of the British Empire in the Eastern Hemisphere. The first Commander-in-Chief for the Mediterranean Fleet was
270-518: A Combined Joint Task Force (CJTF) would be such a temporary grouping that includes elements of more than one armed service and more than one nation. HMS Warspite (03) HMS Warspite was one of five Queen Elizabeth -class battleships built for the Royal Navy during the early 1910s. Completed during the First World War in 1915, she was assigned to the Grand Fleet and participated in
405-417: A German U-boat . The U-boat fired three torpedoes, all of which missed their target. Warspite later attempted to ram a surfaced U-boat. She signalled ahead for escorts and a squadron of torpedo boats came out to meet her. They were too slow to screen her effectively, but there were no more encounters with German vessels and she reached Rosyth safely on the morning of 1 June, where it took two months to repair
540-500: A balanced, combined combat force. The formations only differ in their ability to achieve different scales of application of force to achieve different strategic, operational and tactical goals and mission objectives." It is a composite military organization that includes a mixture of integrated and operationally attached sub-units, and is usually combat-capable. Examples of formations include divisions , brigades , battalions , wings , etc. Formation may also refer to tactical formation ,
675-414: A battleships in the harbour. Cunningham rejected this plan, but on 21 April he sailed with Warspite to bombard the harbour in company with Barham and Valiant , the cruiser Gloucester and several destroyers. The raid was ineffectual, partly because of poor visibility created by dust from an earlier RAF bombing raid; the fleet returned to Alexandria without damage. The futility of the mission and
810-608: A coastal minesweeper squadron." Deployments to the Beira Patrol and elsewhere reduced the escort total in 1966 from four to two ships, and then to no frigates at all. The Fleet's assets and area of responsibility were absorbed into the new Western Fleet . As a result of this change, the UK relinquished the NATO post of Commander in Chief, Allied Forces Mediterranean , which was abolished. Note: This list
945-584: A command is a collection of units and formations under the control of a single officer, although during World War II a command was also a name given to a battlegroup in the United States Army . In general, it is an administrative and executive strategic headquarters that is responsible to the national government or the national military headquarters . It is not uncommon for a nation's services to each consist of their own command (such as Land Component, Air Component, Naval Component, and Medical Component in
1080-463: A flotilla of submarines stationed at the bases around Valletta Harbour. In this capacity, he had to employ considerable diplomatic skill to maintain good relations with Dom Mintoff , the nationalistic prime minister of Malta . In the 1960s, as the importance of maintaining the link between the United Kingdom and British territories and commitments East of Suez decreased as the Empire was dismantled, and
1215-623: A former crew member. The remains of the masts lie in the yard at Porthenalls House, Prussia Cove and one portion was erected on a headland, overlooking Prussia Cove. One of her 15-inch tompions and her chapel door are held by the National Museum of the Royal Navy in Portsmouth . Her nameplate was held by the pub , The Wink, in Lamorna , Cornwall but has since been sold at auction. Her ship's wheel
1350-424: A fraction of personnel in infantry units. In western militaries, a joint force is defined as a unit or formation comprising representation of combat power from two or more branches of the military. Gendarmeries , military police and security forces , including equivalents such as paramilitary forces , militia , internal troops and police tactical unit , are an internal security service common in most of
1485-461: A junior midshipman independently discharged his pom-pom gun after a towing aircraft flew low overhead to display its attached target to the crew. Warspite had turned towards Valletta on the exercise's conclusion and the shells hurtled towards the city. The shells landed harmlessly at a gunnery range where a platoon of the Green Howards was exercising. For the remainder of the year, she cruised
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#17328479396251620-473: A legacy of Jutland, which continued to beset Warspite and delayed her departure. These delays and the work required to rectify them also affected the crew's leave arrangements and led to some sailors airing their views in national newspapers, angering Pound. Warspite finally entered Grand Harbour , in Malta , on 14 January 1938 and continued gunnery practice and training. At the end of one anti-aircraft exercise,
1755-599: A long time, and were devised by various military thinkers throughout European history. For example, the modern Corps was first introduced in France about 1805 by Napoleon as a more flexible tactical grouping of two or more divisions during the Napoleonic Wars . OF 8: Lieutenant General OR-2: private first class Rungs may be skipped in this ladder: for example, typically NATO forces skip from battalion to brigade. Likewise, only large military powers may have organizations at
1890-478: A member of the government's cabinet , usually known as a minister of defence . In presidential systems , such as the United States , the president is the commander-in-chief , and the cabinet-level defense minister is second in command. Subordinated to that position are often secretaries for specific major operational divisions of the armed forces as a whole, such as those that provide general support services to
2025-529: A mine in the Corfu Channel, starting a series of events known as the Corfu Channel Incident . The channel was cleared in "Operation Recoil" the next month, involving 11 minesweepers under the guidance of Ocean , two cruisers, three destroyers, and three frigates. In May 1948, Sir Arthur Power took over as Commander-in-Chief Mediterranean, and in his first act arranged a show of force to discourage
2160-575: A naval presence in the Mediterranean before, the capture of Gibraltar allowed the British to establish their first naval base there. The British also used Port Mahon , on the island of Menorca , as a naval base . However, British control there was only temporary; Menorca changed hands numerous times, and was permanently ceded to Spain in 1802 under the Treaty of Amiens . In 1800, the British took Malta , which
2295-512: A night-time torpedo bomber attack. Warspite ' s fast group set sail to intercept on 4 April, detecting the Japanese attack on the cruisers Cornwall and Dorsetshire and later, a scouting aircraft from the cruiser Tone . The fleets did not meet; Warspite withdrew to Addu Atoll and then to Kilindini on the East African coast to protect the convoy routes. The Japanese believed that she
2430-497: A number of acceptance trials, including gunnery trials, which saw Churchill present when she fired her 15-inch (381 mm) guns. Churchill was suitably impressed with their accuracy and power. In late 1915, Warspite was grounded in the River Forth causing some damage to her hull; she had been led by her escorting destroyers down the small ships channel. After undergoing repairs for two months at Rosyth and Jarrow , she rejoined
2565-731: A paralysing effect on the Regia Marina , providing the Royal Navy with an opportunity to tighten its grip on the Mediterranean, as evidenced by the unequal Battle of the Tarigo Convoy near the Kerkennah Islands on 16 April. This was not enough and the success of the Afrika Korps in North Africa induced Churchill to order a desperate attack on Tripoli to block the Axis supply route by sinking
2700-476: A part of military or paramilitary organizations, such as insurgent forces, often emulate military organizations, or use these structures. The use of formalized ranks in a hierarchical structure came into widespread use with the Roman Army . In modern times, executive control, management and administration of military organization is typically undertaken by governments through a government department within
2835-513: A rising south westerly gale. The salvage boat Barnet , standing guard overnight under the Warspite' s bows was holed in the engine room, towed off and eventually drifted ashore at Long Rock, a few miles to the west. However, by August the battleship was finally beached off St. Michael’s Mount and after further salvage another attempt was made to refloat her in November. The Falmouth tug Masterman spent
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#17328479396252970-447: A smoke screen while the battleships Giulio Cesare and Conte di Cavour closed on Warspite before Malaya and Royal Sovereign could catch up. During the battle Warspite achieved one of the longest range gunnery hits from a moving ship to a moving target in history, hitting Giulio Cesare at a range of approximately 24 km (26,000 yd), the other being a shot from Scharnhorst which hit Glorious at approximately
3105-486: A squadron of tanks augmented with infantry, or the combination of a full company of infantry with a full squadron of tanks. During World War II the Red Army used the same basic organizational structure. However, in the beginning many units were greatly underpowered and their size was actually one level below on the ladder that is usually used elsewhere; for example, a division in the early-WWII Red Army would have been about
3240-675: A temporary grouping for a specific operational purpose. Aside from administrative hierarchical forms of organization that have evolved since the early 17th century in Europe, fighting forces have been grouped for specific operational purposes into mission-related organizations such as the German Kampfgruppe or the U.S. Combat Team (Army) and Task Force (Navy) during the Second World War, or the Soviet Operational manoeuvre group during
3375-496: A tempting target; she was hit multiple times, but inadvertently diverted attention from the armoured cruiser Warrior , which had been critically damaged whilst attacking the leading elements of the German fleet. This action gained her the admiration of Warrior ' s surviving crew, who believed that Warspite ' s movement had been intentional. The crew regained control of Warspite after two full circles. Their efforts to end
3510-507: Is a civil law enforcement agency . A number of countries have no navy, for geographical reasons. In larger armed forces, the cultures between the different branches of the armed forces can be quite different. Most smaller countries have a single organization that encompasses all armed forces employed by the country in question. Armies of developing countries tend to consist primarily of infantry , while developed countries armies tend to have larger units manning expensive equipment and only
3645-580: Is considered its sub-unit or minor unit. It is not uncommon in the United States for unit and formation to be used synonymously. In Commonwealth practice, formation is not used for smaller organizations such as battalions, which are instead called "units", and their constituent platoons or companies are referred to as sub-units. In the Commonwealth, formations are divisions, brigades, etc. Different armed forces , and even different branches of service of
3780-450: Is divided into sections (platoons) composed of 3 x "groupes de combat" of 7 soldiers, plus a group of vehicle crews and a HQ that includes 2 x snipers. Army , army group , region , and theatre are all large formations that vary significantly between armed forces in size and hierarchy position. While divisions were the traditional level at which support elements (field artillery, hospital, logistics and maintenance, etc.) were added to
3915-544: Is incomplete. The majority of officers listed were appointed as Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Sea sometimes Commander-in-Chief, at the Mediterranean Sea earlier officers appointed to command either fleets/squadrons stationed in the Mediterranean for particular operations were styled differently see notes next to their listing The first Commander-in-Chief for the Mediterranean Fleet may have been named as early as 1665. Commanders-in-chief have included: In January 1944
4050-450: Is primarily based on a number of standard groupings of vessels, including the carrier strike group and the expeditionary strike group . Additionally, naval organization continues aboard a single ship. The complement forms three or four departments (such as tactical and engineering), each of which has a number of divisions, followed by work centers. The organizational structures of air forces vary between nations: some air forces (such as
4185-439: Is the structuring of the armed forces of a state so as to offer such military capability as a national defense policy may require. Formal military organization tends to use hierarchical forms (see Modern hierarchy for terminology and approximate troop strength per hierarchical unit). In some countries, paramilitary forces are included in a nation's armed forces, though not considered military. Armed forces that are not
Mediterranean Fleet - Misplaced Pages Continue
4320-505: Is unknown, but no later than Warspite ' s 1934–1937 reconstruction. Warspite , the sixth warship of the Royal Navy to carry the name, was laid down on 21 October 1912 at Devonport Royal Dockyard , launched on 26 November 1913, and completed in April 1915 under the command of Captain Edward Phillpotts . Warspite joined the 2nd Battle Squadron of the Grand Fleet following
4455-687: The Battle of Jutland . Other than that battle, and the inconclusive Action of 19 August , her service during the war generally consisted of routine patrols and training in the North Sea . During the interwar period the ship was deployed in the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea , often serving as flagship , and was thoroughly modernised in the mid-1930s. During the Second World War , Warspite
4590-573: The Belgian Army ), but this does not preclude the existence of commands that are not service-based. A formation is defined by the U.S. Department of Defense as "two or more aircraft, ships, or units proceeding together under a commander". Fomin in the Great Soviet Encyclopedia emphasised its combined-arms nature: "Formations are those military organisations which are formed from different speciality Arms and Services troop units to create
4725-629: The Bremerton Naval Shipyard in the United States, arriving there on 11 August, having travelled through the Suez Canal , across the Indian Ocean to Ceylon , stopping at Manila , then Pearl Harbor and finally Esquimalt along the way. Repairs and modifications began in August, including the replacement of her deteriorated 15-inch guns, the addition of more anti-aircraft weapons, improvements to
4860-686: The First Naval Battle of Narvik . All were sunk during the action. Warspite destroyed the heavily damaged Z13 Erich Koellner with broadsides, while damaging Z17 Diether von Roeder and Z12 Erich Giese . Diether von Roeder had to be scuttled while Erich Giese was sunk in conjunction with destroyers. The Second Naval Battle of Narvik was considered a success. She remained in Norwegian waters, participating in several shore bombardments around Narvik on 24 April, but these proved ineffectual and she returned to Scapa Flow prior to being redeployed to
4995-448: The Fritz X . She was hit directly once; a second near-miss ripped open the torpedo bulges while the third missed altogether. The bomb that did hit her struck near the funnel, cutting through her decks and making a 20-foot hole in the bottom of her hull, crippling her. Although the damage had been considerable, Warspite ' s casualties amounted to only nine killed and fourteen wounded. She
5130-718: The German High Seas Fleet into internment at Scapa Flow following the signing of the Armistice. In 1919, Warspite joined the 2nd Battle Squadron, part of the newly formed Atlantic Fleet , and undertook regular spring cruises to the Mediterranean . In 1924, she attended a Royal Fleet Review at Spithead , presided over by King George V . Later in the year, Warspite underwent a partial modernisation that altered her superstructure by trunking her two funnels into one, enhanced her armour protection with torpedo bulges, swapped
5265-455: The Normandy landings and on Walcheren Island in 1944, despite not being fully repaired. These actions earned her the most battle honours ever awarded to an individual ship in the Royal Navy. For this and other reasons, Warspite gained the nickname the "Grand Old Lady" after a comment made by Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham in 1943 while she was his flagship. When she was launched in 1913
5400-469: The Queen Elizabeth class consisted of Krupp cemented armour (KC) that was 13 inches (330 mm) thick over the ships' vitals. The gun turrets were protected by 11 to 13 inches (279 to 330 mm) of KC armour and were supported by barbettes 7–10 inches (178–254 mm) thick. The ships had multiple armoured decks that ranged from 1 to 3 inches (25 to 76 mm) in thickness. The main conning tower
5535-535: The Royal New Zealand Navy , or those navies that are effectively coast guards , are commanded by a rear-admiral (two-star rank), commodore (one-star rank) or even a captain . Aircraft carriers are typically commanded by a captain. Submarines and destroyers are typically commanded by a captain or commander. Some destroyers, particularly smaller destroyers such as frigates (formerly known as destroyer escorts ) are usually commanded by officers with
Mediterranean Fleet - Misplaced Pages Continue
5670-637: The United States Air Force and the Royal Air Force ) are divided into commands, groups and squadrons; others (such as the Soviet Air Force ) have an Army-style organizational structure. The modern Royal Canadian Air Force uses Air division as the formation between wings and the entire air command. Like the RAF, Canadian wings consist of squadrons. A task force is a unit or formation created as
5805-614: The armed forces are divided into three military branches (also service, armed service, or military service ): army , navy , and air force . Many countries have a variation on the standard model of three basic military branches. Some nations also organize their cyber force , emergencies service, medical service , military logistics , space force , marines , and special forces such as commandos or airborne forces as independent armed services. A nation's border guard or coast guard may also be an independent branch of its military, although in many nations border guard or coast guard
5940-469: The flotilla level and higher is less commonly abided by, as ships operate in smaller or larger groups in various situations that may change at a moment's notice. However, there is some common terminology used throughout navies to communicate the general concept of how many vessels might be in a unit. Navies are generally organized into groups for a specific purpose, usually strategic, and these organizational groupings appear and disappear frequently based on
6075-417: The forecastle deck near the aft funnel and were protected by gun shields . The anti-aircraft (AA) armament were composed of two quick-firing (QF) 3-inch (76 mm) 20 cwt Mk I guns. The ships were fitted with four submerged 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes , two on each broadside. Warspite was completed with two fire-control directors fitted with 15-foot (4.6 m) rangefinders . One
6210-510: The landings at Salerno , came under fierce German air-attack and narrowly avoided being torpedoed. The resolve of the Italian Government had already been wavering by the time of the Allies victory in North Africa; the invasion of Sicily and aerial attacks on mainland Italy encouraged negotiations. They signed an armistice on 3 September, which took effect on 8 September. Anxious to ensure that
6345-493: The "toe" of Italy to cut them off from their base at Taranto . The two fleets eventually met 30 miles from Punta Stilo at the Battle of Calabria on 9 July 1940. Initially, the Allied cruisers, armed with 6-inch guns, were outranged by the 8-inch guns of their heavier Italian counterparts and disengaged. Seeing that they were under pressure, Cunningham took Warspite ahead to assist his cruisers. The Italian cruisers turned away under
6480-563: The 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Destroyer Flotillas, and the aircraft carrier Glorious . In 1940, the Mediterranean Fleet carried out a successful aircraft carrier attack on the Italian Fleet at Taranto by air . Other major actions included the Battle of Cape Matapan and the Battle of Crete . The Fleet had to block Italian and later German reinforcements and supplies for the North African Campaign . In October 1946, Saumarez hit
6615-497: The Admiralty a virtually new warship, replacing internal machinery and significantly changing the battleship's appearance and capabilities. Additionally, her superstructure was radically altered, allowing two cranes and an aircraft hangar to be fitted. This could carry four aircraft, but Warspite typically carried only two: from 1938 to 1941 these were Swordfish floatplanes and from 1942 to 1943 Walrus flying boats. Her tripod mast
6750-596: The Aegean, Adriatic and Mediterranean seas, leading an intensive series of fleet exercises in August due to rising international tension. She undertook another cruise of the western Mediterranean in the spring of 1939. In June 1939, Vice Admiral Andrew Cunningham replaced Dudley Pound and took Warspite to Istanbul for talks with the Turkish government. When war was declared in September, the Mediterranean remained quiet and Warspite
6885-597: The Allied invasion of Sicily . Division One and Two rendezvoused in the Gulf of Sirte on 9 July and covered the assembling convoys. Warspite was detached to refuel at Malta on 12 July, the first visit by a British battleship since December 1940. On 17 July, she bombarded Catania in support of an unsuccessful attack by the 8th Army , although her steering problem temporarily delayed her taking up position. She returned to Malta at high speed on 18 July, avoiding several air attacks during
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#17328479396257020-533: The Atlantic Fleet. She was at sea when the crews of a number of warships mutinied at Invergordon in September 1931, although three sailors were later dismissed from the ship. In March 1933, she was rammed in fog by a Romanian passenger ship off Portugal, but did not require major repairs. Between March 1934 and March 1937, she underwent a major reconstruction in Portsmouth at a cost of £2,363,000. This refit gave
7155-457: The British cruisers encountered the Italian fleet and were forced to turn away by the heavy guns of Vittorio Veneto . To save his cruisers Cunningham ordered an air attack, prompting Iachino to retreat. Subsequent air attacks damaged the battleship and the cruiser Pola , slowing the former and crippling the latter. Vittorio Veneto escaped to the west as dusk fell but the British pursued through
7290-520: The Channel to Portsmouth . She returned to Normandy on 9 June to support American forces at Utah Beach and then, on 11 June, she took up position off Gold Beach to support the British 69th Infantry Brigade near Cristot . On 12 June, she returned to Portsmouth to rearm, but her guns were worn out so she was ordered to sail to Rosyth via the Straits of Dover, the first British battleship to have done so since
7425-459: The Cold War. In the British and Commonwealth armies the battlegroup became the usual grouping of companies during the Second World War and the Cold War. Within NATO, a Joint Task Force (JTF) would be such a temporary grouping that includes elements from more than one armed service, a Combined Task Force (CTF) would be such a temporary grouping that includes elements from more than one nation, and
7560-479: The Eastern Task Force of the Normandy invasion fleet off Plymouth two days later. At 0500 on 6 June 1944, Warspite was the first ship to open fire, bombarding the German battery at Villerville from a position 26,000 yards offshore, to support landings by the British 3rd Division on Sword Beach . She continued bombardment duties on 7 June, but after firing over 300 shells she had to rearm and crossed
7695-477: The German U-boat U-64 with 250 lb bombs, becoming the first aircraft to sink a U-boat in the war. The Swordfish continued to provide accurate spotting reports during the early afternoon which were, arguably, more important to the course of the battle than the Warspite's guns. The British destroyers soon opened fire on their counterparts, which had almost exhausted their fuel and ammunition following
7830-411: The German forces and providing time for Allied reinforcements to arrive. Overnight, the fleet came under intense air attack, but she was able to continue bombardment duties the next day. However, early in the afternoon she was attacked by a Luftwaffe squadron of Focke-Wulf Fw 190 fighter bombers and then, from high altitude, by three Dornier Do 217 bombers from KG 100 armed with an early guided bomb,
7965-624: The Germans did not acquire an additional 200 warships, the Allies insisted that the Regia Marina must sail for Allied ports. Three days later, Warspite met and led elements of the Italian Fleet, including Vittorio Veneto and Italia , into internment at Malta. She repeated this process on 12 September for her opponent from the Battle of Calabria, Giulio Cesare . On 14 September, Force H was recalled to
8100-466: The Grand Fleet, this time as part of the new 5th Battle Squadron which had been created for Queen Elizabeth -class ships. In early December, Warspite was involved in another incident when, during an exercise, she collided with her sister ship Barham , which caused considerable damage to Warspite ' s bow. She made it back to Scapa Flow and from there to Devonport for more repair work, rejoining
8235-681: The Japanese Fast Carrier Strike Force was heading towards the Indian Ocean and he relocated his base to Addu Atoll in the Maldives . Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo used five carriers and four battleships in the Indian Ocean raid a naval sortie into the Indian Ocean in April, attacking Allied shipping and bases in the Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal. Somerville's fleet was outnumbered and outclassed but he hoped to get close enough to launch
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#17328479396258370-420: The Mediterranean Fleet in 1914. They and Indefatigable formed the nucleus of the fleet at the start of the First World War when British forces pursued the German ships Goeben and Breslau . A recently modernised Warspite became the flagship of the Commander-in-Chief and Second-in-Command , Mediterranean Fleet in 1926. Malta , as part of the British Empire from 1814, was a shipping station and
8505-401: The Mediterranean on 28 April. Calabria Warspite arrived safely in Alexandria before Italy entered the war on 10 June 1940. Admiral Cunningham took the fleet to sea on 7 July to meet two convoys travelling from Malta to Alexandria, knowing that part of the Italian fleet was escorting its own convoy to Tripoli . Cunningham hoped to draw the Regia Marina into battle by sailing towards
8640-404: The Mediterranean to the Middle East and Far East. When a NATO naval commander, Admiral Robert B. Carney , C-in-C Allied Forces Southern Europe , was appointed, relations with the incumbent British C-in-C, Admiral Sir John Edelsten , were frosty. Edlesten, on making an apparently friendly offer of the use of communications facilities to Carney, who initially lacked secure communications facilities,
8775-430: The Mediterranean when the Germans invaded Denmark and Norway; she rejoined the Home Fleet on 10 April and proceeded towards Narvik . On 13 April, Vice-Admiral William Whitworth hoisted his flag in Warspite and led nine destroyers, three sweeping mines and six in an offensive role, into Ofotfjord to neutralise a force of eight German destroyers trapped near the port of Narvik . Her Fairey Swordfish float-plane sank
8910-443: The River Clyde. On the way, she encountered a severe storm and the hawser of the naval tug Bustler parted, whilst the other tug Metinda III slipped her tow. In storm force conditions, Warspite dropped one of her anchors in Mount's Bay , which did not hold, and the storm drove her onto Mount Mopus Ledge near Cudden Point. Later refloating herself she went hard aground a few yards away in Prussia Cove . Her skeleton crew of seven
9045-463: The U.S. Army Force Management Support Agency that prescribes the organization, manning, and equipage of units from divisional size and down, but also including the headquarters of Corps and Armies. It also provides information on the mission and capabilities of a unit as well as the unit's current status. A general TOE is applicable to a type of unit (for instance, infantry) rather than a specific unit (the 3rd Infantry Division). In this way, all units of
9180-535: The UK to begin preparations for the invasion of France, but Warspite and Valiant were detached to provide support for Allied forces at Salerno . Although the Italians had surrendered, the Germans had anticipated this and moved forces into position to block the Allied landings. The American forces near Battipaglia were in a precarious situation following German counter-attacks. After arriving off Salerno on 15 September, Warspite bombarded an ammunition dump and other positions around Altavilla Silentina , demoralising
9315-414: The appointment of General at Sea Robert Blake in September 1654 (styled as Commander of the Mediterranean Fleet). The Fleet was in existence until 1967. The Royal Navy gained a foothold in the Mediterranean Sea when Gibraltar was captured by the British in 1704 during the War of Spanish Succession , and formally allocated to Britain in the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht . Though the British had maintained
9450-418: The armed forces, may use the same name to denote different types of organizations. An example is the "squadron". In most navies a squadron is a formation of several ships; in most air forces it is a unit; in the U.S. Army it is a battalion-sized cavalry unit; and in Commonwealth armies a squadron is a company-sized sub-unit. A table of organization and equipment (TOE or TO&E) is a document published by
9585-413: The battleships were left trailing Beatty's fast ships during the battlecruiser action , and the 5th Battle Squadron was exposed to heavy fire from the German High Seas Fleet as the force turned away to the north, although Warspite was able to score her first hit on the battlecruiser Von der Tann . The 5th Battle Squadron then headed north , exchanging fire with both Hipper's battlecruiser force and
9720-458: The bridge, and new surface and anti-aircraft radar. Warspite was still at the shipyard when the Japanese Navy attacked Pearl Harbor and went on alert as she would have been one of the few ships in the harbour which could have provided anti-aircraft defence should the Japanese have struck east. She was recommissioned on 28 December and undertook sea trials near Vancouver before sailing down
9855-474: The capture of the town two days later. Her final task was to support an Anglo-Canadian operation to open up the port of Antwerp , which had been captured in September, by clearing the Scheldt Estuary of German strongholds and gun emplacements. With the monitors Erebus and Roberts , she bombarded targets on Walcheren Island on 1 November 1944, returning to Deal the next day, having fired her guns for
9990-418: The circular motion placed her on a course which took her towards the German fleet. The rangefinders and the transmission station were non-functional and only "A" turret could fire, albeit under local control with 12 salvos falling short of their target. Sub Lieutenant Herbert Annesley Packer was subsequently promoted for his command of "A" turret. Rather than continue, Warspite was stopped for ten minutes so
10125-551: The conditions and demands placed upon a navy. This contrasts with army organization where units remain static, with the same men and equipment, over long periods of time. The five-star ranks of admiral of the fleet and fleet admiral have largely been out of regular use since the 1990s, with the exception of ceremonial or honorary appointments. Currently, all major navies ( blue-water and green-water navies) are commanded by an admiral of either four-star rank or three-star rank depending on relative size. Smaller naval forces, such as
10260-488: The crew could make repairs. They succeeded in correcting the problem, but the ship would be plagued with steering irregularities for the rest of her naval career. As the light faded the Grand Fleet crossed ahead of the German battle line and opened fire, forcing the High Seas Fleet to retreat and allowing Warspite to slip away. Warspite was hit fifteen times during the battle, and had 14 killed and 16 wounded; among
10395-594: The crossing of Jewish refugees into Palestine . When later that year Britain pulled out of the British Mandate of Palestine , Ocean , four destroyers, and two frigates escorted the departing High Commissioner, aboard the cruiser Euryalus . The force stayed to cover the evacuation of British troops into the Haifa enclave and south via Gaza. From 1952 to 1967, the post of Commander in Chief Mediterranean Fleet
10530-466: The damage was, Campioni ordered his battleships to turn away in the face of superior British numbers and they disengaged behind a smoke screen laid by Italian destroyers. The destroyers and cruisers on both sides continued shooting for half an hour but with Malaya and Royal Sovereign coming into range, the Italian fleet disengaged. Over 125 aircraft of the Regia Aeronautica attacked the ships over
10665-455: The damage. Upon the completion of her repairs, Warspite rejoined the 5th Battle Squadron. Further misfortune struck soon afterwards, when she collided with Valiant after a night-shooting exercise, necessitating more repair work at Rosyth. Captain Philpotts avoided reprimand on this occasion, but was moved to a shore-based job as Naval Assistant to the new First Sea Lord, Admiral Jellicoe. He
10800-557: The eighteenth century. It rotated between Gibraltar and Malta from 1791 to 1812. From 1813 to July 1939 it was permanently at Malta Dockyard . In August 1939 the C-in-C Mediterranean Fleet moved his HQ afloat on board HMS Warspite until April 1940. He was then back onshore at Malta until February 1941. He transferred it again to HMS Warspite until July 1942. In August 1942 headquarters were moved to Alexandria where they remained from June 1940 to February 1943. HQ
10935-504: The entire fleet to be safely moored there. In the last decade of the nineteenth century, the Mediterranean Fleet was the largest single squadron of the Royal Navy, with ten first-class battleships—double the number in the Channel Fleet —and a large number of smaller warships. On 22 June 1893, the bulk of the fleet, eight battleships and three large cruisers , were conducting their annual summer exercises off Tripoli , Lebanon , when
11070-418: The exposure of his battleships led to a tense exchange of letters between Cunningham and Churchill. Crete During the Battle of Crete , Warspite was used as a floating anti-aircraft battery and like many other ships, suffered severe damage from German air attacks on 22 May. A 500 lb bomb damaged her starboard 4-inch and 6-inch batteries, ripped open the ship's side and killed 38 men. The attack
11205-405: The fleet on Christmas Eve 1915. Following the German raid on Lowestoft in April 1916, Warspite and the 5th Battle Squadron were temporarily assigned to Vice-Admiral David Beatty's Battlecruiser Force. On 31 May, Warspite was deployed with the squadron to fight in the Battle of Jutland , the largest naval encounter between Britain and Germany during the war. Following a signalling error,
11340-429: The fleet's flagship, the battleship HMS Victoria , collided with the battleship HMS Camperdown . Victoria sank within fifteen minutes, taking 358 crew with her. Vice-Admiral Sir George Tryon , commander of the Mediterranean Fleet, was among the dead. Of the three original Invincible -class battlecruisers which entered service in the first half of 1908, two ( Inflexible and Indomitable ) joined
11475-647: The focus of Cold War naval responsibilities moved to the North Atlantic, the Mediterranean Fleet was gradually drawn down, finally disbanding in June 1967. Eric Grove, in Vanguard to Trident , details how by the mid-1960s the permanent strength of the Fleet was "reduced to a single small escort squadron [appears to have been 30th Escort Squadron with HMS Brighton , HMS Cassandra , HMS Aisne plus another ship] and
11610-551: The high-angle 3-inch guns with new 4-inch anti-aircraft guns, and removed half her torpedo tubes. After the process finished in 1926, Warspite assumed the role of flagship of the Commander-in-Chief and Second-in-Command, Mediterranean Fleet . In 1927, under the command of Captain James Somerville , she struck an uncharted rock in the Aegean and was ordered to return to Portsmouth for repairs. In 1930, Warspite rejoined
11745-633: The last time. During her service career, Warspite had lived up to her motto, enduring shellfire, bombing, ramming, mines and a guided missile. However, time had taken its toll and more modern ships were required to continue the war in the Far East. Although there were proposals to retain her as a museum ship, the Admiralty approved Warspite ' s scrapping in July 1946 and she sailed from Spithead into Portsmouth to have her guns removed. On 19 April 1947, Warspite departed Portsmouth for scrapping at Faslane , on
11880-466: The latter warrant officer Walter Yeo , who became one of the first men to receive facial reconstruction via plastic surgery . Although she had been extensively damaged, Warspite could still raise steam and was ordered back to Rosyth during the evening of 31 May by Rear-Admiral Hugh Evan-Thomas , commander of the 5th Battle Squadron. Whilst travelling across the North Sea the ship came under attack from
12015-499: The leading elements of Scheer's battleships, damaging Markgraf . When the squadron turned to join the Grand Fleet , the damage from a shell hitting the port-wing engine room caused Warspite ' s steering to jam as she attempted to avoid her sister ships Valiant and Malaya . Captain Phillpotts decided to maintain course, in effect circling, rather than come to a halt and reverse. This decision exposed Warspite and made her
12150-512: The leading ships of the opposing battleline . This required maximum offensive power and a speed several knots faster than any other battleship to allow them to defeat any type of ship. Warspite had a length overall of 643 feet 9 inches (196.2 m), a beam of 90 feet 7 inches (27.6 m) and a deep draught of 33 feet (10.1 m). She had a normal displacement of 32,590 long tons (33,110 t ) and displaced 33,260 long tons (33,794 t) at deep load . She
12285-503: The military, including their dependants. Then there are the heads of specific departmental agencies responsible for the provision and management of specific skill- and knowledge-based services such as strategic advice, capability development assessment, or military science provision of research, and design and development of technologies. Within each departmental agency will be found administrative branches responsible for further agency business specialization work. In most countries,
12420-576: The next three hours but caused no damage. Warspite returned to Alexandria on 13 July. Taranto In mid-August, she set out to bombard Bardia and on 6 November she sailed from Alexandria to provide cover for the Battle of Taranto , a torpedo-bomber attack on ships in Taranto harbour. As a result of this attack, Warspite and Valiant were able to bombard the Italian supply base in the Adriatic port of Vlorë in mid-December. On 10 January 1941, Warspite
12555-478: The night on the Hogus Rocks after failing to tow Warspite ; and her sister tug Tradesman had 60 feet (18 m) of wire wrapped around her propeller when trying to haul Masterman off the rocks. Aided by her compressor and two jet engines from an experimental aircraft the hulk was finally moved 130 feet (40 m) closer to shore on Marazion beach, between St. Michael's Mount and Hogus rocks. From 1951, Warspite
12690-557: The night, first detecting Pola on radar and then two of her sister ships. Warspite , Valiant and Barham closed on the unsuspecting Italian ships and aided by searchlights, destroyed the heavy cruisers Fiume and Zara and two destroyers at point blank range. Pola was also sunk once her crew had been taken off. Having established by aerial reconnaissance that the rest of the Italian fleet had escaped, Warspite returned to Alexandria on 29 March, surviving air attacks without suffering casualties. The Battle of Cape Matapan had
12825-499: The night. On her return, Admiral Cunningham inadvertently coined the nickname by which she would be known thereafter when he signalled: " Operation well carried out. There is no question when the old lady lifts her skirts she can run. " Between 2 and 3 September, Warspite and Valiant covered the assault across the Straits of Messina and bombarded the Italian coastal batteries near Reggio . Between 8 and 9 September, Force H, covering
12960-479: The physical arrangement or disposition of troops and weapons. Examples of formation in such usage include pakfront , panzerkeil , testudo formation , etc. A typical unit is a homogeneous military organization (either combat, combat-support or non-combat in capability) that includes service personnel predominantly from a single arm of service, or a branch of service, and its administrative and command functions are self-contained. Any unit subordinate to another unit
13095-399: The rank of commander. Corvettes , the smallest class of warship, are commanded by officers with the rank of commander or lieutenant-commander . Auxiliary ships, including gunboats , minesweepers , patrol boats , military riverine craft , tenders and torpedo boats are usually commanded by lieutenants , sub-lieutenants or warrant officers . Usually, the smaller the vessel, the lower
13230-479: The rank of the ship's commander. For example, patrol boats are often commanded by ensigns , while frigates are rarely commanded by an officer below the rank of commander. Historically, navies were far more rigid in structure. Ships were collected in divisions , which in turn were collected in numbered squadrons , which comprised a numbered fleet . Permission for a vessel to leave one unit and join another would have to be approved on paper. The modern U.S. Navy
13365-470: The same branch (such as infantry) follow the same structural guidelines. The following table gives an overview of some of the terms used to describe army hierarchy in armed forces across the world. Whilst it is recognized that there are differences between armies of different nations, many are modeled on the British or American models, or both. However, many military units and formations go back in history for
13500-411: The same distance in June 1940. The shell pierced Giulio Cesare's rear funnel and detonated inside it, blowing out a hole nearly 6.1 meters (20 ft) across, while fragments started several fires and their smoke was drawn into the boiler rooms, forcing four boilers off-line as their operators could not breathe which reduced the ship's speed to 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph). Uncertain how severe
13635-652: The size of most nations' regiments or brigades. At the top of the ladder, what other nations would call an army group, the Red Army called a front . By contrast, during the same period the German Wehrmacht army groups, particularly on the Eastern Front , such as Army Group Centre significantly exceeded the above numbers, and were more cognate with the Soviet Strategic Directions . Naval organization at
13770-716: The start of the Pacific War in December and the ship sailed across the Pacific to join the Eastern Fleet in the Indian Ocean in early 1942. Warspite returned home in mid-1943 to conduct naval gunfire support as part of Force H during the Italian campaign . She was badly damaged by German radio-controlled glider bombs during the landings at Salerno and spent most of the next year under repair. The ship bombarded German positions during
13905-430: The structure of public administration , often known as a ministry of defence or department of defense . These in turn manage military branches that themselves command formations and units specialising in combat, combat support and combat-service support . The usually civilian or partly civilian executive control over the national military organization is exercised in democracies by an elected political leader as
14040-456: The top levels and different armies and countries may also use traditional names, creating considerable confusion: for example, a British or Canadian armored regiment (battalion) is divided into squadrons (companies) and troops (platoons), whereas an American cavalry squadron (battalion) is divided into troops (companies) and platoons. In the French system (used by many African countries) the company
14175-536: The two separate commands were re-unified with the Flag Officer, Levant and East Mediterranean (FOLEM) reporting to the C-in-C Mediterranean. The Chief of Staff was the principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supporting staff or a primary aide-de-camp to the Commander-in-Chief. The Mediterranean Fleets shore headquarters was initially based at Port Mahon Dockyard , Minorca for most of
14310-460: The unit structure, since World War II, many brigades now have such support units, and since the 1980s, regiments also have been receiving support elements. A regiment with such support elements is called a regimental combat team in US military parlance, or a battlegroup in the UK and other forces. Canadian Army doctrine also includes the combat team which is a company of infantry augmented with tanks, or
14445-640: The use of oil as fuel and untried 15-inch guns were revolutionary concepts in the naval arms race between Britain and Germany , a considerable risk for Winston Churchill , then First Lord of the Admiralty , and Admiral of the Fleet Sir Jackie Fisher , who had advocated the design. However, the new " fast battleships " proved to be an outstanding success during the First World War. Decommissioned in 1945, Warspite ran aground under tow to be scrapped in 1947 on rocks near Prussia Cove , Cornwall , and
14580-417: The war began. She evaded German coastal batteries, partly due to effective radar jamming, but hit a mine 28 miles off Harwich early on 13 June. Repairs to her propeller shafts and the replacement of the guns took until early August; she sailed to Scapa Flow to calibrate the new barrels with only three functional shafts, limiting her top speed to 15 knots, although by now the Admiralty considered her main role
14715-704: The west coast of the U.S. and Mexico, crossing the equator and arriving in Sydney on 20 February 1942. She joined the Eastern Fleet at Trincomalee in March 1942. Warspite joined the Eastern Fleet as flagship of Admiral Sir James Somerville , who had commanded her in 1927. Initially, Warspite was based in Ceylon , forming a fast group with the aircraft carriers Formidable and Indomitable , four cruisers and six destroyers. In March, Somerville received intelligence indicating
14850-458: The world, but uncommon in countries with English common law histories where civil police are employed to enforce the law, and there are tight restrictions on how the armed forces may be used to assist. It is common, at least in the European and North American militaries, to refer to the building blocks of a military as command s , formation s , and unit s . In a military context,
14985-503: Was carried out by Jagdgeschwader 77 (JG 77—Fighter Wing 77). Oberleutnant Kurt Ubben , a future flying ace with 110 enemy aircraft shot down, claimed a hit on the warship. She was able to make it back to port under her own steam, but the damage could not be repaired in Alexandria and it was decided that she would have to be sent to Bremerton on the west coast of the United States. In June 1941, Warspite departed Alexandria for
15120-570: Was changed again but this time in rotation between Algiers and Taranto until June 1944. It then moved back to Malta until it was abolished in 1967. Note: At various times included the following . Parts of the Admiral of Patrols ' Auxiliary Patrol during World War One were within the Mediterranean. Several patrol zones were under British authority. Note: At various times included the following . Included: Military formation Military organization ( AE ) or military organisation ( BE )
15255-399: Was equipped with eight breech-loading (BL) 15-inch (381 mm) Mk I guns in four twin- gun turrets , in two superfiring pairs fore and aft of the superstructure , designated 'A', 'B', 'X', and 'Y' from front to rear. Twelve of the fourteen BL 6-inch (152 mm) Mk XII guns were mounted in casemates along the broadside of the vessel amidships ; the remaining pair were mounted on
15390-403: Was eventually broken up nearby. Warspite was the sixth Royal Navy ship to bear the name. It likely originated from an archaic word for woodpecker, 'speight'; with the implication that, during the age of sail the war-speight would peck holes in her enemies' wooden hulls. The Queen Elizabeth -class ships were designed to form a fast squadron for the fleet that was intended to operate against
15525-559: Was given a dual-hatted role as NATO Commander in Chief of Allied Forces Mediterranean in charge of all forces assigned to NATO in the Mediterranean Area. The British made strong representations within NATO in discussions regarding the development of the Mediterranean NATO command structure, wishing to retain their direction of NATO naval command in the Mediterranean to protect their sea lines of communication running through
15660-750: Was given by King George VI to King Haakon VII of Norway in 1947, who later gave it to the City of Narvik. It is kept in the City Hall of Narvik. Her white ensign and other artefacts are held in Marazion Museum . Timbers from the ship would also be used to create commemorative souvenirs of various types, such as ashtrays and letter openers, as well as teak benches, including ones at the Castle on St. Michael's Mount and in Morrab Gardens, Penzance. This Warspite earned 15 of
15795-780: Was involved in Operation Stab , a simulated attack on the Andaman Islands to distract the Japanese from U.S. preparations to attack Guadalcanal. She covered the landings at Mahajanga and Tamatave during the Battle of Madagascar an Allied invasion, in September. Her surface radar was replaced in Durban in October and Captain Packer , her former Assistant Gunnery Officer at Jutland, took command in January 1943. The remainder of Warspite ' s cruise
15930-555: Was involved in the Norwegian Campaign in early 1940 and was transferred to the Mediterranean later that year where the ship participated in fleet actions against the Royal Italian Navy ( Regia Marina ) while also escorting convoys and bombarding Italian troops ashore. She was damaged by German aircraft during the Battle of Crete in mid-1941 and required six months of repairs in the United States. They were completed after
16065-651: Was lightly damaged by a bomb while operating with Force A during Operation Excess . Matapan In March 1941, to support the planned German invasion of the Balkans , Vice Admiral Angelo Iachino 's Italian fleet, led by the battleship Vittorio Veneto , sailed to intercept Allied convoys between Egypt and Greece. Warned of the Italian intentions by intelligence from the Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park , Admiral Cunningham took his fleet to sea on 27 March 1941, flying his flag on Warspite . On 28 March,
16200-557: Was mentioned in despatches for his actions bringing the ship to Malta, the second time he had limped into port on board a heavily damaged Warspite . At Rosyth, Warspite ' s 6-inch guns were removed and plated in, and a concrete caisson covered the hole left by the German bomb. One of her boiler rooms and the X turret could not be repaired, remaining out of action for the remainder of her career. She left Greenock on 2 June 1944 with six 15-inch guns, eight 4-inch anti-aircraft guns and forty pom poms , joining Bombardment Force D of
16335-505: Was met with "I'm not about to play Faust to your Mephistopheles through the medium of communications!" In 1956, ships of the fleet, together with the French Navy , took part in the Suez War against Egypt . From 1957 to 1959, Rear Admiral Charles Madden held the post of Flag Officer, Malta , with responsibilities for three squadrons of minesweepers, an amphibious warfare squadron, and
16470-436: Was mounted above the conning tower , protected by an armoured hood, and the other was in the spotting top above the tripod mast . Each turret was also fitted with a 15-foot rangefinder. The main armament could be controlled by 'B' turret as well. The secondary armament was primarily controlled by directors mounted on each side of the compass platform on the foremast once they were fitted in July 1917. The waterline belt of
16605-519: Was powered by two sets of Parsons steam turbines , each driving two shafts using steam from 24 Yarrow boilers . The turbines were rated at 75,000 shaft horsepower (56,000 kW ) and intended to reach a maximum speed of 25 knots (46.3 km/h; 28.8 mph). The ship had a range of 5,000 nautical miles (9,260 km; 5,754 mi) at a cruising speed of 12 knots (22.2 km/h; 13.8 mph). Her crew numbered 1,025 officers and ratings in 1915 and 1,220 in 1920. The Queen Elizabeth class
16740-435: Was progressively broken up and scrapped in situ on the beach and by the summer of 1955, on-site scrapping resulted in her disappearance from view. According to the contractors, it remains the largest salvage operation ever carried out in British waters. A memorial stone was placed near the sea wall at Marazion and later moved a short distance. The stone was unveiled by Admiral Sir Charles Madden and prayers were read by
16875-417: Was protected by 13 inches of armour. After the Battle of Jutland, 1 inch of high-tensile steel was added to the main deck over the magazines and additional anti-flash equipment was added in the magazines. The ship was fitted with flying-off platforms mounted on the roofs of 'B' and 'X' turrets in 1918, from which fighters and reconnaissance aircraft could launch. Exactly when the platforms were removed
17010-567: Was recalled to join the Home Fleet following the loss of HMS Royal Oak . Warspite ' s first task was to escort convoy HX 9 carrying fuel from Nova Scotia to the UK. She was diverted northwards in pursuit of the German battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau which had sunk the armed merchant cruiser Rawalpindi north of the Faroe Islands , but failed to make contact. In April 1940, Warspite had started her voyage back to
17145-472: Was removed and a distinctive armoured citadel built up to enclose the bridge and to provide space for her to operate as a flagship. After completion of the refit, Warspite was recommissioned under the command of Captain Victor Crutchley . The intention was for her to become the flagship of Admiral Dudley Pound 's Mediterranean Fleet , but trials revealed problems with propulsion machinery and steering,
17280-612: Was replaced by Captain de Bartolome in December 1916. In June 1917, Warspite collided with a destroyer, but did not require major repairs. Early in April 1918 she joined the Grand Fleet in a fruitless pursuit of the German High Seas Fleet which had been hunting for a convoy near Norway. In 1918, Warspite had to spend four months being repaired after a boiler room caught fire. Captain Hubert Lynes relieved Captain de Bartolome and on 21 November he took Warspite out to escort
17415-461: Was saved by the Penlee Lifeboat W. & S. There were several attempts to refloat her but the hull was badly damaged. In 1950, an attempt to re-float her was tried. A large crowd and the media watched on as the salvage crew set to work. Despite the use of 24 compressor tanks pumping air into her tanks, the salvage failed. There was insufficient depth of water to float her clear of the reef in
17550-571: Was soon on the journey to Malta, escorted by the anti-aircraft cruiser Delhi and four destroyers, while being towed by United States Navy tugs. Towing a ship of Warspite ' s dimensions proved difficult, and at one stage she broke all tow lines and drifted sideways through the Straits of Messina. She reached Malta on 19 September and undertook emergency repairs before being towed to Gibraltar on 12 November. Warspite returned to Britain in March 1944 to continue her repairs at Rosyth . Captain Packer
17685-568: Was still in Sydney and ordered the attack on Sydney Harbour . During May and June, Warspite continued to act as Somerville's flagship, carrying out exercises with other elements of the fleet and shore-based aircraft in Ceylon. In early June, she was sent to hunt the Japanese auxiliary cruisers Aikoku Maru and Hōkoku Maru near the Chagos Archipelago but failed to find them. In August, she
17820-495: Was that of a bombardment vessel. Warspite arrived off Ushant on 25 August 1944 and attacked the coastal batteries at Le Conquet and Pointe Saint-Mathieu during the Battle for Brest . The U.S. VIII Corps eventually captured "Festung Brest" on 19 September, but by then Warspite had moved on to the next port. In company with the monitor Erebus , she carried out a preparatory bombardment of targets around Le Havre prior to Operation Astonia on 10 September, leading to
17955-621: Was the headquarters for the Mediterranean Fleet until the mid-1930s. Due to the perceived threat of air-attack from the Italian mainland, the fleet was moved to Alexandria , Egypt , shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War. Sir Andrew Cunningham took command of the fleet from Warspite on 3 September 1939, and under him the major formations of the Fleet were the 1st Battle Squadron ( Warspite , Barham , and Malaya ) 1st Cruiser Squadron ( Devonshire , Shropshire , and Sussex ), 3rd Cruiser Squadron ( Arethusa , Penelope , Galatea ), Rear Admiral John Tovey , with
18090-618: Was to be handed over to the Knights of Malta under the Treaty of Amiens. When the Napoleonic Wars resumed in 1803, the British kept Malta for use as a naval base. Following Napoleon's defeat, the British continued their presence in Malta, and turned it into the main base for the Mediterranean Fleet. Between the 1860s and 1900s, the British undertook a number of projects to improve the harbours and dockyard facilities, and Malta's harbours were sufficient to allow
18225-628: Was uneventful. She underwent a short refit in Durban in April and returned to the UK in May 1943, having sailed approximately 160,000 miles since the war began. Warspite underwent a short refit in May in another attempt to fix her steering problem, then joined Force H at Scapa Flow, departing on 9 June for Gibraltar in company with five other battleships, two carriers and twelve destroyers. Assigned to Division 2 with Valiant and Formidable , she returned to Alexandria on 5 July in preparation for Operation Husky ,
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