Themes

Conflict and Change

• Introduction

  • Timeline

  • Timeline: World Wars

  • HMS Warspite

  • HMS Premier

  • HMS Sovereign

  • HMS Fearless

• In Focus: 1900

• In Focus: World War One

• In Focus: Interwar

• In Focus: World War Two

• In Focus: Post War Conflict

• In Focus: Cold War Climate

• In Focus: Falklands and Beyond

• Special Exhibition: Falklands 25

Learning

• How To: Understand Propaganda

• Propaganda Image Galleries

• Education Project: Sea With Your Own Eyes

HMS Warspite

Article highlights

• HMS Warspite at the Battle of Jutland

• The 'super dreadnought'

• Position in the Grand Fleet

• Scheer's scheme

• Memories from the Battle

• Signal failure

• Fatal blows

• The Fifth Battle Squadron enter the action

• The Grand Fleet come to the rescue

• HMS Warspite's withdrawal and battle damage

Position in Grand Fleet

Captain E M Philpott commanded HMS Warspite during the Battle of Jutland. HMS Warspite formed part of the 5th Battle Squadron under the command of Rear Admiral Evan Thomas, flying his flag in HMS Barham.

HMS Lion and Battlecruisers in action. Jutland, 31 May 1916. By William Wyllie.

In 1916 the Admiralty had attached the 5th Battle Squadron, made up exclusively of the five Queen Elizabeth class battleships, to Rear Admiral Sir David Beatty’s Battlecruiser Squadron, based at Rosyth.

The Grand Fleet, under the command of Admiral John Jellicoe, stationed itself at Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands, forming a blockade to German shipping.