The 15th Cruiser Squadron, also known as Force K, was a formation of

cruiser A cruiser is a type of warship. Modern cruisers are generally the largest ships in a fleet after aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, and can usually perform several operational roles from search-and-destroy to ocean escort to sea ...

s of the British

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

from 1940 to 1946.

History

The squadron was formed in May 1940 and was assigned to the

Home Fleet The Home Fleet was a fleet of the Royal Navy that operated from the United Kingdom's territorial waters from 1902 with intervals until 1967. In 1967, it was merged with the Mediterranean Fleet creating the new Western Fleet. Before the First ...

. In 1941 it was transferred to the

Mediterranean Fleet 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 ...

where it remained for the duration of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. In May 1941 it served in the

Battle of Crete The Battle of Crete (, ), codenamed Operation Mercury (), was a major Axis Powers, Axis Airborne forces, airborne and amphibious assault, amphibious operation during World War II to capture the island of Crete. It began on the morning of 20 May ...

, with its ships dispersed into several different

Forces In physics, a force is an influence that can cause an object to change its velocity unless counterbalanced by other forces. In mechanics, force makes ideas like 'pushing' or 'pulling' mathematically precise. Because the magnitude and directi ...

. For the duration of the battle, Rear Admiral Edward L. S. King was given command of Force C, which comprised a mixture of cruisers and

destroyers In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast, maneuverable, long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy, or carrier battle group and defend them against a wide range of general threats. They were conceived i ...

. On 17 December 1941 the squadron was involved in the

First Battle of Sirte The First Battle of Sirte was fought between forces of the British Mediterranean Fleet and the (Italian Royal Navy) during the Battle of the Mediterranean in the Second World War. The engagement took place on 17 December 1941, south-east of M ...

against the Regia Marina (Italian Navy). On 22 March 1942 the squadron was involved in the

Second Battle of Sirte The Second Battle of Sirte (on 22 March 1942) was a naval engagement in the Mediterranean Sea, north of the Gulf of Sidra and south-east of Malta, during the Second World War. The escorting warships of a British convoy to Malta held off a much ...

against the Italian Fleet. Between 12 and 16 June 1942 it took part in

Operation Vigorous Operation Vigorous (known in Italy as 1942, "the Battle of mid-June 1942") was a British operation during the Second World War, to escort supply Convoy MW 11 from the eastern Mediterranean to Malta, which took place from 11 to 16 June 1942. Vigo ...

. From 22 January to 5 June 1944 the squadron provided support during the

Battle of Anzio The Battle of Anzio was a battle of the Italian Campaign (World War II), Italian Campaign of World War II that commenced January 22, 1944. The battle began with the Allies of World War II, Allied amphibious landing known as Operation Shingle, an ...

. In June 1946 it was re-designated the

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 1 ...

Commodore/Rear/Vice-Admiral Commanding

Included:

References

Footnotes

Sources

* Mackie, Gordon. (2018) "Royal Navy Senior Appointments from 1865" (PDF). gulabin.com. Gordon Mackie. * O'Hara, Vincent P. (2012). In Passage Perilous: Malta and the Convoy Battles of June 1942. Bloomington, Indiana, USA: Indiana University Press. . * Pearson, Robert (2015). Gold Run: The Rescue of Norway's Gold Bullion from the Nazis, 1940. Casemate. . * Thomas, David A. (1999). Malta Convoys 1940-42: The Struggle at Sea. Barnsley, England: Pen and Sword. . * Watson, Dr Graham. (2015) "Royal Navy Organization in World War 2, 1939-1945: Overseas Commands and Fleets". www.naval-history.net. Gordon Smith. {{Cruiser squadrons of the Royal Navy, state=collapsed Cruiser squadrons of the Royal Navy Military units and formations of the Royal Navy in World War II