The 3rd Battlecruiser Squadron was created in 1915, with the return to home waters of two of the three s— and —following the
Battle of the Falkland Islands and the
Dardanelles operation. They were joined by their
sister , and, under the command of
Rear Admiral Sir Horace Hood, the squadron was based at
Rosyth, Scotland.
Battle of Jutland •
Invincible - flagship of Rear Admiral the Honourable
H. L. A. Hood; Captain A. L. Cay •
Inflexible - Captain E. H. F. Heaton-Ellis •
Indomitable - Captain
F. W. Kennedy On 31 May 1916, the squadron—attached to the
Grand Fleet rather than
David Beatty's Battlecruiser Fleet—participated in the
Battle of Jutland. During the battle,
Invincible was hit in her "Q" turret by a salvo from the
German battlecruiser , causing a massive explosion. The ship broke in two and sank with the loss of all but six of her crew of 1,021. Admiral Hood was among the dead.
After Jutland With the loss of
Invincible and several other battlecruisers at Jutland, the squadron was no longer required.
Indomitable and
Inflexible were transferred to the
2nd Battlecruiser Squadron in June 1916. ==Rear-Admirals commanding==