10th Cruiser Squadron

The 10th Cruiser Squadron, also known as Cruiser Force B was a formation of cruisers of the British Royal Navy from 1913 to 1917 and then again from 1940 to 1946.

First formation

The squadron was established in July 1913 and allocated to the Third Fleet. In July 1914 it was reassigned to the new Grand Fleet, the squadron was also made Cruiser Force B in August 1914 but was more famously known as the Northern Patrol. It remained with the Grand Fleet until December 1917.

	Rank	Flag	Name	Term	Notes
1	Rear-Admiral		Edmund Pears	15 July 1913 – 29 June 1914	RAdm-Comm, 10th Cruiser Squadron
2	Rear-Admiral		Charles Napier	13–26 July 1914	RAdm-Comm, 10th Cruiser Squadron
3	Rear-Admiral		Dudley de Chair	1 August 1914 – 6 March 1916.	RAdm-Comm, Cruiser Force B
4	Vice-Admiral		Sir Reginald Tupper	6 March 1916 – 8 December 1917	RAdm-Comm, Cruiser Force B

The squadron was disbanded from January 1918 to 1937

Second formation

On 22 March 1937 the Admiralty announced the temporary formation of the squadron for the coronation fleet review by King George VI on 20 April 1937. The squadron was commanded by Rear-Admiral Arthur Dowding.

Third formation

The squadron reformed in September 1940 and attached to the Home Fleet for the duration of the Second World War until September 1945. On 27 December 1942, it was engaged at the Battle of the Barents Sea as Force R. On 22 December 1943 the squadron was involved in the Battle of [the North Cape] where it was called Force 2. In October 1946 the squadron was renamed the 2nd Cruiser Squadron and assigned to the Mediterranean Fleet.

	Rank	Flag	Name	Term	Notes
1	Rear-Admiral		Harold Burrough	10 September 1940 – August 1942	FO 10th Cruiser Squadron
2	Rear-Admiral		Cecil Harcourt	August 1942 – 12 January 1943
3	Rear-Admiral		Robert Burnett	12 January 1943 – 3 March 1944	, promoted to VAdm 09/1943
4	Rear-Admiral		Frederick Dalrymple-Hamilton	3 March 1944 – 8 April 1945
5	Rear-Admiral		Angus Cunningham-Grahame	8 April 1945 – October 1946