II Battle Squadron
| II Battle Squadron | |
|---|---|
The I (foreground) and II Squadrons (background) in Kiel
|
|
| Country |
 German Empire
|
| Branch | Kaiserliche Marine |
| Type | Squadron |
| Garrison/HQ |
Wilhelmshaven Kiel |
| Engagements | Battle of Jutland |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Reinhard Scheer Felix Funke Franz Mauve Hubert von Rebeur-Paschwitz |
The II Battle Squadron was a unit of the German High Seas Fleet before and during World War I. The squadron saw action throughout the war, including the Battle of Jutland on 31 May – 1 June 1916, where it formed the rear of the German line.
The II Battle Squadron was divided into the III Division and the IV Division; the divisions initially were composed of eight of the ten Deutschland and Braunschweig-class battleships. At the time, SMS Deutschland was the flagship of the High Seas Fleet and was also assigned to the II Battle Squadron, though only for tactical purposes—the ship was not otherwise subordinate to the squadron commander.
The II Battle Squadron operated from one of the two primary bases of the German fleet. The first, in the North Sea, was Wilhelmshaven on the western side of the Jade Bight. The island of Heligoland provided a fortified forward position in the German Bight. The second major naval installation was at Kiel, and it was the most important base in the Baltic. Pillau and Danzig housed forward bases further east in the Baltic. The Kaiser Wilhelm Canal through Schleswig-Holstein connected the Baltic and North Seas and allowed the German Navy to quickly shift naval forces between the two seas.
Konteradmiral (KAdm—Rear Admiral) Reinhard Scheer served as the commander of the squadron from January 1913 to 26 December 1914, when he traded commands with KAdm Felix Funke, who had commanded the III Battle Squadron.KAdm de, formerly the IV Division commander, replaced Funke in August 1915. He held the role until November 1916, when he was promoted to Vizeadmiral (VAdm—Vice Admiral) and given command of the IV Battle Squadron. Mauve was replaced by VAdm Hubert von Rebeur-Paschwitz, who was the final commander of the unit.
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