History of the United Kingdom during the First World War and the German Imperial Navy did come into contact, notably in the Battle of Heligoland Bight, and at the Battle of Jutland. In view of their inferior numbers and firepower, the Germans devised a plan to draw part of the British fleet into a trap and put it into effect at Jutland in , but the result was inconclusive. In , the High Seas Fleet tried a similar enticement operation and was "lucky to escape annihilation". The lessons learned by the Royal Navy at Jutland made it a more effective force in the future. In 1914, the navy had also
1st Battle Squadron Following the Battle of Jutland, the 1st Battle Squadron was reorganized, with "Colossus", "Hercules", "St. Vincent", "Collingwood" and "Neptune" all transferred to the 4th Battle Squadron. In January 1917, the squadron was constituted as follows: By 1918, "Agincourt" had been transferred to the 2nd Battle Squadron, and "Resolution", "Ramillies" and "Iron Duke" had joined the squadron on completion. For many years the squadron served in the Mediterranean as the main British battle force there. On 3 September 1939 the 1st Battle Squadron, serving in the Mediterranean Fleet, consisted of "Barham", "Warspite" and "Malaya", with headquarters at Alexandria, Egypt, under the