In August 1914, the 5th Battle Squadron was based at Portland, and consisted of a number of pre-dreadnought battleships.

With the commissioning of the five fast battleships of the Queen Elizabeth class, the remaining pre-dreadnoughts were sent to the Mediterranean.

HMS Queen Elizabeth herself was delayed in joining the squadron, instead taking part in the Dardanelles Campaign until May 1915.

In 1916, the 5th Battle Squadron—under the command of Rear Admiral Hugh Evan-Thomas—[2] was temporarily transferred to David Beatty's Battlecruiser Fleet.

These were:[3] In the clash with the German I Scouting Group under Admiral Franz von Hipper, the 5th Battle Squadron "fired with extraordinary rapidity and accuracy" (according to Reinhard Scheer), damaging the battlecruisers SMS Lützow and Seydlitz and a number of other German warships.