Naval Warfare

HMS Colossus

Dreadnought Battleship [ 1911 ]

HMS Colossus led its two-strong class and was featured in the famous Battle of Jutland concerning World War 1.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 12/17/2016 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

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HMS Colossus was born out of an expedited measure on the part of the British Navy to expand its power, particularly as there were rumors of Germany conducting secret construction of its own new fleet of "Dreadnought" warships. With HMS Dreadnought having redrawn the design of the battleship when commissioned in 1906, HMS Colossus followed with a similar "all-big-gun" armament approach and steam turbine propulsion machinery to form a two-strong group of warships that included sister HMS Hercules. Approved in 1909, HMS Colossus saw her keel laid down by Scotts Greenock on July 8th of that year and she was launched to sea on April 9th, 1910 before being formally commissioned on August 8th, 1911. When introduced, HMS Colossus and her sister marked some of the last British steel warships to carry the 12" gun model as a primary battery - there proved a shift to the more potent 13.5" gun model with newer designs thereafter.

HMS Colossus and her sister benefitted in design over existing Dreadnought-type warships in that they were given greater armor protection. Armor protection reached 11" at the belt and turrets and 3" at the deck. To compensate for the expected weight gain, the aft-mast was excluded. The foremast remained but was integrated into the forward funnel which eventually presented some issues with the fire control system in play. Two smoke funnels dotted her silhouette in profile and her displacement reached 22,700 tons under full load. Dimensions included a length of 546 feet, a beam of 85 feet and a draught of 26 feet. Power was served through 18 x boilers feeding 4 x steam turbines driving 25,000 horsepower to 4 x shafts. Maximum speed in ideal conditions reached 21 knots. The crew numbered 755 in peace time a service though this total climbed to approximately 800 under war conditions.

At the heart of this warship was its armament fit led by 10 x 12" (304.8mm) BL Mk XII main guns held in five turrets fielding two guns apiece. One turret was set in the "A" position overlooking the forecastle with two centered around midships. The final two turrets lay towards the stern and gave the Colossus a fearsome broadside. Secondary armament was 16 x 4" (101.6mm) BL Mk VII guns. Colossus also carried 3 x 21" torpedo tubes which was a common practice concerning warships of the day.

HMS Colossus' first assignments were as part of the 2nd Battle Squadron (Home Fleet). She arrived in service just in time to take part in the first grand conflict of the 20th Century - World War 1 began in the summer of 1914 and would cover some four long years of fighting. In August of that year, HMS Colossus was made flagship of the 1st Battle Squadron.

The Battle of Jutland of May-June 1916 was the greatest naval battle of the First World War and involved participants Britain, Australia and Canada against Imperial Germany. The forces included 28 battleships to 16 battleships (respectively) as well as a slew of other lesser ship types. Germany sought to entice the Grand Fleet to combat in an attempt to break the British blockade enacted against the country - the blockade serving to severely hamper its merchant force. In the end, both sides claimed the victory and history marked the engagement as "tactically inconclusive" - though a "strategic victory" for the Allies. During the Battle, HMS Colossus took two direct hits that resulted in minor damage to her forward section but survived to fight another day.

From June 1916 until September 1917, Colossus was recalled for a refit. She followed the Grand Fleet to Rosyth for April 1918. The war drew to a close with the Armistice of November 1918. The Grand Fleet was then disbanded and HMS Colossus was given charge as flagship of the Reserve Fleet. By June 1921, her war-making value was limited by the restrictions set about through the Washington Naval Treaty. Marked for scrapping she was salvaged as a cadet training ship but her luck ran out in 1923 when she was sold off and ultimately scrapped by the end of 1928.

Specifications

Service Year

1911

Origin

United Kingdom

Complement

755
PERSONNEL

Class

Colossus-class

Number-in-Class

2
VESSELS

Ships-in-Class

HMS Colossus; HMS Hercules

United Kingdom

(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)

✓ Offshore Bombardment
Offshore bombardment / attack of surface targets / areas primarily through onboard ballistic weaponry.

✓ Land-Attack
Offshore strike of surface targets primarily through onboard missile / rocket weaponry.

✓ Maritime Patrol
Active patroling of vital waterways and maritime areas; can also serve as local deterrence against airborne and seaborne threats.

✓ Airspace Denial / Deterrence
Neutralization or deterrence of airborne elements through onboard ballistic of missile weaponry.

✓ Fleet Support
Serving in support (either firepower or material) of the main surface fleet in Blue Water environments.

✓ Flag Ship / Capital Ship
Serving in the fleet Flag Ship role or Capital Ship in older warship designs / terminology.

Length

546.0 ft
166.42 m

Beam

85.0 ft
25.91 m

Draught

26.3 ft
8.02 m

Displacement

19,700
tons

Installed Power: 18 x Boilers feeding 4 x Steam Turbines driving 25,000 horsepower to 4 x Shafts.

Surface Speed

21.0 kts
(24.2 mph)

Range

6,604 nm
(7,600 mi | 12,231 km)

10 x 12" BL Mk XII main guns in five twin-gunned turrets

16 x 4" BL Mk VII secondary guns

3 x 21" torpedo tubes

Supported Types

Graphical image of a historical warship turreted main gun armament

Graphical image of an aircraft aerial torpedo

(Not all weapon types may be represented in the showcase above)

None.

Military lapel ribbon for the Cold War period

Military lapel ribbon for early warship designs

Military lapel ribbon for the Falklands War

Military lapel ribbon for the 1991 Gulf War

Military lapel ribbon for the Korean War

Military lapel ribbon representing modern aircraft

Military lapel ribbon for the Attack on Pearl Harbor

Military lapel ribbon for the Vietnam War

Military lapel ribbon for the World War 1

Military lapel ribbon for the World War 2

Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective naval campaigns / operations / periods.

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Image from the Public Domain.