HMS Colossus (1910)

Colossus at anchor, shortly after completion, 1911
History
United Kingdom
Name:	Colossus
Namesake:	Colossus of Rhodes
Ordered:	1 June 1909
Builder:	Scotts, Greenock
Laid down:	8 July 1909
Launched:	9 April 1910
Completed:	July 1911
Commissioned:	8 August 1911
Reclassified:	As a training ship, 1921
Struck:	1923
Fate:	Sold for scrap, July 1928
General characteristics
Class and type:	Colossus-class dreadnought battleship
Displacement:	20,030 long tons (20,350 t) (normal)
Length:	545 ft 9 in (166.3 m) (o/a)
Beam:	86 ft 8 in (26.4 m)
Draught:	27 ft (8.2 m)
Installed power:	25,000 shp (19,000 kW) 18 × Babcock & Wilcox boilers
Propulsion:	4 × shafts; 2 × steam turbine sets
Speed:	21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph)
Range:	6,680 nmi (12,370 km; 7,690 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Complement:	751
Armament:	5 × twin 12-inch (305 mm) guns 16 × single 4-inch (102 mm) guns 3 × 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes
Armour:	Belt: 8–11 in (203–279 mm) Deck: 1.5–4 inches (38–102 mm) Turrets: 11 in (280 mm) Barbettes: 4–11 inches (102–279 mm) Bulkheads: 4 and 8 in (102 and 203 mm) Conning tower: 11 in (280 mm)

HMS Colossus was the lead ship of her class of two dreadnought battleships built for the Royal Navy at the end of the first decade of the 20th century. She spent her whole career assigned to the Home and Grand Fleets, often serving as a flagship. Aside from participating in the Battle of Jutland in May 1916 and the inconclusive Action of 19 August, her service during World War I generally consisted of routine patrols and training in the North Sea. Colossus was the only dreadnought from the main body of the Grand Fleet to be hit during the Battle of Jutland, although she suffered only minor damage. The ship was deemed obsolete after the war and was reduced to reserve and then became a training ship. Colossus was hulked in 1923 and sold for scrap in 1928.

The design of the Colossus class was derived from that of the earlier HMS Neptune with redistributed armour and more powerful torpedoes. Colossus had an overall length of 545 feet 9 inches (166.3 m), a beam of 86 feet 8 inches (26.4 m), and a normal draught of 27 feet (8.2 m). She displaced 20,030 long tons (20,350 t) at normal load and 23,266 long tons (23,639 t) at deep load. In 1911 her crew numbered 751 officers and ratings.