HMS Colossus (1910)

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Career

Ordered:	1908 Naval Estimates
Builder:	Scotts Greenock
Laid down:	8 July 1909
Launched:	9 April 1910
Commissioned:	1911
Status:	Sold for scrapping July 1928
General Characteristics
Displacement:	Normal: 19,680 tons Fully laden: 22,700 tons
Length:	546 ft (166.4 m)
Beam:	85 ft (25.9 m)
Draught:	26.3 ft (8 m)
Propulsion:	Steam turbines, 18 boilers, 4 shafts, 25,000 hp
Speed:	21 knots (39 km/h)
Complement:	755;up to 800 in wartime
Armament:	10-12 in, 16-4 in, 3-21 in torpedo tubes
Armour:	11 inch (280 mm) waterline belt 3 inch (76,2 mm) deck 11 inch (280 mm) turrets

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Colossus.

HMS Colossus of the British Royal Navy was the nameship of her class of dreadnought battleships.

She was launched 9 April 1910 and commissioned in 1911. Although very similar to Neptune she was not part of Neptune's class as Colossus and her sister-ship, Hercules, had greater armour. She joined the 2nd Battle Squadron of the Home Fleet.

When the First World War began in August 1914 Colossus became the flagship of the 1st Battle Squadron. While commanded by Captain Dudley Pound she fought with distinction at the Battle of Jutland in 1916 while acting as the flagship of Rear-Admiral Ernest Gaunt. During the battle, Colossus took two hits which caused minor damage and five casualties. When the war came to a close, Colossus became a training ship until 1920 when, under the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty, she was stricken and eventually broken up in 1928. Her sister-ship was scrapped in 1921.