View source for Colossus-class ironclad

{{Short description|1882 class of British ironclads}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2018}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2018}}
{{no footnotes|date=January 2013}}

{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image= HMSColossus1891.jpg
|Ship caption=HMS ''Colossus'', lead ship of the class, painted in 1891, Malta
}}
{{Infobox ship class overview
|Builders=[[Portsmouth Dockyard]], [[Pembroke Dockyard]]
|Operators= {{navy|United Kingdom}}
|Class before= {{sclass|Ajax|ironclad|4}}
|Class after={{sclass2|Admiral|battleship|4}}
|Built range=
|In commission range=1882–1910
|Total ships completed=2
|Total ships retired=2
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship type=
|Ship displacement=9,420 tons
|Ship length={{convert|325|ft|m|abbr=on}} [[Length between perpendiculars|pp]]
|Ship beam={{convert|68|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship draught={{convert|25|ft|9|in|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship propulsion=2-shaft Maudslay engine, {{convert|7,488|ihp|abbr=on}}
|Ship speed={{convert|16.5|kn|km/h}}
|Ship range=
|Ship complement=
|Ship sensors=
|Ship EW=
|Ship armament=*4 × [[BL 12 inch naval gun Mk I - V|BL {{convert|12|in|mm|abbr=on|0}} guns]]
*5 × [[BL 6 inch gun Mk III IV VI|BL {{convert|6|in|mm|abbr=on|0}} guns]]
*20 smaller guns
*2 × 14-inch [[torpedo tube]]s
|Ship armour=*Citadel: 14–18 inches
*[[Bulkhead (partition)|Bulkhead]]s: 13–16 inches
*[[Deck (ship)|Deck]]: 2.5–3 inches
*[[Conning tower|Conning Tower]]: {{convert|14|in|mm|sigfig=3}}
*[[Gun turret|Turrets]]: 16-inch faces, 14-inch sides and rear
|Ship armor=
|Ship aircraft=
|Ship aircraft facilities=
|Ship notes=
}}
|}

The '''''Colossus''-class battleships''' were British [[ironclad warship]]s, carrying their main armament in [[Gun turret|turrets]], which served in the Victorian [[Royal Navy]] from 1882. They were the first British warships to carry large [[Breech-loading rifle|rifled breech-loading]] main guns.

==Design==
[[File:Colossus class battleship diagrams Brasseys 1896.jpg|thumb|left|{{center|Right elevation and plan as depicted in Brassey's Naval Annual 1896}}]]
They were in all essential points improved versions of the {{sclass|Ajax|ironclad|4}}, with slightly greater displacement, protection and speed, with better handling characteristics, and most significantly, with breech-loading artillery replacing the obsolescent muzzle loaders. They also used steel rather than iron for most of the hull structure, and utilised the innovative compound armour for the belt and turrets.

The class was originally designed to carry the then-standard muzzle-loading artillery, while European navies had already for several years been equipped with breech-loading guns. At this time, for historical reasons, the [[Board of Admiralty]] was ultimately responsible for the designs of Royal Naval warships, but the [[War Office]] was responsible for the design and provision of naval artillery. In 1879, while the ''Colossus'' class was under construction, a 100-ton muzzle-loader was being tested at the [[Royal Arsenal]], [[Woolwich]], and the [[RML 16 inch 80 ton gun|16-inch 80-ton guns]] destined for {{HMS|Inflexible|1876|6}} were nearly complete. Responding to a groundswell of professional opinion, the Admiralty sent a group of senior officers to witness and report on the performance of the new breech-loading weapons being produced by [[Krupp]] in [[Essen]]. As a result of their report, Woolwich undertook the manufacture of 12&nbsp;inch calibre breech-loaders, with a breech mechanism manufactured at [[Elswick, Tyne and Wear|Elswick]]. The ''Colossus'' class was nominated to be armed with these guns; the delay in their manufacture largely accounts for the protracted building times of these vessels.

Both ships did well on sea-trials, exceeding their design speed. They threw up what is described as a "remarkable bow wave, which rose like a solid wall for thirteen feet, the like of which has never been observed." They had a quick roll, and because of the low freeboard and the long chases of the guns, the gun muzzles dipped into the sea at a roll of 13° when trained on the beam. They were fitted with large bilge keels and with anti-rolling tanks.

They were both reported to be slow to respond to the helm, with large turning circles.

==Ships==
{| class="wikitable"
!Name!!Builder!!Laid down!!Launched!!Completed
|-
|{{HMS|Colossus|1882|2}}
| [[Portsmouth Dockyard]]
| 6 June 1879
| 21 March 1882
| 1886
|-
|{{HMS|Edinburgh|1882|2}}
| [[Pembroke Dockyard]]
| 20 March 1879
| 18 March 1882
| 8 July 1887
|-
|}

==References==
* {{cite book|title=British Battleships|first=Oscar|last=Parkes|publisher=Cooper|year=1990|isbn=978-0-85052-604-2|oclc=21677208}}
* {{cite book|title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905|first=Roger|last=Chesneau|author2=Eugène M. Koleśnik |author3=N. J. M. Campbell |location=London|publisher=Conway Maritime Press|year=1979|isbn=978-0-85177-133-5|oclc=5834247  | url-access = registration
  | url = https://archive.org/details/conwaysallworlds0000unse_l2e2
}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Colossus class battleship (1882)}}
* [http://dreadnoughtproject.org/tech/colossus An Animated Technical Study of HMS Colossus]

{{Colossus class battleship (1882)}}
{{British ironclads}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Colossus Class Battleship (1882)}}
[[Category:Battleship classes]]
[[Category:Colossus-class battleships (1882)| ]]
[[Category:Victorian-era battleships of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Ship classes of the Royal Navy]]