Colossus-class battleship (1910)

The Colossus-class battleships were a pair of dreadnought battleships built for the Royal Navy in the late 1900s. They comprised Colossus and Hercules. These ships represented a minor improvement over the preceding Neptune-class, primarily focusing on improved protection and fire control arrangements.

The Colossus-class battleships were armed with ten 12-inch (305 mm) guns arranged in five twin turrets, all located on the centreline. This allowed for a ten-gun broadside. Their secondary armament consisted of 4-inch (102 mm) guns for defense against torpedo boats. They also carried torpedo tubes.

These battleships were powered by steam turbines, providing a speed of around 21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph). They were well protected, with a thick armour belt along the waterline.

Both Colossus and Hercules served in the Grand Fleet during World War I. They participated in the Battle of Jutland in 1916. After the war, they were placed in reserve and eventually scrapped in the early 1920s, rendered obsolete by newer and more powerful battleships. The Colossus-class, while not revolutionary, contributed to the Royal Navy's dreadnought strength in the years leading up to and during the First World War.