Colossus class (1882)
|
|
|---|---|
|
|
| Builder: | Portsmouth Dockyard Pembroke Dockyard |
| Period of service: | 1882-1910 |
| Displacement: | 9,420 tons (11,200 t) |
| Length: | 99 m |
| Width: | 21 m |
| Draft: | 7.8 m |
| Drive: |
|
| Speed: | 16.5 kn (approx. 30.6 km / h) |
| Crew: | 325 |
| Armament: | Guns:
Torpedo tubes:
|
| Armor: |
|
The Colossus class was a class of battleships (more precisely: tower ships ) of the Royal Navy , which carried their main armament in turrets.
The class was a further development of the Ajax class with greater displacement, better armor and higher speed. Maneuverability was also improved. The most important difference, however, was the transition from muzzle loading guns ( RML - Rifle Muzzle Loading) to more modern breech loading guns ( BL - Breech Loading).
history
According to the original design, both ships were to be equipped with the standard muzzle-loading guns, although breech-loaders had been used by various European naval forces for several years. At that time, for historical reasons, the Board of Admiralty was responsible for the design of the warships, while the War Office was responsible for the construction of the naval artillery. In 1879, when the Colossus-class was being constructed, a 100-ton gun was tested at the Royal Arsenal in Woolwich. The 80-ton guns for the HMS Inflexible were almost complete. The British naval command then set up a commission to examine the new breech-loading guns manufactured by Krupp in Essen. As a result of their report, a 12-inch cannon was designed in Woolwich. The clasp was made by Elswick . The delays in the manufacture and construction of these weapons contributed significantly to the long construction time of the ships. The ships were laid down in 1882, but they were not put into service until 1886. Before that, from January 1884, the sea trials took place, and in July 1885 the guns were tested.
construction
In contrast to the previous class, the hull was now largely made of steel. For the belt armor and the armor of the turrets, composite armor was used. The ship's machinery was combined in a construction called a citadel amidships and protected by a surrounding armor. The armor protruded beyond the gun deck and thus also protected the ammunition on deck and the crew outside the turrets required for reloading.
Inside this citadel were also the pivoting torpedo tubes and the torpedoes , albeit below deck .
The main armament was set up in two towers amidships, but offset diagonally to the center line. There was another deck above the towers. This was necessary because otherwise the rigging would have disturbed the swivel range of the towers. The construction of the turrets did not yet correspond to today's gun turrets. The guns stood on a turntable mount , which also carried the armor of the turrets. The substructure of the towers including the devices for the ammunition supply was missing. The mechanical loading device was firmly on the deck outside the towers. The weapons could therefore only be reloaded in the transverse position of the towers. The projectile and propellant charge were fed through an opening in the rear wall of the towers. The ammunition itself was stored centrally on deck and was transported to the reloading facility by a conveyor belt. The entire construction had a detrimental effect on the cadence, as the towers had to be pivoted for loading. Also, aiming again was necessary after reloading.
The 6-inch guns were arranged in the classic broadside setup. Two of the guns were in the front part of the ship, two in the rear. The fifth cannon was on a rotatable mount in the stern.
commitment
Both ships passed the tests successfully and reached the projected speed. The ships rolled quickly. Due to the low freeboard and the length of the cannon barrels, the muzzle of the guns plunged into the sea at a roll angle of 13 degrees. Therefore, a long bilge keel and roll dampening tank were retrofitted. Both ships are said to be slow to react to the rudder and to have a large turning circle.
The HMS Colossus was initially assigned to the Canal Fleet and transferred to the Mediterranean Fleet in 1887. From 1893 she was used as a coastal defense ship. In 1901 she was first assigned to the fleet reserve and then in 1902 to the dock reserve, but in 1904 she was put back into service as a tender. In 1906 it was advertised for sale and in 1908 it was broken up. The sister ship HMS Edinburgh was used as a target ship from 1908. For this purpose, it was provided with modern armor plates in order to test the effectiveness of armor-piercing projectiles ( AP - amour piercig).
Ships of the class
literature
- Oscar Parkes: British Battleships . Cooper, 1990, ISBN 0-85052-604-3 , OCLC 21677208 .
- Roger Chesneau, Eugène M Koleśnik; NJM Campbell: Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships, 1860-1905 . Conway Maritime Press, London 1979, ISBN 0-85177-133-5 , OCLC 5834247 .
Web links
Footnotes
- ^ Brassey's Annual 1887, p. 667.
- ^ After Brassey's Annual 1887, p. 263: 6 pieces
- ↑ http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNBR_6pounder_m1.htm
- ↑ a b c Brassey's Annual 1887, p. 263.
- ↑ At the time, British guns were designated either by the weight of the bullet, the caliber or the weight of the gun
- ^ Dreadnought Project