British dreadnought HMS Hercules 1909-1921

HMS Neptune

Colossus-class

Orion-class

Building ordered under the 1908 Naval Estimates, laid down by Palmer on 30 July 1909, launched on 10 May 1910, commissioned on 21 July 1911, added to the reserve fleet in February 1919, sold to a German ship breaker and departed on  8 November 1921 Rosyth, Scotland for Kiel, Germany,

Of the Colossus-class consisting of the Hercules and the Colossus, preceded by the Neptune-class and succeeded by the Orion-class. Originally part of the Neptune-class but with a thicker armour and some other differences classified as an own separate class.

General technical specifications of the Colossus-class. Displacement 19.680 (normal)-22.700 (full load) tons and as dimensions 166 x 26 x 8,0 metres or 546 x 85 x 26.3 feet. The Parson high pressure steam turbines and 18 Babcock&Wilcox boilers supplied via 4 shafts 25.000 shp allowing a speed of 22,6 knots. With a coal bunker capacity of 2.900 ton and 900 ton oil was with a speed of 18,5 knots the range 6.680 nautical miles. Their crew numbered 755 men. The armour consisted of a 28cm/11” thick belt, a 25,4cm/10” thick bulkheads, a 10,2cm/4” thick deck with gun turrets and barbettes protected by respectively 28cm/11” and 28cm/1. The armament consisted of 5x2-30,48cm/12” Mk XI breech loading guns (2 fore, 1 aft and 2 amidships), 16x11-10,16cm/4” Mk VII breech loading guns,4-5,7cm/3pd guns and 3-46cm.18” torpedo tubes which were later removed.