Colossus-class battleship (1910)
The Colossus-class battleships were a pair of dreadnought battleships built for the Royal Navy (RN) at the end of the first decade of the 20th century, the last 12-inch-gunned (305 mm) battleships built for the RN. The sister ships spent their whole careers assigned to the Home and Grand Fleets, often serving as flagships. Aside from participating in the Battle of Jutland in May 1916, and the inconclusive action of 19 August several months later, their service during the First World War generally consisted of routine patrols and training in the North Sea.
Colossus at anchor, shortly after completion
Right elevation and plan from Brassey's Naval Annual 1915. This diagram shows masts for HMS Neptune as the Colossus class had only a foremast, positioned behind the forward funnel.
Revenge (left) and Hercules (right) en route to the Battle of Jutland, 31 May 1916, showing how the latter's spotting top could be totally enveloped by funnel smoke
Aft turrets of Hercules
HMS Neptune was a dreadnought battleship built for the Royal Navy in the first decade of the 20th century, the sole ship of her class. She was the first British battleship to be built with superfiring guns. Shortly after her completion in 1911, she carried out trials of an experimental fire-control director and then became the flagship of the Home Fleet. Neptune became a private ship in early 1914 and was assigned to the 1st Battle Squadron.
Neptune before 1914
Right elevation and plan from Brassey's Naval Annual 1915
The ship's aft 12-inch gun turrets
Neptune, 1911. The gunnery director is the round object halfway up the foremast. Torpedo nets and their supporting booms are visible on the side of the hull.
