NAVYPEDIA

Photo

Collingwood after the addition of the lower top

Ships

Name	No	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comp	Fate
Collingwood		206	Pembroke DYd	12.7.1880	22.11.1882	7.1887	sold to BU 5.1909

Technical data

Displacement normal, t	9500
Displacement full, t
Length, m	99.1 pp
Breadth, m	20.7
Draught, m	8.03
No of shafts	2
Machinery	2 2-cyl IVC, 12 cylindrical boilers
Power, h. p.	9600 (forced draught)
Max speed, kts	16.8
Fuel, t	coal 1200
Endurance, nm(kts)	8500(10)
Armour, mm	compound; belt: 457 - 203 with 508mm wood backing, bulkheads: 406 - 178, barbettes: 292 - 254, decks: 76 - 51, CT: 305 - 51
Armament	2 x 2 - 305/25 BL Mk V, 6 x 1 - 152/26 BL Mk IV/VI, 12 x 1 - 57/40 6pdr Hotchkiss Mk I, 8 x 1 - 47/40 3pdr Hotchkiss Mk I, 4 - 356 TT (beam)
Complement	498

Graphics

Project history

First true British barbette ship provided the basic pattern for the majority of subsequent British battleships until the Dreadnought. Her general layout followed that of Devastation with the main armament equally disposed fore and aft on the centreline but she carried a larger midships superstructure, housing secondary and light armaments which, for the first time, were arranged in definite batteries. The model for her design was the French coast defence battleship Caiman , initially with the same displacement but as finally designed about 2000t larger. It was required, for economic reasons, that the ship should not exceed 10000t, which limited the amount of protection and freeboard that could be provided after meeting the requirements of armament, speed and endurance.

The guns were loaded in the fixed fore and aft position. Barbette arrangement allowed for the guns to be carried higher than in turret ships, where they had a better command and were less affected in a seaway.

The secondary battery was mounted on the upper deck, three on each side.

Collingwood was one of the first major warships fitted with forced-draught to her boilers but speed was not much improved because the engines were unable to take the steam generated by boilers. On trials she made 16.6kts with 8369hp under natural draught and 16.8kts with 9573hp under forced draught. She was a good seaboat and manoeuvred well but was very wet and due to her low freeboard could not maintain high speed in heavy weather.

Ship protection

Ship had fixed, pear-shaped barbettes 15.3m long and 13.7m wide, each having 292mm sloping sides, 254mm rear and 76mm floor giving protection to turntable, crew, training and loading gear. The top of the barbette was covered with bullet-proof plating. A trunk of 305-254mm thickness, between the rear of the barbette and the top of the citadel, protected the ammunition supply.  On account of weight considerations, and because the citadel was reduced to 457mm belt, 42.7m long by 2.3m deep, closed at the ends by 406mm bulkheads and covered by 76mm deck. The belt extended to 1.5m below the waterline and tapered over the lower 1.1m to 203mm at the lower edge, bulkheads being 178mm at the lower edge. The lower deck was 64mm thick outside the citadel, the area between this and main deck being extensively subdivided and employed for coal bunkers and stores. The coal stowage inside and outside the citadel was arranged to provide additional protection, but cork compartments were not included, although the ship was fitted with anti-rolling tanks. 152mm guns were unprotected except for splinter plating and 152mm armour screens at the ends of the superstructure as a defence against raking fire.

Modernizations

1896: - 6 x 1 - 152/26; + 6 x 1 - 152/27 QFC Mk I/IV / I/VI / II/IV / II/VI / III/IV / III/VI

Naval service

Collingwood became a coastguard ship in 1897, was placed in reserve in 1903 and sold for BU in 1909.

Thanks to Wolfgang Stöhr for additional information on this page.