HMS Colossus (1803)

HMS Colossus was a 74-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched from Deptford Dockyard on 23 April 1803. She was designed by Sir John Henslow as one of the large class 74s, and was the name ship of her class, the other being Warspite.[2] As a large 74, she carried 24 pdrs on her upper gun deck, as opposed to the 18 pdrs found on the middling and common class 74s. She took part in the Battle of Trafalgar, and was broken up in 1826.[1][3]

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Colossus.

Hull plan for Colossus and Warspite
History
United Kingdom
NameHMS Colossus
Ordered13 January 1798
BuilderDeptford Dockyard
Laid downMay 1799
Launched23 April 1803
Honours and
awards
FateBroken up, 1826
General characteristics [1]
Class and type74-gun third-rate ship of the line
Tons burthen188847⁄94 (bm)
Length180 ft (55 m) (gundeck)
Beam48 ft 10 in (14.88 m)
Depth of hold21 ft (6.4 m)
Sail planFull-rigged ship
Armament
  • 74 guns:
  • Gundeck: 28 × 32 pdrs
  • Upper gundeck: 30 × 24 pdrs
  • Quarterdeck: 12 × 9 pdrs
  • Forecastle: 4 × 9 pdrs

Napoleonic Wars

On 27 August 1803 Colossus recaptured the East Indiaman Lord Nelson, which the French privateer Belone had captured two weeks before and which Seagull had fought to the point of surrender.

Trafalgar
The Battle of Trafalgar, 21 October. On the left the French Swiftsure, next to her the Spanish Bahama, then the Colossus firing into the French Argonaute. Painting by Richard Henry Nibbs

Colossus fought at Trafalgar under Captain James Nicoll Morris, in Collingwood's lee column. After sustaining fire from the enemy fleet, she eventually ran by the French Swiftsure, 74, and became entangled with Argonaute, 74. Towards the end of the exchange of fire between the two ships, Captain Morris was hit by a shot from one of Argonaute's guns, just above the knee. Argonaute broke free from Colossus after this, whilst the British ship was engaging both Swiftsure and the Spanish Bahama, 74, on her other side. Bahama surrendered when Colossus brought down her main mast, and Swiftsure did likewise after combined fire from Colossus and Orion brought down her main and mizzen masts.[3]

War of 1812

On 24 March 1812 Colossus in company with Tonnant, Hogue, Poictiers and Bulwark captured the Emilie.[4]

On 5 January 1813 Colossus, the frigate Rhin and the brig Goldfinch captured the American ship Dolphin.[5] A little over a month later, on 11 February, Rhin and Colossus captured the American ship Print.[6]

Fate

In 1815 Colossus was placed in ordinary at Chatham. She was eventually broken up in 1826.[1]

Citations
  1. Lavery, Ships of the Line vol. 1, p. 184.
  2. Winfield (2004) p.40
  3. Ships of the Old Navy, Colossus.
  4. "No. 16705". The London Gazette. 20 February 1813. p. 381.
  5. "No. 16768". The London Gazette. 28 August 1813. p. 1710.
  6. "No. 16782". The London Gazette. 28 September 1813. p. 1946.

References
  • Michael Phillips. Colossus (74) (1803). Michael Phillips' Ships of the Old Navy. Retrieved 4 November 2008.
  • Lavery, Brian (2003) The Ship of the Line – Volume 1: The development of the battlefleet 1650–1850. Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-252-8.
  • Winfield, R.; Lyon, D. (2004). The Sail and Steam Navy List: All the Ships of the Royal Navy 1815–1889. London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-032-6. OCLC 52620555.
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