HMS Colossus was the lead ship of her class of 74-gun, third-rate ships of the line built for the Royal Navy in the first decade of the 19th century. Completed in 1803, she played a minor role in the Napoleonic Wars, including participating in the Battle of Trafalgar two years later. She was broken up in 1826.

Description

The Colossus-class ship of the line was designed by Sir John Henslow, co-Surveyor of the Navy. It was one of the "large" type of 74 with heavier guns than those of the "common" and "middling" classes. Colossus measured on the gundeck and on the keel. She had a beam of , a depth of hold of and had a tonnage of 1,888 <small></small> tons burthen. The ship's draught was forward and aft at light load; fully loaded, her draught would be significantly deeper. The ships' crew numbered 590 officers and ratings. They were fitted with three masts and were ship-rigged.

Construction and career

Colossus was the second ship of her name to serve in the Royal Navy. She was ordered on 23 November 1797 and was laid down at Deptford Dockyard in May 1799. The ship was launched on 23 April 1803 and was commissioned by Captain George Martin in March. Colossus was completed at Woolwich Dockyard on 20 June and assigned to the Mediterranean Fleet. Colossus recaptured the East Indiaman Lord Nelson on 27 August, which the French privateer Belone had captured two weeks before and which the brig-sloop had fought to the point of surrender. The ship served from December to February 1804 as the flagship of Rear-Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood, commander of the Inshore Squadron blockading the French coast. In May, Colossus was briefly the flagship of Rear-Admiral Sir Thomas Graves, the new commander of the Inshore Squadron.

Captain James Nicoll Morris assumed command on 23 June. Shortly afterwards, the ship joined Vice-Admiral Collingwood's small squadron blockading Cádiz, Spain. On 20 August, the Franco-Spanish fleet spotted Collingwood's four ships of the line and single frigate while sailing from Ferrol and A Coruña to Cádiz. Vice-Admiral Pierre-Charles Villeneuve, commander of the combined fleet, detached sixteen ships of the line in pursuit, two hours after Collingwood had slowly sailed towards the Strait of Gibraltar. Once he reached the entrance to the Strait, he ordered his ships to turn about, streamed signal flags as if to a friendly fleet in the strait and ordered Colossus to close with the advancing Franco-Spanish ships, to give the appearance of reconnoitering in anticipation of a battle. The allied fleet turned away and entered Cádiz harbour.

Battle of Trafalgar

thumb|Artist's conception of the situation at noon as [[HMS Royal Sovereign (1786)|Royal Sovereign was breaking into the Franco-Spanish line. The depiction of Nelson's northern column is incorrect as he aimed much closer to the leading ships, before turning south and paralleling the Franco-Spanish line before turning east towards the French flagship, the 86-gun .]]

thumb|The Battle of Trafalgar, 21 October. On the left the French [[HMS Swiftsure (1787)|Swiftsure, next to her the Spanish Bahama, then the Colossus firing into the French Argonaute. Painting by Richard Henry Nibbs]]

In the days before the battle, Colossus was part of the chain of ships relaying signals to Vice-Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson, commander of the British fleet, from the frigates closest to Cádiz. Disregarding the traditional tactic of sailing in parallel lines, Nelson decided that he would form his ships into two columns in line ahead that would break through the enemy's line and allow his ships to defeat them in detail because the foremost ships would require a significant amount of time to turn around so they could engage his ships. The leading ships in each column would have to bear the brunt of the enemy's fire until the breakthrough so Nelson decided his largest and most durable ships would lead the columns. He chose to lead the windward (northern) column in his flagship, , and Collingwood would lead the leeward (southern) column in his flagship, . Colossus was the sixth ship in line behind the latter ship.

The ship closed to within firing range of the combined fleet about 1300, an hour after Royal Sovereign had broken the Franco-Spanish battle line. Colossuss opening salvo from her port double-shotted guns struck Swiftsure, 74, and killed 17 men aboard the French ship. Colossus continued to engage Swiftsure even after the French 74-gun Argonaute collided with the British ship's starboard side in the smoke, entangling their yardarms. Argonaute initially fired a double-shotted broadside into Colossus and they continued to exchange fire at point-blank range. The British ship's carronades swept the Argonautes upper deck clear of her crew who withdrew below decks, preparing to board the British ship. After about a half hour of action, the ships drifted apart before the French could make their attempt. Morris claimed that Argonaute was reduced to firing only a single gun from her stern cabin as they separated.

While Colossus was firing at Argonaute, she was engaging both Swiftsure and the Spanish Bahama, 74, on her other side, concentrating her fire on the latter. After about two hours, Colossus had temporarily silenced most of Swiftsures guns and knocked down her main topmast, which caused her to drift astern. The British ship had caused Bahamas mizzen and mainmast, killed her captain, Brigadier Dionisio Alcalá Galiano. The sailcloth and rigging from the masts had fallen over many of the ship's guns which prevented them from firing and a council of the surviving ship's officers decided to surrender. The ship had to be towed after the battle by the 64-gun .

War of 1812

On 24 March 1812 Colossus in company with , , and captured the Emilie.

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

Fate

In 1815 Colossus was placed in ordinary at Chatham. She was broken up on 8 February 1826.

Citations

References

  • Colossus (74) (1803). Michael Phillips' Ships of the Old Navy.