Neptune was ordered in January 1909, but Colossus and Hercules did not follow until July. During that interval the Bellerophon class entered service and St Vincent commissioned, increasing the number of dreadnoughts available for testing. Britain could therefore exercise modern battleships against one another rather than judging them only against pre-dreadnoughts. War games let crews use unfamiliar equipment until they discovered its real capabilities, weaknesses, and operating methods. That practical feedback helps explain why the later ships were variations on Neptune rather than simple copies.
Notable Point · 5:32-7:37
Exercises turn dreadnought experience into new designs
The interval between Neptune and the Colossus class shows commissioning trials, exercises, and war games feeding practical experience into rapid British design changes.