Minas Geraes-class battleship
Minas Geraes at speed during its sea trials
| |
Class overview | |
---|---|
Name | Minas Geraes class |
Builders | |
Operators | Brazilian Navy |
Preceded by | Deodoro class |
Succeeded by |
|
Cost | $8,863,842[1][A] |
Built | 1907–1910 |
In commission | 1910–1952 |
Planned | 3 |
Completed | 2 |
Cancelled | 1 |
Retired | 2 |
General characteristics | |
Displacement |
|
Length |
|
Beam | 83 ft (25 m) mean |
Draft |
|
Propulsion |
|
Speed | 21 knots (24 mph; 39 km/h) |
Range | 10,000 nmi (12,000 mi; 19,000 km) at 10 knots (12 mph; 19 km/h) |
Armament |
|
Armor |
|
Notes | Specifications are as built |
Two Minas Geraes-class battleships[B] were built for the Brazilian Navy in the early twentieth century. Named Minas Geraes and São Paulo, these "dreadnought" warships were intended to be Brazil's first step towards becoming an international power, and they consequently initiated a South American naval arms race.
In 1904, Brazil began a major naval building program that included three small battleships. Designing and ordering the ships took two years, but these plans were scrapped after the revolutionary dreadnought concept rendered the Brazilian design obsolete. Two dreadnoughts were instead ordered from the United Kingdom, making Brazil the third country to have ships of this type under construction, before traditional powers like Germany, France, or Russia. As such, the ships created much uncertainty among the major countries in the world, many of whom incorrectly speculated the ships were actually destined for a rival nation. Similarly, they also caused much consternation in Argentina and, consequently, Chile.
Soon after their delivery in 1910, both Minas Geraes and São Paulo were embroiled in the
Background
Brazil's navy fell into obsolescence after an
Soaring demand for
Two factions argued over the types of ships to be ordered. One favored a navy centered on a small number of large warships, while the other preferred a larger navy of smaller warships.[10] The latter originally prevailed with a bill authorizing the construction of three small battleships, three armored cruisers, six destroyers, twelve torpedo boats, three submarines, and two river monitors.[10][11] Though the Brazilian government later eliminated the armored cruisers for monetary reasons, the Minister of the Navy, Admiral Júlio César de Noronha, signed a contract with Armstrong Whitworth for three battleships on 23 July 1906.[12] While the first designs for these ships were derived from the Norwegian coastal defense ship Norge and the British (originally Chilean) Swiftsure class,[E] the contracted ships were to follow Armstrong Whitworth's Design 439 (Design 188 in Vickers' files). They would displace 11,800 long tons (12,000 tonnes), have a speed of 19 knots (22 mph; 35 km/h), and be protected by belt armor of 9 inches (23 cm) and deck armor of 1.5 in (3.8 cm). Each ship would be armed with twelve 10-inch (25 cm) guns mounted in six twin turrets. These turrets would be mounted in a hexagonal configuration, similar to the later German Nassau-class battleships.[14]
Alarmed, the American ambassador to Brazil sent a
Bidding and construction
Design 439 was modified before these ships were
An entirely new design incorporating the latest dreadnought technology was drawn up by
At this time, the dreadnought design had not been fully validated, despite the success of the British namesake;
International reaction
The start of work on Minas Geraes meant that Brazil had become the third country—behind the United Kingdom and the United States but ahead of major powers such as Germany, France, Russia and Japan—to have a dreadnought under construction.[9][39][G]
The order for the dreadnoughts caused an immediate stir in the United States and Europe; in the words of the British
The British
Newspapers and journals around the world speculated that Brazil was acting as a proxy for a naval power which would take possession of the two dreadnoughts soon after completion, as they did not believe that a previously insignificant geopolitical power would contract for such powerful armament.[46][47] The evidence for a sale seemed strong, as Brazilian attempts to float a multi-million-dollar loan against the value of their coffee crop in 1908 were unsuccessful.[48] With three dreadnoughts planned (including the upcoming Rio de Janeiro), a Spanish naval journal stated "it was only natural that rumors [would begin] to circulate supporting the argument that Brazil acted as an intermediary for some great power which would acquire them before they terminate their construction."[49] Various British papers speculated that either the Germans, Japanese, or Americans were actually buying the ships, while naval experts in Germany thought the Americans, British, or Japanese were going to take them over.[22][50][51][52] On the other side of the Atlantic, some American papers theorized that the ships would be sold to the United Kingdom, Germany, or Japan.[53][54][55] The Brazilian government was forced to deny these spurious allegations several times.[56] The New York Times remarked:
The rumor is that the three warships ... ordered [in Britain] two years ago will be launched from English shores only to fly the German flag. It is asserted that these ships, which are named the Sao Paulo, the Minas Geras [sic] and the Rio de Janeiro, and all of which will be completed by next fall, will be conveyed to the German government on the payment of $30,000,000.
It may be recalled that when orders were placed for the ships ... there was much speculation as to the destiny of the vessels, as no naval expert could understand how a second-rate power like Brazil needed such formidable engines of war which would represent absolutely the latest stages of naval construction and armament. Meanwhile, it had been reported that the ships were being built for the Japanese government, which had a secret understanding with Brazil. But this theory was soon discarded by the fact that relations between these two countries were not extremely cordial on account of the attitude of Brazil toward the immigration of Japanese laborers.[H] Then it was semi-officially stated that the ships would never leave the ways except to fly the British flag, but the money for such a purpose could only be raised by a loan or the Admiralty getting the sum from the sinking fund—contingencies which would naturally become public property long before they could be carried out.[53]
Despite the speculation, the United States quickly began courting Brazil as an ally; caught up in the spirit, US naval journals began using terms like "Pan Americanism" and "Hemispheric Cooperation".[22]
In South America, the ships came as a rude shock and kindled a naval arms race among Brazil, Argentina, and Chile. The 1902 treaty between the latter two was canceled upon the Brazilian dreadnought order so both could be free to build their own dreadnoughts.[4] Argentina in particular was alarmed at the possible power of the ships. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Manuel Augusto Montes de Oca, remarked that either Minas Geraes or São Paulo could destroy the entire Argentine and Chilean fleets.[58] While this may have been hyperbole, either one was much more powerful than any single vessel in the Argentinian fleet.[59] As such, the Argentines quickly responded to the dreadnoughts with an order to the United States for two of their own, the Rivadavia class, while Chile ordered two of the Almirante Latorre class from the United Kingdom.[60]
Ships
Ship | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Completed | Fate |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Minas Geraes | Elswick
|
17 April 1907 | 10 September 1908 | January 1910 | Scrapped 1950s |
São Paulo | Vickers | 30 April 1907 | 19 April 1909 | July 1910 | Sank en route to scrapyard, September 1951 |
Rio de Janeiro | Elswick
|
16 March 1910 | –
|
–
|
Canceled 7 May 1910, then re-built to an entirely new design |
Service histories
After completion, both Minas Geraes and São Paulo sailed to other countries before arriving in Brazil. Minas Geraes left the Tyne on 5 February 1910 and traveled to
Revolt of the Lash
Soon after São Paulo's arrival, a major rebellion known as the Revolt of the Lash, or Revolta da Chibata, broke out on four of the newest ships in the Brazilian Navy. The initial spark was provided on 16 November 1910 when
The ships were well-supplied with foodstuffs, ammunition, and coal, and the only demand of mutineers—led by
Humiliated by the revolt, naval officers and the president of Brazil were staunchly opposed to amnesty, so they quickly began planning to assault the rebel ships. The former believed such an action was necessary to restore the service's honor. Late on the 24th, the President ordered the naval officers to attack the mutineers. Officers crewed some smaller warships and the cruiser Rio Grande do Sul, Bahia's sister ship with ten 4.7-inch guns. They planned to attack on the morning of the 25th, when the government expected the mutineers would return to Guanabara Bay. When they did not return and the amnesty measure neared passage in the Chamber of Deputies, the order was rescinded. After the bill passed 125–23 and the president signed it into law, the mutineers stood down on the 26th.[76]
During the revolt, the ships were noted by many observers to be well-handled, despite a previous belief that the Brazilian Navy was incapable of effectively operating the ships even before being split by a rebellion. João Cândido Felisberto ordered all liquor thrown overboard, and discipline on the ships was recognized as exemplary. The 4.7-inch guns were often used for shots over the city, but the 12-inch were not, which led to a suspicion among the naval officers that the rebels were incapable of using the weapons. Later research and interviews indicate that Minas Geraes' guns were fully operational, and while São Paulo's could not be turned after salt water contaminated the
Later career
Three years after the mutiny, Minas Geraes was used to transport Brazilian
São Paulo made two trips to Europe in 1920. The first conveyed King
Minas Geraes was modernized at the Rio de Janeiro Naval Yard from June 1931 to 1938,[89][L] while São Paulo led a naval force that blockaded Santos during the Constitutionalist Revolution of 1932.[70] Though Brazil had also intended to modernize São Paulo, its poor condition—she was only able to make 10 knots (12 mph; 19 km/h) instead of its designed speed of 21 knots (24 mph; 39 km/h)—made such action uneconomical.[90] Soon after Brazil's entrance into the Second World War on 21 August 1942,[91] São Paulo was moved to Recife on 23 August to defend that port as a harbor defense ship; Minas Geraes played a similar role at Salvador.[81][82][90] Even with the modernization, Minas Geraes was simply too old and vulnerable to actively participate in the war.[92]
Both ships were
Specifications
The two ships of the Minas Geraes class were 543 feet (166 m)
Minas Geraes and São Paulo were originally armed with twelve
The propulsion of the two ships was provided by Vickers
The main armor belt was
Footnotes
- railroad tracks or 30,300 homesteads. This large sum, however, was dwarfed by later costs for maintenance; the first five years of the ships' commissioned lives cost Brazil about 60% of the initial cost.[2]
- ^ This name is spelled Minas Gerais (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈminɐz ʒeˈɾajs]) in some sources. "Minas Geraes" was the spelling when the battleship was commissioned, but later changes to Portuguese orthography deprecated it in favor of "Minas Gerais". This article uses the original spelling.
- Custódio José de Mello, the minister of the navy, revolted against President Floriano Peixoto, bringing nearly all of the Brazilian warships currently in the country with him. Mello's forces took Desterro when the governor surrendered, and began to coordinate with the secessionists, but loyal Brazilian forces overwhelmed them both. Most of the rebel naval forces were sailed to Argentina, where their crews surrendered; the flagship, Aquidabã, held out near Desterro until sunk by a torpedo boat.[6]
- ^ Chile's naval tonnage was 36,896 long tons (37,488 t), Argentina's 34,425 long tons (34,977 t), and Brazil's 27,661 long tons (28,105 t).[4]
- ^ Incidentally, the Swiftsure class, named Constitución and Libertad before being bought by the British, were the two Chilean warships sold as part of the 1902 Argentinian–Chilean pacts that ended their naval arms race.[13]
- ^ Rio de Janeiro was eventually constructed as a much larger ship with fourteen 12-inch guns in seven turrets, all mounted on the centerline, but it was sold partway through construction to the Ottoman Empire. Later, shortly after the First World War broke out, the ship was taken over by the United Kingdom as HMS Agincourt.[34][35]
- ^ Although Germany laid down their first dreadnought, Nassau, two months after Minas Geraes, the German vessel was completed first (and in fact would be commissioned ahead not only of Minas Geraes, but also of the first U.S. dreadnought, Michigan, making Germany the fourth country to lay down a dreadnought, but the second to have one in service).[9][40]
- telegram sent to the Brazilian ambassador to the United States Joaquim Nabuco, based his counter-argument in the close relationship between Brazilian and American governments, saying "every sensible person will understand that an honest and respectable government would not lend itself to play the part attributed to Brazil by the inventor of the news."[57]
- José Carlos de Carvalho, a retired navy captain assigned by the Brazilian government as their representative to the mutineers, as "a mullet sliced open for salting."[73]
- ^ cf. Legacy of Pedro II of Brazil.
- ^ Scheina asserts that Minas Geraes shelled the fort,[87] but this is contradicted by multiple other sources.[24][25][70][86]
- ^ The 1938 date is somewhat variable; Topliss states "A ... modernization was undertaken in Brazil during the 1930s. The ship was placed in repair status on 10 June 1931 and ran sea trials only in 1938, on 22 April and 9 May. The ship returned to active service status on 10 June 1938, though all work was not completed until 1940."[89]
Endnotes
- ^ ONI, Information Concerning Some of the Principal Navies of the World, 21.
- ^ Scheina, Naval History, 86.
- ^ a b Topliss, "The Brazilian Dreadnoughts," 240.
- ^ a b c d e f Livermore, "Battleship Diplomacy," 32.
- ^ a b Martins, "Colossos do mares," 75.
- ^ Scheina, Naval History, 67–76, 352.
- ^ Scheina, Naval History, 45–52.
- ^ Garrett, "Beagle Channel Dispute," 86–88.
- ^ a b c d e Scheina, "Brazil," 403.
- ^ a b c d Scheina, Naval History, 80.
- ^ English, Armed Forces, 108.
- ^ Topliss, "The Brazilian Dreadnoughts," 240–245.
- ^ Scheina, Naval History, 52, 349.
- ^ Topliss, "The Brazilian Dreadnoughts," 244–246.
- ^ Livermore, "Battleship Diplomacy," 33.
- ^ "Brazil," Naval Engineers, 836.
- ^ a b c d e Topliss, "The Brazilian Dreadnoughts," 246.
- ^ a b Scheina, Naval History, 81.
- ^ "Brazil," Naval Engineers, 883–884.
- ^ "Brazil," Naval Engineers, 834.
- ^ a b Scheina, Naval History, 321.
- ^ a b c d e f Scheina, "Brazil," 404.
- ^ Topliss, "The Brazilian Dreadnoughts," 249.
- ^ a b c d e "Minas Geraes I," Serviço de Documentação da Marinha – Histórico de Navios.
- ^ a b c d e "São Paulo I," Serviço de Documentação da Marinha – Histórico de Navios.
- ^ a b "Launch Greatest Warships," The New York Times, 11 September 1908, 5.
- ^ "Launch Brazil's Battleship," The New York Times, 20 April 1909, 5.
- ^ "The Brazilian Battleship," United States Artillery, 185–188.
- ^ "The Brazilian Battleship," Scientific American, 240–241.
- ^ "The Minas Geraes," The Times, 6 January 1910, 4d.
- ^ "Trials of the Sao Paulo," The Times, 3 June 1910, 7c.
- ^ a b "Gun Trials of the Sao Paulo," The Times, 4 June 1910, 9b.
- ^ Topliss, "The Brazilian Dreadnoughts," 249, 254.
- ^ Topliss, "The Brazilian Dreadnoughts," 281–282.
- ^ Preston, "Great Britain," 37.
- ^ Scheina, Naval History, 354.
- ^ "The Brazilian Battleship," United States Artillery, 187–188.
- ^ a b "The New Brazilian Battleships," The Times, 22 January 1910, 16f.
- ^ Whitley, Battleships, 13.
- ^ Campbell, "Germany," 145.
- ^ Quoted in Scheina, Naval History, 81 from The Navy League Annual, 1910–1911, 103.
- ^ "The Brazilian Battleship," Scientific American, 240.
- ^ Mead, "Reaction," 238–239.
- ^ "British and Foreign News," Evening Post, 12 September 1908, 13.
- ^ "The Brazilian Dreadnoughts," International Marine Engineering, 362–363.
- ^ Martins, "Colossos do mares," 77.
- ^ Mead, "Reaction," 238.
- ^ Topliss, "The Brazilian Dreadnoughts," 247.
- ^ Quoted in Scheina, Naval History, 354 from Revista General de Marina 64 (1908): 724.
- ^ "British-Brazilian Warships," The Navy, 11–12.
- ^ "The Brazilian "Dreadnoughts"," The Navy, 13–14.
- ^ "The Race for Naval Supremacy," Nelson Evening Mail, 6 April 1909, 2.
- ^ a b "Germany May Buy English Warships," The New York Times, 9 August 1908, C8.
- The New York Tribune, 11 September 1908, 4.
- The Sun(New York), 1 July 1908, 6.
- ^ "The Reported Purchase of Battleships," The Navy (Washington), 39; "Brazilian Minister and 'No Ulterior Designs'," Lancashire Evening Post, 19 April 1909, 2; "Brazilian Battleship Launched at Barrow," Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer, 20 April 1909, 5.
- ^ "The Reported Purchase of Battleships," The Navy (Washington), 39.
- ^ a b c Martins, "Colossos do mares," 76.
- ^ Scheina, "Argentina," 400.
- ^ Scheina, Naval History, 82–85.
- ^ "Naval and Military Intelligence," The Times, 7 February 1910, 4f.
- ^ "Naval and Military Intelligence," The Times, 9 February 1910, 8c.
- ^ "Minas Geraes Fogbound," The New York Times, 3 March 1910, 13.
- ^ Whitley, Battleships, 27–28.
- ^ a b Whitley, Battleships, 28.
- ^ "French Criticise Brazil," The New York Times, 25 September 1910, C4.
- ^ "France and Brazil," The Times, 26 September 1910, 6b.
- ^ "Marshal Hermes Da Fonseca," The Times, 28 September 1910, 4e.
- ^ a b "Keeping Good Order in New Republic," The New York Times, 8 October 1910, 1–2.
- ^ a b c d Ribeiro, "Os Dreadnoughts."
- ^ "The Journey from Lisbon," The Times, 8 October 1910, 5–6a.
- ^ "Movements of Warships," The Times, 8 October 1910, 6a.
- ^ Quoted in Morgan, "The Revolt of the Lash," 41.
- ^ Morgan, "The Revolt of the Lash," 32–38, 50.
- ^ Morgan, "The Revolt of the Lash," 40–42.
- ^ Morgan, "The Revolt of the Lash," 44–46.
- ^ Morgan, "The Revolt of the Lash," 39–40, 48–49, 52.
- ^ Scheina, Latin America's Wars, 73.
- ^ "Brazilian Envoy Host on Warship," The New York Times, 12 July 1913, 7.
- ^ "Tell Brazil's Envoy of Trade Problems," The New York Times, 18 June 1913, 14.
- ^ a b c d e "E Minas Geraes," Navios De Guerra Brasileiros.
- ^ a b c "E São Paulo," Navios De Guerra Brasileiros.
- ^ Whitley, Battleships, 26, 28.
- ^ Whitley, Battleships, 26.
- ^ Whitley, Battleships, 28–29.
- ^ a b Poggio, "Um encouraçado."
- ^ Scheina, Naval History, 195.
- ^ Scheina, Naval History, 77–79.
- ^ a b Topliss, "The Brazilian Dreadnoughts," 289.
- ^ a b c d Whitley, Battleships, 29.
- ^ Scheina, Latin America's Wars, 162–164.
- ^ Scheina, Latin America's Wars, 164.
- ^ a b Topliss, "The Brazilian Battleship," 250.
- ^ Earle, "Professional Notes," 306.
References
- "Brazil." Journal of the American Society of Naval Engineers 20, no. 3 (1909): 833–836. OCLC 3227025.
- "British-Brazilian Warships." The Navy (Washington) 2, no. 1 (1908): 11–12. OCLC 7550453.
- Campbell, John. Naval Weapons of World War II. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 1985. OCLC 13085151.
- Campbell, N.J.M. "Germany." In Gardiner and Gray, Conway's, 134–189.
- "E Minas Geraes." Navios De Guerra Brasileiros. Last modified 7 June 2009.
- "E São Paulo." Navios De Guerra Brasileiros. Last modified 28 April 2009.
- Earle, Ralph. "Professional Notes." Proceedings 38, no. 1 (1912): 303–80. OCLC 2496995.
- English, Adrian J. Armed Forces of Latin America. London: Jane's Publishing Inc., 1984. OCLC 11537114.
- Gardiner, Robert and Randal Gray, eds. Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 1985. OCLC 12119866.
- OCLC 62219150.
- Martins, João Roberto, Filho. "Colossos do mares [Colossuses of the Seas]." Revista de História da Biblioteca Nacional 3, no. 27 (2007): 74–77. OCLC 61697383.
- Mead, Edwin D. "Reaction in South America." Advocate of Peace 70, no. 10 (1908): 238–241. OCLC 436909525.
- "Minas Geraes I." Serviço de Documentação da Marinha – Histórico de Navios. Diretoria do Patrimônio Histórico e Documentação da Marinha, Departamento de História Marítima. Accessed 27 January 2015.
- Morgan, Zachary R. "The Revolt of the Lash, 1910." In Naval Mutinies of the Twentieth Century: An International Perspective, edited by Christopher M. Bell and Bruce A. Elleman, 32–53. Portland, Oregon: Frank Cass Publishers, 2003. OCLC 464313205.
- OCLC 21241738.
- Poggio, Guilherme. "Um encouraçado contra o forte: 2ª Parte [A Battleship against the Fort: Part 2]." n.d. Poder Naval Online. Last modified 12 April 2009.
- Preston, Antony. "Great Britain." In Gardiner and Gray, Conway's, 1–104.
- Ribeiro, Paulo de Oliveira. "Os Dreadnoughts da Marinha do Brasil: Minas Geraes e São Paulo [The Dreadnoughts of the Brazilian Navy: Minas Geraes and São Paulo]." Poder Naval Online. Last modified 15 June 2009.
- "São Paulo I." Serviço de Documentação da Marinha – Histórico de Navios. Diretoria do Patrimônio Histórico e Documentação da Marinha, Departamento de História Marítima. Accessed 27 January 2015.
- Scheina, Robert L. "Argentina." In Gardiner and Gray, Conway's, 400–403.
- ———. "Brazil." In Gardiner and Gray, Conway's, 403–407.
- ———. Latin America: A Naval History 1810–1987. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 1987. OCLC 15696006.
- ———. Latin America's Wars. Washington, D.C.: Brassey's, 2003. OCLC 49942250.
- "The Brazilian Battleship "Minas Geraes"." Journal of the United States Artillery 33, no. 2 (1910): 179–188. OCLC 1962282.
- "The Brazilian Battleship "Minas Geraes"." Scientific American 102, no. 12 (1910): 240–241. OCLC 1775222.
- "The Brazilian Dreadnoughts." International Marine Engineering 13, no. 8 (1908): 362–363. OCLC 2227478.
- "The Brazilian "Dreadnoughts"." The Navy (Washington) 2, no. 6 (1908): 13–14. OCLC 7550453.
- "The Reported Purchase of Dreadnoughts." The Navy (Washington) 2, no. 7 (1908): 39. OCLC 7550453.
- Topliss, David. "The Brazilian Dreadnoughts, 1904–1914." Warship International 25, no. 3 (1988), 240–289. OCLC 1647131.
- Vanterpool, Alan. "The Riachuleo." Warship International 6, no. 2 (1969): 140–141.
- Whitley, M.J. Battleships of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 1998. OCLC 40834665.
External links
- British diplomatic documents relating to the dreadnought race (FO 508/8; Adam Matthew subscription required)
- Encouraçados Minas Gerais e São Paulo on YouTube
- Minas Geraes slideshow on YouTube
- Minas Geraes on Flickr (Library of Congress)
- Plans for the Brazilian Battleship Minas Geraes (1906) (US National Archives)