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Wednesday 30 October 2024

The nineteenth century South American naval arms race (Part 3): The Brazilian reaction

The Brazilians did not take part in this arms race but did ensure that a range of ships were ordered to maintain the strength of their navy in comparison to those of Chile and Argentina. In 1883 the Brazilian Navy comprised:

  • Bahia (Monitor) (1864 to 1894)
  • Brasil (Ironclad) (1864 to 1890)
  • Lima Barros (Ironclad) (1864 to 1905)
  • Maria e Barros (Armoured Corvette) (1864 to 1897)
  • Herval (Armoured Corvette) (1864 to 1885)
  • Para (Monitor) (1868 to 1884)
  • Rio Grande (Monitor) (1868 to 1907)
  • Alagoas (Monitor) (1868 to 1900)
  • Piaui (Monitor) (1868 to 1893)
  • Ceara (Monitor) (1868 to 1884)
  • Sete de Setembro (Armoured Frigate) (1868 to 1893)
  • Independencia (Turreted Ironclad): Ordered in 1873 and purchased by the Royal Navy in 1878 before she was delivered. Commissioned in 1883 as HMS Neptune. (1873 to 1903)
  • Alfonso Celso (Gunboat) (1881 to 1900)

Bahia

Brasil

Lima Barros

Maria e Barros

Herval

Para, Rio Grande, Alagoas, Piaui, and Ceara

Sete de Setembro

Independencia/HMS Neptune

Alfonso Celso

Between 1883 and 1901, the following ships were ordered for the Brazilian Navy:

  • Riachuelo (Turetted Ironclad) (1883 to 1910)
  • Aquidaba (Turetted Ironclad): Renamed Dezesseis de Abril in 1894 and Vinte e Quatro Maio that same year. Reverted to her original name in 1900. (1883 to 1906)
  • Almirante Tamandare (Protected Cruiser) (1885 to 1915)
  • Benjamin Constant (Training Ship/Protected Cruiser) (1891 to 1926)
  • Tiradentes (Torpedo Gunboat) (1891 to 1925)
  • Gustavo Sampaio (Torpedo Gunboat) (1891 to 1912)
  • Republica (Protected Cruiser) (1892 to 1920)
  • Almirante Barroso (Protected Cruiser) (1895 to 1931)
  • Tupi (Torpedo Gunboat) (1896 to 1915)
  • Timbera (Torpedo Gunboat) (1896 to 1917)
  • Amazonas (Protected  Cruiser): Sold incomplete in 1898 to the United States and commissioned as USS New Orleans. (1895 to ?)
  • Alimirante Abreu (Protected Cruiser): Sold incomplete in 1898 to the United States and commissioned as USS Albany. (1897 to ?)
  • Tamoio (Torpedo Gunboat) (1898 to 1920)
  • Marshal Deodoro (Coastal Defence Pre-Dreadnought): Sold to Mexico in 1924 and renamed Anahuac. (1898 to 1938)
  • Marshal Floriano (Coastal Defence Pre-Dreadnought) (1899 to 1936)

Riachuelo

Aquidaba

Almirante Tamandare

Benjamin Constant

Tiradentes

Gustavo Sampaio

Republica

Almirante Barroso

Tupi and Timbera

Amazonas/USS New Orleans

Alimirante Abreu/USS Albany

Tamoio

Marshal Deodoro

Marshal Floriano

2 comments:

  1. hi Bob, this is all splendid stuff and no doubt extremely fertile ground (sea?) for fictionalised conflicts between the various nations. Do you have any such plans?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. David in Suffolk,

      The South American ABC nations certainly acquired a interesting collection of ships in the latter part of the nineteenth century ... and it has certainly fed plenty of ideas into my Belle Époque imagi-nations project.

      All the best,

      Bob

      Delete

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