BNS Minas Gerais

History

Internal disputes limited the power and expansion of the Brazilian navy in the late 19th century, and the fleet was largely disconnected from progress in Europe and elsewhere. A naval arms race is brewing with neighboring Chile and Argentina, prompting the navy to eventually seek new warships from Europe in response.

The second-seeded Minas Gerais class was ordered, which included the lead ship Minas Gerais and her sister Sao Paulo.

Minas Gerais (also known as "Minas Gerais") was ordered in 1906 and built by Armstrong Whitworth at the #791 Dockyard in England. Her keel was laid on April 17, 1907, and the ship set sail on September 10. In 1908, she officially entered service on April 18, 1910.

Although originally conceived as a dreadnought, the ship developed into a full-fledged dreadnought type before going to sea. Dreadnoughts became the order of the day thanks to the arrival of the Royal Navy's HMS dreadnoughts in 1906 - rewriting the book about warships with full cannon weapon systems and reliance on steam turbine propulsion systems.

Upon completion, Minas Gerais displaces 21,555 tons under normal load and up to 23,400 tons under full load. She is 543 feet long, has 83 feet of beam, and has a draught of up to 25 feet. Her propulsion scheme included 18 Babcock & Wilcox boiler units powering a 23,500 hp Vickers vertical triple expansion steam engine on 2 shafts.

Top speed in ideal conditions can reach 21 knots and range is 12,000 miles.

Armament is spearheaded by 12 x 12" (305 mm) /45 caliber main guns spread over six twin gun turrets. One pair is located forward and aft of the superstructure, the remaining two are located amidships. Auxiliary armament is 22 x The 4.7" (120 mm)/50 caliber guns run along the sides of the ship with limited passability. There are also 8 x 3lb (37mm) guns for close range work.

The ship has no torpedo launch capability.

The ship's profile includes a double funnel neck and a single main mast. The bridge is behind the second main tower. The crew number is 900 people. The armor belt is 9" and the turret is covered with 9" steel.

The turret accommodates armor plates up to 12 inches, and the conning tower is also protected up to 12 inches.

In her launch, Minas Gerais was a respected battleship of the time, marking the first significant true dreadnought completed for the smaller navy. She was part of the "Flaming Uprising" rebellion that infected the Brazilian Navy in November 1910.

The situation was de-escalated after the Brazilian government gave in to the rebels' demands.

The warship was in service in the summer of 1914 when the First World War (1914-1918) began. Brazil remained neutral until October 1917 when one of its businessmen was attacked by a German U-boat.

Minas Gerais was supplied to the Royal Navy as part of the Grand Fleet, but the Brazilian warship couldn't keep up with the war - it lacked modern fire control systems (FCS) and rangefinders to ensure accuracy.

The warship missed combat action in World War I and was eventually modernized in the United States in the early 1920s. It was then used as a show of force during the Tenente Uprising. Another mutiny, this time failed, brought Minas Gerais back to life.

From 1939 to 1943, the ship was modernized again, but this time at a shipyard in Rio de Janeiro.

Despite efforts to make her a viable battleship, during World War II (1939-1945) Minas Gerais was relegated to a floating battery - anchored in El Salvador as a Fixed defensive platforms. The war ended in 1945, after the war, the military use got her wish, she was decommissioned (May 16, 1952) and towed to Italy for scrap (March 1954).

BNS Minas Gerais Code

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