astraltrader
12-03-2008, 20:15
Veinticinco De Mayo Class
Authorised in 1926 as the major component of the 75 Million Gold Peso Argentinian 10-year naval programme a contract was placed with an Italian company OTO for 2 cruisers originally based on their soon to be built Trento. An option for a third ship was built into the contract, but in the end was not taken up.
It was decided to name them Veinticinco De Mayo and Almirante Brown.
The 2 ships were launched in 1931 and ended up being both shorter and less well armoured than the Trento as well as having differences in armament, machinery and general layout. Nevertheless they still retained classic contemporary Italian good looks and inherited predictably the same characteristics being very fast but weakly protected.
They also fell under the Washington Treaty as heavy cruisers and in fact went on to become the only examples of such to serve in any South American Navy. Along with another later British derived cruiser La Argentina that was launched in 1939 the Second World War found Argentina as the paramount naval power of the sub-continent.
General Specification:
Displacement: 6800 tons standard, 9000 tons full load.
Length: 171m. [560ft]
Beam: 17.82m. [58.5 ft]
Draught: 4.66m.[15.6ft]
Machinery: 2 shaft Parsons turbines, 6 Yarrow oil fired boilers, 85,000 hp.
Speed: 32+ knots.
Range: 8030 nautical miles at 14 average speed of 14 knots.
Main guns: six 7.5 inch (190mm) / 52 calibre guns firing 200 pound shell close to 30,000 yards) arranged 3xtwin turrets. 46 degree elevation.
Dual purpose guns: twelve 4 inch / 40 calibre guns (firing a 30 pound shell) - arranged in 6xtwin turrets . Max elevation in AA role=80 degrees.
Torpedoes: six 21 inch tubes - laid out 2x3.
Aircraft: two aircraft - Grumman G5 - then Walrus,later Grumman J2F.
Gagnotto fixed catapult on the forecastle with double hangar beneath.
Armour: 2.75 inch belt, 1 inch deck, 2 inch turrets, 2.33 inch conning tower
Crew: 800.
Their main armament was highly unusual - the only other ships to have the same weapon calibre were the British Hawkins class cruisers...
Modifications:
1933. Mast arrangements were altered. The foremast was shortened whilst the main mast was lengthened.
1937. The original hangar under under the forecastle was converted for accommodation uses.
1939. A new trainable Rapier Ransome type of catapult was fitted to modified superstructure and set between the funnels.
1944. New crane installed.
1948. Type 268 radar fitted.
1950. The 6x2 Vickers 40mm guns were replaced by 4x2.
1956. 102mm guns fitted along with a further 6x2 40mm.
Service:
Contrary to the usually held views about Italian Ships expressed abroad, these two ships proved reliable and were held in high regard by the Argentine Navy and were considered very successful.
They were incorporated into the fleet in September 1931.
Prior to the Second World War the two ships careers mainly consisted of a multitude of goodwill visits to other South American countries, although Veintincinco de Mayo completed one tour to Spain in 1936, during the Civil War - in order to be close by in case needed for Argentinian Nationals and other interests.
As Argentina remained neutral during the War the two cruisers had a generally quiet and routine service although during exercises held in bad weather in October1941 Almirante Brown collided with and sank the destroyer Corrientes, and was in turn rammed in the stern by the Battleship Rivadavia!
From this mishap she suffered considerable damage which necessitated three months repair at the naval base in Puerto Belgrano.
Postwar both ships continued with their usual peace-time routine. In 1947-48 they participated in an Antarctic campaign. Almirante Brown made a successful goodwill visit to New York in 1949 where she drew crowds of admirers and went on in 1950 to be the first South American country to be landed on by a Bell helicopter.
Both ships went on to complete dozens of goodwill visits and various naval exercises until placed in reserve in 1959.
Finally they were both stricken on 31st July 1961 and left together under tow for shipbreakers in Italy on 2nd March 1962.
Both sisters remained inseparable right until the very end!
Authorised in 1926 as the major component of the 75 Million Gold Peso Argentinian 10-year naval programme a contract was placed with an Italian company OTO for 2 cruisers originally based on their soon to be built Trento. An option for a third ship was built into the contract, but in the end was not taken up.
It was decided to name them Veinticinco De Mayo and Almirante Brown.
The 2 ships were launched in 1931 and ended up being both shorter and less well armoured than the Trento as well as having differences in armament, machinery and general layout. Nevertheless they still retained classic contemporary Italian good looks and inherited predictably the same characteristics being very fast but weakly protected.
They also fell under the Washington Treaty as heavy cruisers and in fact went on to become the only examples of such to serve in any South American Navy. Along with another later British derived cruiser La Argentina that was launched in 1939 the Second World War found Argentina as the paramount naval power of the sub-continent.
General Specification:
Displacement: 6800 tons standard, 9000 tons full load.
Length: 171m. [560ft]
Beam: 17.82m. [58.5 ft]
Draught: 4.66m.[15.6ft]
Machinery: 2 shaft Parsons turbines, 6 Yarrow oil fired boilers, 85,000 hp.
Speed: 32+ knots.
Range: 8030 nautical miles at 14 average speed of 14 knots.
Main guns: six 7.5 inch (190mm) / 52 calibre guns firing 200 pound shell close to 30,000 yards) arranged 3xtwin turrets. 46 degree elevation.
Dual purpose guns: twelve 4 inch / 40 calibre guns (firing a 30 pound shell) - arranged in 6xtwin turrets . Max elevation in AA role=80 degrees.
Torpedoes: six 21 inch tubes - laid out 2x3.
Aircraft: two aircraft - Grumman G5 - then Walrus,later Grumman J2F.
Gagnotto fixed catapult on the forecastle with double hangar beneath.
Armour: 2.75 inch belt, 1 inch deck, 2 inch turrets, 2.33 inch conning tower
Crew: 800.
Their main armament was highly unusual - the only other ships to have the same weapon calibre were the British Hawkins class cruisers...
Modifications:
1933. Mast arrangements were altered. The foremast was shortened whilst the main mast was lengthened.
1937. The original hangar under under the forecastle was converted for accommodation uses.
1939. A new trainable Rapier Ransome type of catapult was fitted to modified superstructure and set between the funnels.
1944. New crane installed.
1948. Type 268 radar fitted.
1950. The 6x2 Vickers 40mm guns were replaced by 4x2.
1956. 102mm guns fitted along with a further 6x2 40mm.
Service:
Contrary to the usually held views about Italian Ships expressed abroad, these two ships proved reliable and were held in high regard by the Argentine Navy and were considered very successful.
They were incorporated into the fleet in September 1931.
Prior to the Second World War the two ships careers mainly consisted of a multitude of goodwill visits to other South American countries, although Veintincinco de Mayo completed one tour to Spain in 1936, during the Civil War - in order to be close by in case needed for Argentinian Nationals and other interests.
As Argentina remained neutral during the War the two cruisers had a generally quiet and routine service although during exercises held in bad weather in October1941 Almirante Brown collided with and sank the destroyer Corrientes, and was in turn rammed in the stern by the Battleship Rivadavia!
From this mishap she suffered considerable damage which necessitated three months repair at the naval base in Puerto Belgrano.
Postwar both ships continued with their usual peace-time routine. In 1947-48 they participated in an Antarctic campaign. Almirante Brown made a successful goodwill visit to New York in 1949 where she drew crowds of admirers and went on in 1950 to be the first South American country to be landed on by a Bell helicopter.
Both ships went on to complete dozens of goodwill visits and various naval exercises until placed in reserve in 1959.
Finally they were both stricken on 31st July 1961 and left together under tow for shipbreakers in Italy on 2nd March 1962.
Both sisters remained inseparable right until the very end!