Brazilian battleship Aquidabã
Encyclopedia
Aquidabã, anglicized as Aquidaban, was a Brazilian
ironclad warship
built in the mid-1880s. The ship participated in two naval revolts; during the second she was sunk by a government torpedo boat
. After being refloated, Aquidabã was sent to Germany for repairs and modernization. During a routine cruise in 1906, the ship's ammunition magazines exploded, which caused the vessel to sink rapidly with a great loss of life.
Aquidabãs main armament consisted of four 9.2 in (234 mm) guns mounted in two twin gun turret
s, each of which was placed off the centerline, en echelon, with the forward turret offset to port and the aft turret to starboard. Secondary weapons included four 5.7 in (146 mm) guns, two fore and two aft, and thirteen 1-pounder guns, all mounted in single emplacements. The ship was also equipped with five 14 in (355.6 mm) torpedo tubes; three were above-water tubes, while the remaining two were submerged in the hull of the ship. The ship was equipped with compound armor. The armored belt was 11 in (279.4 mm) thick in the central portion of the ship, where the most critical parts of the ship were located. This included machinery spaces and ammunition magazines. At either ends of the central section of the belt, thickness was reduced to 7 in (177.8 mm). The main battery turrets were protected with 7 in (177.8 mm) worth of armor, as was the conning tower
.
; her keel
was laid on 18 June 1883, and she was launched
on 17 January 1885. The ship was a slightly smaller version of the earlier battleship Riachuelo
, being shorter, having a lighter draft, and being equipped with only one funnel. After undergoing gunnery trials on 14 August, she sailed from England on 16 December, calling upon Lisbon
and Bahia
before reaching her ultimate destination of Rio de Janeiro
on 29 January 1886.
of the Revolta da Armada
(Revolt of the Navy), once again led by de Mello. On April 16, 1894, Aquidabã was anchored off the coast of Santa Catarina
, near the Fortress of Anhatomirim. Early in the morning, the first class torpedo boat
, accompanied by three other torpedo boats, attacked Aquidabã; two torpedoes connected with the battleship and she sank in shallow water, inflicting only light damage in return.
The battle, which marked the first use of torpedoes by the Brazilian military, signaled the end of the revolution in Brazil. The members of the revolutionary government based in Desterro
, in the island of Santa Catarina
, fled to the continent; loyalist Colonel Antonio Moreira César would later regain control of the city. Refloated in June 1894 by government forces, Aquidabã was quickly renamed to first Dezesseis de Abril (English: 16 April), then Vinte e Quatro de Maio (English: 24 May) due to anger over the ship rebelling twice in four years. Partially repaired, the ship was brought to Stettin, Germany, and Elswick
, England for a full repair and refitting. The work lasted from 1897 to 1898, and included the installation of two heavy fighting masts.
and to train midshipmen.
On 21 January 1906, Aquidabã was scheduled to voyage to the port at Jacarepaguá
, near Rio de Janeiro, to escort and accommodate the Minister of Marine and his staff, who were attached to the cruiser Barroso. They were inspecting sites for use as an arsenal
. At about 10:45 p.m., when she was moored at Jacuacanga Bay, near Ilha Grande (English: Big Island), the powder magazines
blew up, sinking the ship within three minutes. A total of 212 people were killed, including three admirals and most of the officers of the ship, and 36 were injured; 98 survived.
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ironclad warship
Ironclad warship
An ironclad was a steam-propelled warship in the early part of the second half of the 19th century, protected by iron or steel armor plates. The ironclad was developed as a result of the vulnerability of wooden warships to explosive or incendiary shells. The first ironclad battleship, La Gloire,...
built in the mid-1880s. The ship participated in two naval revolts; during the second she was sunk by a government torpedo boat
Torpedo boat
A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval vessel designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs rammed enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes, and later designs launched self-propelled Whitehead torpedoes. They were created to counter battleships and other large, slow and...
. After being refloated, Aquidabã was sent to Germany for repairs and modernization. During a routine cruise in 1906, the ship's ammunition magazines exploded, which caused the vessel to sink rapidly with a great loss of life.
Design
Aquidabã was 280 ft (85.3 m) long, had a beam of 52 ft (15.8 m), and had a draft of 18 inch. The ship displaced 4921 t (4,843.3 LT) and had a crew of 277 officers and enlisted men. She was powered by a two-shaft engine and eight boilers; this produced up to 6500 ihp for a top speed of 15.8 kn (8.6 m/s). Fuel stores were initially 300 t (295.3 LT), though after refits this was increased to 800 t (787.4 LT).Aquidabãs main armament consisted of four 9.2 in (234 mm) guns mounted in two twin gun turret
Gun turret
A gun turret is a weapon mount that protects the crew or mechanism of a projectile-firing weapon and at the same time lets the weapon be aimed and fired in many directions.The turret is also a rotating weapon platform...
s, each of which was placed off the centerline, en echelon, with the forward turret offset to port and the aft turret to starboard. Secondary weapons included four 5.7 in (146 mm) guns, two fore and two aft, and thirteen 1-pounder guns, all mounted in single emplacements. The ship was also equipped with five 14 in (355.6 mm) torpedo tubes; three were above-water tubes, while the remaining two were submerged in the hull of the ship. The ship was equipped with compound armor. The armored belt was 11 in (279.4 mm) thick in the central portion of the ship, where the most critical parts of the ship were located. This included machinery spaces and ammunition magazines. At either ends of the central section of the belt, thickness was reduced to 7 in (177.8 mm). The main battery turrets were protected with 7 in (177.8 mm) worth of armor, as was the conning tower
Conning tower
A conning tower is a raised platform on a ship or submarine, often armored, from which an officer can con the vessel; i.e., give directions to the helmsman. It is usually located as high on the ship as practical, to give the conning team good visibility....
.
Construction and commissioning
Aquidabã was built in England by Samuda BrothersSamuda Brothers
Samuda Brothers was an engineering and ship building firm at Cubitt Town on the Isle of Dogs in London, founded by Jacob and Joseph d'Aguilar Samuda. The site is now occupied by Samuda Estate....
; her keel
Keel
In boats and ships, keel can refer to either of two parts: a structural element, or a hydrodynamic element. These parts overlap. As the laying down of the keel is the initial step in construction of a ship, in British and American shipbuilding traditions the construction is dated from this event...
was laid on 18 June 1883, and she was launched
Ship naming and launching
The ceremonies involved in naming and launching naval ships are based in traditions thousands of years old.-Methods of launch:There are three principal methods of conveying a new ship from building site to water, only two of which are called "launching." The oldest, most familiar, and most widely...
on 17 January 1885. The ship was a slightly smaller version of the earlier battleship Riachuelo
Brazilian battleship Riachuelo (1883)
Riachuelo was a Brazilian ironclad battleship completed in 1883. She was named in honour of the Battle of Riachuelo in 1865.-Design:Riachuelo was built after the Brazilian Minister of the Navy, Admiral Jose Rodrigues de Lima Duarte, presented a report to the national legislature on the importance...
, being shorter, having a lighter draft, and being equipped with only one funnel. After undergoing gunnery trials on 14 August, she sailed from England on 16 December, calling upon Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
and Bahia
Bahia
Bahia is one of the 26 states of Brazil, and is located in the northeastern part of the country on the Atlantic coast. It is the fourth most populous Brazilian state after São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro, and the fifth-largest in size...
before reaching her ultimate destination of Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
on 29 January 1886.
Rebellions
Aquidabã was part of a rebellion which started on 23 November 1891, headed by Rear Admiral Custódio José de Mello. Two years later (1893), she voyaged to the United States to take part in the International Naval Review. In that same year, she was the flagshipFlagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
of the Revolta da Armada
Revolta da Armada
Brazilian Naval Revolts, or the Revoltas da Armada , were armed mutinies promoted mainly by Admirals Custodio de Mello and Saldanha da Gama and their fleet of Brazilian Navy ships against unconstitucional attitudes of the then the central government in Rio de Janeiro.-First revolt:In November 1891,...
(Revolt of the Navy), once again led by de Mello. On April 16, 1894, Aquidabã was anchored off the coast of Santa Catarina
Santa Catarina (state)
Santa Catarina is a state in southern Brazil with one of the highest standards of living in Latin America. Its capital is Florianópolis, which mostly lies on the Santa Catarina Island. Neighbouring states are Rio Grande do Sul to the south and Paraná to the north. It is bounded on the east by...
, near the Fortress of Anhatomirim. Early in the morning, the first class torpedo boat
Torpedo boat
A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval vessel designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs rammed enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes, and later designs launched self-propelled Whitehead torpedoes. They were created to counter battleships and other large, slow and...
, accompanied by three other torpedo boats, attacked Aquidabã; two torpedoes connected with the battleship and she sank in shallow water, inflicting only light damage in return.
The battle, which marked the first use of torpedoes by the Brazilian military, signaled the end of the revolution in Brazil. The members of the revolutionary government based in Desterro
Florianópolis
-Climate:Florianópolis experiences a warm humid subtropical climate, falling just short of a true tropical climate. The seasons of the year are distinct, with a well-defined summer and winter, and characteristic weather for autumn and spring. Frost is infrequent, but occurs occasionally in the winter...
, in the island of Santa Catarina
Santa Catarina (island)
Florianópolis Island is an island in the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina. It is located on the south coast of Brazil between the south 27° latitude and west 48° longitude...
, fled to the continent; loyalist Colonel Antonio Moreira César would later regain control of the city. Refloated in June 1894 by government forces, Aquidabã was quickly renamed to first Dezesseis de Abril (English: 16 April), then Vinte e Quatro de Maio (English: 24 May) due to anger over the ship rebelling twice in four years. Partially repaired, the ship was brought to Stettin, Germany, and Elswick
Elswick, Tyne and Wear
Elswick is a ward of the city of Newcastle upon Tyne, England, in the western part of the city, bordering the river Tyne. One of the earliest references to the coal mining industry of the north east occurs in 1330, when it was recorded that the Prior of Tynemouth let a colliery, called Heygrove, at...
, England for a full repair and refitting. The work lasted from 1897 to 1898, and included the installation of two heavy fighting masts.
Later career
In 1900 she was renamed again, this time to restore her original name. In 1904, the ship underwent further modernization at the island of Ilha das Cobras (English: Snakes Island), near Rio de Janeiro. This included the removal of the two heavy masts that had been installed in 1898 and two torpedo tubes. Aquidabã made many cruises in these years to test the new technology of wireless telegraphyWireless telegraphy
Wireless telegraphy is a historical term used today to apply to early radio telegraph communications techniques and practices, particularly those used during the first three decades of radio before the term radio came into use....
and to train midshipmen.
On 21 January 1906, Aquidabã was scheduled to voyage to the port at Jacarepaguá
Jacarepaguá
Jacarepaguá , with a land area of is the 4th largest neighborhood in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In 2000, it had a population of 100,822, making it the 9th most populous neighborhood in the city...
, near Rio de Janeiro, to escort and accommodate the Minister of Marine and his staff, who were attached to the cruiser Barroso. They were inspecting sites for use as an arsenal
Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, issued to authorized users, or any combination of those...
. At about 10:45 p.m., when she was moored at Jacuacanga Bay, near Ilha Grande (English: Big Island), the powder magazines
Magazine (artillery)
Magazine is the name for an item or place within which ammunition is stored. It is taken from the Arabic word "makahazin" meaning "warehouse".-Ammunition storage areas:...
blew up, sinking the ship within three minutes. A total of 212 people were killed, including three admirals and most of the officers of the ship, and 36 were injured; 98 survived.