Portuguese Navy
Encyclopedia
The Portuguese Navy is the naval branch
of the Portuguese Armed Forces
which, in cooperation and integrated with the other branches of the Portuguese military, is charged with the military defence of Portugal
.
The Portuguese Navy also participates in missions related with international compromises assumed by Portugal
(mainly with NATO), as well missions of civil interest.
Today, the Portuguese Navy assumes a dual role capacity: Naval combat missions to assure Portugal's sovereignty and international commitments, and coast guard operations in its territorial waters and areas of influence.
seen from the sea.
The first known battle of the Portuguese Navy was in 1180, during the reign of Portugal's first king, Afonso I of Portugal
. The battle occurred when a Portuguese fleet commanded by the knight Fuas Roupinho defeated a Muslim fleet near Cape Espichel. He also made two incursions at Ceuta
, in 1181 and 1182, and died during the last of these attempts to conquer Ceuta.
During the 13th century, in the Portuguese Reconquista
, the Portuguese Navy helped in the conquest of several littoral moorish towns, like Alcácer do Sal
, Silves and Faro
. It was also used in the battles against Castile
through incursions in Galicia and Andalucia, and also in joint actions with other Christian fleets against the Muslims.
In 1312 the naval fleet was created with the goal of defending the country against the Muslim pirates. In 1317 King Denis of Portugal
decided to give, for the first time, a permanent organization to the Royal Navy, contracting Manuel Pessanha
of Genoa to be the first Admiral of the Kingdom. In 1321 the navy successfully attacked Muslim ports in North Africa
.
Maritime insurance
began in 1323 in Portugal, and between 1336 and 1341 the first attempts at maritime expansion are made, with the expedition to Canary Islands
, sponsored by King Afonso IV
.
At the end of the 14th century, more Portuguese discoveries
were made, with the Navy playing a main role in the exploration of the oceans and the defense of the Portuguese Empire
. Portugal became the first oceanic navy power.
to be the only capable country to methodically and successfully start the exploration of the Atlantic
.
Portuguese expansion during the 15th century can be divided in:
Territorial expansion began in Morocco
with the conquest of Ceuta
in 1415. Exploration in the west African coast started in 1412 and ended with the crossing of the Cape of Good Hope
in 1488.
, Henry the navigator founded a school of navigation in Sagres
, which was a place to discuss the art of navigation. The vessel employed in the beginning of the Discoveries was the caravel
, varying from 50 to 160 tons. The first results came soon and Gonçalves Zarco
discovers the Porto Santo Island
in 1419 and the Madeira Island in 1420, Diogo de Silves
discovers the azorean island of Santa Maria
in 1427.
In 1424, Gil Eanes
crosses the Cape Bojador
. Diogo Cão
and Bartolomeu Dias
arrived to the mouth of the Zaire River in 1482. In 1488, Bartolomeu Dias becomes the first European to sail around the southernmost tip of Africa, the Cape of Good Hope
.
The greatest achievement of these exploration voyages was attained by Vasco da Gama
, who in 1498 becomes the European discoverer of the sea route to India
.
In 1500, when leading a second Portuguese Armada
of 13 ships to India, Pedro Álvares Cabral
discovers and explores Brazil
, claiming it for Portugal. In the same year, Diogo Dias
, as one of the Captains of the fleet to India of Pedro Álvares Cabral, is separated from the main fleet by a storm while crossing the Cape of Good Hope, and becomes the first European to reach Madagascar
.
, the Portuguese started to use the carrack
ship (nau in Portuguese). Nevertheless, the Portuguese penetration in the Indian Ocean was not peaceful due to the opposition of the Muslims. However, in 1509 Francisco de Almeida
had a tremendous victory over the Muslims in the naval Battle of Diu
, and the Portuguese presence in the area is definitely attained.
In Morocco
the Portuguese conquests continue and they take over the cities of Safim
, Azamor, Mazagão
and Mogador.
In the east, Portuguese navigators continue their progress visiting the southeast of Asia
, China
in 1517 and Australia
in 1522. In the same period they reach Taiwan
and Japan
where they become the first Europeans to arrive.
They enter the Red Sea
in 1542 to destroy the Turkish armada in Suez
.
In the west the Portuguese visited the coast of New England
in 1520, California
in 1542 and Hudson Bay
in 1588.
All these actions were only possible with the naval capability, the navigation knowledge of these navigators, an enormous courage and determination.
becomes also King of Portugal
, but the Portuguese navy was still involved in several conflicts, and especially it maintained an important role in the fight against pirates. António Saldanha commanding a fleet of 30 carracks defeated a Turkish fleet in the Mediterranean and conquered Tunis
. Meanwhile, João Queirós accomplishes a double crossing of the Pacific Ocean
leaving from California
.
Linked to Spain
by a dual monarchy
, Portugal
saw its large empire being attacked by the English, the French and the Dutch, all enemies of Spain
. The reduced Portuguese population (around one million) wasn't enough to resist to so many enemies, and the empire started to fall apart.
In 1618 the first naval infantry regiment is founded (Terço da Armada Real da Coroa de Portugal, in Portuguese), origin of the modern Portuguese Marine Corps
(Corpo de Fuzileiros).
regained independence
from neighbouring Spain
, being forced to fight against its powerful navy in difficult conditions. This led to the loss of several regions of the empire and to peace agreements with England
, France
and the Netherlands
.
In 1641, the Portuguese Navy was able to defend the national interests in the European continent and reconquer Angola
and the Northeast of Brazil
from the Dutch during the Dutch-Portuguese War
.
In 1705, a squadron of eight ships of the line went to Gibraltar
to help England
against Spain
.
In 1717, the Portuguese Navy defeats the Ottoman Navy in the Battle of Matapan
.
In the late 18th century, the Portuguese Navy participates in the Mediterranean Campaign of 1798
against the French Republic in Egypt
and in the Siege of Malta
.
In November 1807, General Jean-Andoche Junot
invaded Portugal in an attempt to expand Napoleon's continental empire. Prince Regent John
, with his country in disarray, called upon Portugal's Navy to save the crown. On November 29, the Prince Regent sailed for Brazil
with some 15,000 members of the government and their families. The Portuguese fleet succeeded in preserving the Government until it could return later. The fleet that sailed for Brazil had one 84 gun ship of the line
, the Príncipe Real. In addition there were three 74 gun ships, the Rainha de Portugal, Príncipe do Brasil and the Conde D. Henrique and four ships of 64 guns each along with four British warships.
Political instability dominated Portugal
during the 19th century after the Napoleonic invasions
. The Navy entered a period of crisis which only ended on the turn to the 20th century.
From the end of the 19th century and until the beginning of World War I
, the Portuguese Navy was modernized and received a series of new warships, including six cruiser
s, four torpedo boat
s, a submarine
, three destroyer
s, 13 gunship
s and others.
and Africa
. The Portuguese Navy received additional submarines and destroyers and created a naval aviation
. In addition, several merchant ships were adapted and transformed into warships.
The most important events were the Action of 14 October 1918
between the patrol boat NRP Augusto de Castilho (commanded by Carvalho Araújo
) and the German submarine U-139
, the sinking of the mine-sweeper NRP Roberto Ivens due to a collision with a sea mine, outside Lisbon harbour and the amphibious operations led by the cruiser NRP Adamastor in the border between Portuguese and German Eastern Africa.
After the war, Portugal
built two new destroyers and two new gunships. Also, acquired two cruisers from the United Kingdom
and six torpedo-boats from Austria
.
In 1922, the naval officers Sacadura Cabral
and Gago Coutinho
made the first South Atlantic aerial cross.
s (frigates). An aircraft carrier
started to be built, but was later canceled.
During the second World War the Portuguese Navy defended at sea and air the Portuguese neutrality. A particular concern was the defense of the strategic Atlantic islands of the Azores
against a possible invasion. Due to the vast overseas empire
, with territories in Africa
, Asia
and Oceania
, the assets were not enough, but still it was possible to maintain the integrity of the different parcels of the Empire, with the exception of Portuguese Timor
, which was occupied by Australia and Netherlands and a bit later by Imperial Japan from 1942 through to 1945.
After World War II, Portugal
was one of the founding nations of NATO contributing with a fleet of three submarines, seven frigates, four patrol boats, 16 mine-sweepers, four mine-hunters and three survey vessels.
against India
and in the African colonies during the Colonial War
.
During the Portuguese-Indian War on December 18, 1961, when India invaded Goa with over 45,000 troops and a fleet of 8 combat ships, an aircraft carrier and various combat aircraft, the Portuguese navy was involved in hostilities.
The Portuguese naval defence comprised the sloop the NRP Afonso de Albuquerque which,besides engaging Indian naval units, was also tasked with providing a coastal artillery battery for the defence of the harbour and adjoining beaches, as well as providing vital radio communications with Lisbon after on-shore radio facilities had been destroyed in Indian air-strikes.
At 1200 hours on December 18, the Indian frigate INS Betwa, accompanied by the INS Beas entered Mormugao harbour and opened fire on the NRP Afonso with their 4.5-inch guns. In response, the NRP Afonso lifted anchor, headed out towards the enemy and returned fire with its 120 mm guns.
Eventually at 1250 hours, after having fired nearly 400 rounds at the Indians, hitting two of the Indian vessels, and having taken severe damage, the order was given to initiate the abandonment of the ship. Under heavy fire, directed both at the ship as well as at the coast, non-essential crew including weapons staff left the ship and made their way to the shore. They were followed at 1310 hours by the rest of the crew, who along with their injured commander, disembarked directly onto the beach after setting fire to the ship. Following this, the commander was transferred by car to the hospital at Panjim.
In all, the NRP Afonso lost 5 dead and 13 wounded in the battle.
At the enclave of Diu, a 6-man fibre-glass patrol boat NRP Vega, armed with one 20mm Oerlikon gun fired at attacking Indian Air Force
aircraft conducting bombing sorties over Diu. In retaliation the Indian aircraft attacked the Vega twice, killing the captain and the gunner and forcing the rest of the crew to abandon the boat and swim ashore, where they were taken prisoners of war.
During the Colonial wars
fought in Africa (1961–1975), Portugal's Navy played a fundamental role in combat, patrol and amphibious missions in the ocean and inland waters of Angola
, Portuguese Guinea
and Mozambique
as well as providing long-range and coastal logistics to the Portuguese Armed forces in its overseas territories in the Atlantic (Cape Verde
, São Tomé e Príncipe, Guinea, Angola), Indian (Mozambique) and Pacific Oceans (Timor and Macau
). In amphibious missions the action of the Portuguese Marines (fuzileiros) was fundamental. For the Colonial wars, the Portuguese Navy had to equip itself with a large fleet of small units including corvette
s, patrol boat
s and landing craft
, most of them designed and many built in Portugal.
and the Portuguese Air Force
. The Portuguese Navy has been especially active in peace-enforcement campaigns using combat ships, helicopter missions and special force marine detachments in amphibious and air evacuation of Portuguese nationals and other foreign civilians from dangerous war zones in Sub-Saharan Africa. The most notable missions performed were in Bolama (Guinea-Bissau, 1990), Luanda (Angola, 1992), and Bissau (Guinea-Bissau, 1998 and again in 1999). In these theatres the Portuguese Armed Forces
set up secure zones amidst the combat areas, and evacuation units, sometimes operated by Portuguese Army special forces or Portuguese Marines Special Actions Detachment (DAE) to retrieve civilians from hot-spots and evacuate them onto frigates stationed off-shore or onto Portuguese Air Force
C-130 Hercules transports, as in Angola in 1992. http://tropaselite.t35.com/portugal-Marinha-DAE.htm.
The Portuguese Navy has also actively participated in several international peace-keeping and peace-enforcing efforts in conjunction with other NATO, UN or EU forces in numerous theatres, distant from Portuguese territory.
During the liberation of Kuwait in 1990-91, the Portuguese Navy logistics ship NRP São Gabriel supported allied forces in the Persian Gulf. In the various Balkan wars which resulted from the dismembering of Yugoslavia, the Portuguese Navy was an active player in Portugal's UN and NATO commitment, maintaining a frigate with DAE special forces in the Adriatic Sea continuously between 1991 and 2000, and commanding the NATO Mediterranean Sea operation "Active Endeavour" in December, 2001 and January, 2002. Closer to home, the Portuguese Navy has consistently contributed patrol boats and corvettes to joint-nation EU exercises designed to aid Spain in dealing with its problem of illegal immigration and drug-trafficking off its the Southern coast and the Canary Islands. During the Prestige oil-spill incident, off the coast of Northern Spain, Portugal dispatched various frigates and surveillance aircraft to the area, which were fundamental in providing independent information regarding the events.
Portuguese Navy Marine contingents have also participated in peace-enforcing UN missions in Kinshasa (Zaire, 1997) and Congo (1998), East Timor
(1999–2004), the European Union
Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2006, and the NATO fleet off the coast of Somalia, where Portugal's Navy has played a prominent role. During the flooding of the Save River, in Mozambique (2000) a detachment of Portuguese Marines conducted flood rescue operations as part of the humanitarian relief effort. http://ema.marinha.pt/NR/rdonlyres/E183FB51-11D7-450A-8A36-369D44A0DB7C/0/Defesa_militar_e_apoio_politica_externa.pdf
During the onset of East Timor
's independence from Indonesia
in 1999, Portugal sent two frigates and various troops to aid its former colony in the Pacific Ocean
. The NRP Vasco da Gama
and the NRP Hermenegildo Capelo
remained in the area until mid 2001 http://antigo.mdn.gov.pt/Defesa/Estrutura/Organigrama/DGPDN/Departamento_RM/missoes_paz_humanitarias_1992_2004/Ficheiros_indice/timor_asia_central.pdf. A company of 155 Marines was also sent to the territory as part of Portugal's UN peacekeeping role while the situation was volatile. Since 2004 a smaller detachment of Portuguese Marines is integrated in the Timor Military Liaison Group http://fuzileiros.marinha.pt/NR/rdonlyres/D76B83C9-7BCF-4472-935C-27B6730F11B4/0/17UNMITMLG_v3.pdf closely coordinated with the Portuguese National Republican Guard
(GNR) contingent stationed in the capital, Dili, and the Armed Forces of Timor.
The Vasco da Gama class frigates NRP Álvares Cabral and NRP Corte Real have regularly contributed to long-range NATO exercises in the Indian Ocean
, and both have served as NATO task-force flagships in the mission against Piracy in Somalia
. During 2009 and January 2010, the NATO fleet in the Gulf of Aden was commanded by the Portuguese Navy http://www.manw.nato.int/pdf/global_reach_booklet.pdf, who received the award of "exceptional bravery at sea" from the International Maritime Organization
for its successful attacks on pirate activity, conducted by the Corte Real frigate during the peak of pirate activity. http://huntoftheseawolves.net/blog/?m=200911 http://gaops.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=201:27-nov-2009-portuguese-navy-thwarts-pirate-attack-on-cargo-ship&catid=3:news&Itemid=13.
The main ship classes of the Portuguese Navy are:
Navy
A navy is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake- or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions...
of the Portuguese Armed Forces
Portuguese Armed Forces
The armed forces of Portugal, commonly known as the Portuguese Armed Forces encompasses a Navy , an Army and an Air Force...
which, in cooperation and integrated with the other branches of the Portuguese military, is charged with the military defence of Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
.
The Portuguese Navy also participates in missions related with international compromises assumed by Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
(mainly with NATO), as well missions of civil interest.
Today, the Portuguese Navy assumes a dual role capacity: Naval combat missions to assure Portugal's sovereignty and international commitments, and coast guard operations in its territorial waters and areas of influence.
Creation of the Portuguese Navy
Portuguese naval history is closely connected to the history of Portugal, and one can say that the Naval history is Portuguese HistoryHistory of Portugal
The history of Portugal, a European and an Atlantic nation, dates back to the Early Middle Ages. In the 15th and 16th centuries, it ascended to the status of a world power during Europe's "Age of Discovery" as it built up a vast empire including possessions in South America, Africa, Asia and...
seen from the sea.
The first known battle of the Portuguese Navy was in 1180, during the reign of Portugal's first king, Afonso I of Portugal
Afonso I of Portugal
Afonso I or Dom Afonso Henriques , more commonly known as Afonso Henriques , nicknamed "the Conqueror" , "the Founder" or "the Great" by the Portuguese, and El-Bortukali and Ibn-Arrik by the Moors whom he fought, was the first King of Portugal...
. The battle occurred when a Portuguese fleet commanded by the knight Fuas Roupinho defeated a Muslim fleet near Cape Espichel. He also made two incursions at Ceuta
Ceuta
Ceuta is an autonomous city of Spain and an exclave located on the north coast of North Africa surrounded by Morocco. Separated from the Iberian peninsula by the Strait of Gibraltar, Ceuta lies on the border of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Ceuta along with the other Spanish...
, in 1181 and 1182, and died during the last of these attempts to conquer Ceuta.
During the 13th century, in the Portuguese Reconquista
Reconquista
The Reconquista was a period of almost 800 years in the Middle Ages during which several Christian kingdoms succeeded in retaking the Muslim-controlled areas of the Iberian Peninsula broadly known as Al-Andalus...
, the Portuguese Navy helped in the conquest of several littoral moorish towns, like Alcácer do Sal
Alcácer do Sal
Alcácer do Sal is a municipality in Portugal, located in Setúbal District. It has a total area of and a total population of 13,624 inhabitants.-History :-Earliest settlement:...
, Silves and Faro
Faro, Portugal
Faro is the southernmost city in Portugal. It is located in the Faro Municipality in southern Portugal. The city proper has 41,934 inhabitants and the entire municipality has 58,305. It is the seat of the Faro District and capital of the Algarve region...
. It was also used in the battles against Castile
Crown of Castile
The Crown of Castile was a medieval and modern state in the Iberian Peninsula that formed in 1230 as a result of the third and definitive union of the crowns and parliaments of the kingdoms of Castile and León upon the accession of the then King Ferdinand III of Castile to the vacant Leonese throne...
through incursions in Galicia and Andalucia, and also in joint actions with other Christian fleets against the Muslims.
In 1312 the naval fleet was created with the goal of defending the country against the Muslim pirates. In 1317 King Denis of Portugal
Denis of Portugal
Dinis , called the Farmer King , was the sixth King of Portugal and the Algarve. The eldest son of Afonso III of Portugal by his second wife, Beatrice of Castile and grandson of king Alfonso X of Castile , Dinis succeeded his father in 1279.-Biography:As heir to the throne, Infante Dinis was...
decided to give, for the first time, a permanent organization to the Royal Navy, contracting Manuel Pessanha
Manuel Pessanha
Manuel Pessanha was a Genoese merchant sailor who served in Portugal in the 14th century as the first admiral of Portugal at the time of King Denis of Portugal....
of Genoa to be the first Admiral of the Kingdom. In 1321 the navy successfully attacked Muslim ports in North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
.
Maritime insurance
Insurance
In law and economics, insurance is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent, uncertain loss. Insurance is defined as the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another, in exchange for payment. An insurer is a company selling the...
began in 1323 in Portugal, and between 1336 and 1341 the first attempts at maritime expansion are made, with the expedition to Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
, sponsored by King Afonso IV
Afonso IV of Portugal
Afonso IV , called the Brave , was the seventh king of Portugal and the Algarve from 1325 until his death. He was the only legitimate son of King Denis of Portugal by his wife Elizabeth of Aragon.-Biography:...
.
At the end of the 14th century, more Portuguese discoveries
Portugal in the Age of Discovery
During the history of Portugal between 1415 and 1578, Portugal discovered an eastern route to India that rounded the Cape of Good Hope, discovered Brazil, established trading routes throughout most of southern Asia, colonized selected areas of Africa, and sent the first direct European maritime...
were made, with the Navy playing a main role in the exploration of the oceans and the defense of the Portuguese Empire
Portuguese Empire
The Portuguese Empire , also known as the Portuguese Overseas Empire or the Portuguese Colonial Empire , was the first global empire in history...
. Portugal became the first oceanic navy power.
Conquests and Discoveries
In the beginning of the 15th century, the country entered a period of peace and stability. Europe was still involved in wars and feudal conflicts which allows PortugalPortugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
to be the only capable country to methodically and successfully start the exploration of the Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
.
Portuguese expansion during the 15th century can be divided in:
- Territorial expansion to North AfricaNorth AfricaNorth Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
- Hydrographic survey of the African coast and Canary IslandsCanary IslandsThe Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
- Oceanographic and meteorologic survey of the Atlantic OceanAtlantic OceanThe Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
- Development of navigation techniques and methods
Territorial expansion began in Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
with the conquest of Ceuta
Battle of Ceuta
The Battle of Ceuta and the subsequent conquest of the Wattasid city of Ceuta by the Portuguese had its roots in the earliest years of the House of Aviz dynasty of Portugal...
in 1415. Exploration in the west African coast started in 1412 and ended with the crossing of the Cape of Good Hope
Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.There is a misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the...
in 1488.
The 15th century
After his return from CeutaCeuta
Ceuta is an autonomous city of Spain and an exclave located on the north coast of North Africa surrounded by Morocco. Separated from the Iberian peninsula by the Strait of Gibraltar, Ceuta lies on the border of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Ceuta along with the other Spanish...
, Henry the navigator founded a school of navigation in Sagres
Sagres
Sagres Point , is a windswept shelf-like promontory located in the southwest Algarve region of southern Portugal. Only 4 km to the west and 3 km to the north lies Cape St. Vincent which is usually taken as the southwesternmost tip of Europe. The vicinity of Sagres Point and Cape St...
, which was a place to discuss the art of navigation. The vessel employed in the beginning of the Discoveries was the caravel
Caravel
A caravel is a small, highly maneuverable sailing ship developed in the 15th century by the Portuguese to explore along the West African coast and into the Atlantic Ocean. The lateen sails gave her speed and the capacity for sailing to windward...
, varying from 50 to 160 tons. The first results came soon and Gonçalves Zarco
João Gonçalves Zarco
João Gonçalves Zarco was a Portuguese explorer who established settlements and recognition of the Madeira Islands, and was appointed first captain of Funchal by Henry the Navigator.-Life:...
discovers the Porto Santo Island
Porto Santo Island
Porto Santo Island is a Portuguese island northeast of Madeira Island in the North Atlantic Ocean; it is the northernmost and easternmost island of the archipelago of Madeira, located in the Atlantic Ocean west of Europe and Africa.- History :...
in 1419 and the Madeira Island in 1420, Diogo de Silves
Diogo de Silves
Diogo de Silves, is the presumed name of an obscure Portuguese explorer of the Atlantic who allegedly discovered of the Azores islands in 1427....
discovers the azorean island of Santa Maria
Santa Maria Island
Santa Maria , Portuguese for Saint Mary, is an island located in the eastern group of the Azores archipelago and the southernmost island in the Azores...
in 1427.
In 1424, Gil Eanes
Gil Eanes
Gil Eanes was a 15th-century Portuguese navigator and explorer.Little is known about the personal life of Gil Eanes, prior to his role in the Portuguese Age of Discovery, and was considered a household servant and shield-bearer of the Infante Henry the Navigator...
crosses the Cape Bojador
Cape Bojador
Cape Bojador or Cape Boujdour is a headland on the northern coast of Western Sahara, at 26° 07' 37"N, 14° 29' 57"W. , as well as the name of a nearby town with a population of 41,178.It is shown on nautical charts with the original Portuguese name "Cabo Bojador", but is sometimes...
. Diogo Cão
Diogo Cão
Diogo Cão was a Portuguese explorer and one of the most remarkable navigators of the Age of Discovery, who made two voyages sailing along the west coast of Africa to Namibia in the 1480s.-Early life and family:...
and Bartolomeu Dias
Bartolomeu Dias
Bartolomeu Dias , a nobleman of the Portuguese royal household, was a Portuguese explorer who sailed around the southernmost tip of Africa in 1488, the first European known to have done so.-Purposes of the Dias expedition:...
arrived to the mouth of the Zaire River in 1482. In 1488, Bartolomeu Dias becomes the first European to sail around the southernmost tip of Africa, the Cape of Good Hope
Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.There is a misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the...
.
The greatest achievement of these exploration voyages was attained by Vasco da Gama
Vasco da Gama
Vasco da Gama, 1st Count of Vidigueira was a Portuguese explorer, one of the most successful in the Age of Discovery and the commander of the first ships to sail directly from Europe to India...
, who in 1498 becomes the European discoverer of the sea route to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
In 1500, when leading a second Portuguese Armada
2nd Portuguese India Armada (Cabral, 1500)
The Second Portuguese India Armada was assembled in 1500 on the order of King Manuel I of Portugal and placed under the command of Pedro Álvares Cabral. Cabral's armada famously discovered Brazil for the Portuguese crown along the way...
of 13 ships to India, Pedro Álvares Cabral
Pedro Álvares Cabral
Pedro Álvares Cabral was a Portuguese noble, military commander, navigator and explorer regarded as the discoverer of Brazil. Cabral conducted the first substantial exploration of the northeast coast of South America and claimed it for Portugal. While details of Cabral's early life are sketchy, it...
discovers and explores Brazil
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...
, claiming it for Portugal. In the same year, Diogo Dias
Diogo Dias
Diogo Dias, also known as Diogo Gomes, was a 15th-century Portuguese explorer. He was the brother of Bartolomeu Dias and discovered some of the Cape Verde islands together with António Noli....
, as one of the Captains of the fleet to India of Pedro Álvares Cabral, is separated from the main fleet by a storm while crossing the Cape of Good Hope, and becomes the first European to reach Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
.
The 16th century
With the first established sea route to the Indian OceanIndian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
, the Portuguese started to use the carrack
Carrack
A carrack or nau was a three- or four-masted sailing ship developed in 15th century Western Europe for use in the Atlantic Ocean. It had a high rounded stern with large aftcastle, forecastle and bowsprit at the stem. It was first used by the Portuguese , and later by the Spanish, to explore and...
ship (nau in Portuguese). Nevertheless, the Portuguese penetration in the Indian Ocean was not peaceful due to the opposition of the Muslims. However, in 1509 Francisco de Almeida
Francisco de Almeida
Dom Francisco de Almeida , also known as "the Great Dom Francisco" , was a Portuguese nobleman, soldier and explorer. He distinguished himself as a counsellor to King John II of Portugal and later in the wars against the Moors and in the conquest of Granada in 1492...
had a tremendous victory over the Muslims in the naval Battle of Diu
Battle of Diu
The Battle of Diu sometimes referred as the Second Battle of Chaul was a naval battle fought on 3 February 1509 in the Arabian Sea, near the port of Diu, India, between the Portuguese Empire and a joint fleet of the Sultan of Gujarat, the Mamlûk Burji Sultanate of Egypt, the Zamorin of Kozhikode...
, and the Portuguese presence in the area is definitely attained.
In Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
the Portuguese conquests continue and they take over the cities of Safim
Safim
Safim is a Sector in the Biombo Region of Guinea-Bissau....
, Azamor, Mazagão
Mazagão
Mazagão is a municipality located in the south of the state of Amapá in Brazil. Its population is 13,913 and its area is 13,131 km²....
and Mogador.
In the east, Portuguese navigators continue their progress visiting the southeast of Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
in 1517 and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in 1522. In the same period they reach Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
where they become the first Europeans to arrive.
They enter the Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
in 1542 to destroy the Turkish armada in Suez
Suez
Suez is a seaport city in north-eastern Egypt, located on the north coast of the Gulf of Suez , near the southern terminus of the Suez Canal, having the same boundaries as Suez governorate. It has three harbors, Adabya, Ain Sokhna and Port Tawfiq, and extensive port facilities...
.
In the west the Portuguese visited the coast of New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
in 1520, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in 1542 and Hudson Bay
Hudson Bay
Hudson Bay , sometimes called Hudson's Bay, is a large body of saltwater in northeastern Canada. It drains a very large area, about , that includes parts of Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Alberta, most of Manitoba, southeastern Nunavut, as well as parts of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota,...
in 1588.
All these actions were only possible with the naval capability, the navigation knowledge of these navigators, an enormous courage and determination.
Habsburg Dynasty
In 1580 King Philip of SpainSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
becomes also King of Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, but the Portuguese navy was still involved in several conflicts, and especially it maintained an important role in the fight against pirates. António Saldanha commanding a fleet of 30 carracks defeated a Turkish fleet in the Mediterranean and conquered Tunis
Tunis
Tunis is the capital of both the Tunisian Republic and the Tunis Governorate. It is Tunisia's largest city, with a population of 728,453 as of 2004; the greater metropolitan area holds some 2,412,500 inhabitants....
. Meanwhile, João Queirós accomplishes a double crossing of the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
leaving from California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Linked to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
by a dual monarchy
Iberian Union
The Iberian union was a political unit that governed all of the Iberian Peninsula south of the Pyrenees from 1580–1640, through a dynastic union between the monarchies of Portugal and Spain after the War of the Portuguese Succession...
, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
saw its large empire being attacked by the English, the French and the Dutch, all enemies of Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. The reduced Portuguese population (around one million) wasn't enough to resist to so many enemies, and the empire started to fall apart.
In 1618 the first naval infantry regiment is founded (Terço da Armada Real da Coroa de Portugal, in Portuguese), origin of the modern Portuguese Marine Corps
Portuguese Marine Corps
The Portuguese Marine Corps are a special operations force unit in the Portuguese Navy. The corps is specialised in amphibious warfare, coastal reconnaissance, maritime interdiction and boarding operations...
(Corpo de Fuzileiros).
Portuguese Restoration War
In 1640, PortugalPortugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
regained independence
Portuguese Restoration War
Portuguese Restoration War was the name given by nineteenth-century 'romantic' historians to the war between Portugal and Spain that began with the Portuguese revolution of 1640 and ended with the Treaty of Lisbon . The revolution of 1640 ended the sixty-year period of dual monarchy in Portugal...
from neighbouring Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, being forced to fight against its powerful navy in difficult conditions. This led to the loss of several regions of the empire and to peace agreements with England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.
In 1641, the Portuguese Navy was able to defend the national interests in the European continent and reconquer Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
and the Northeast of Brazil
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...
from the Dutch during the Dutch-Portuguese War
Dutch-Portuguese War
The Dutch–Portuguese War was an armed conflict involving Dutch forces, in the form of the Dutch East India Company and the Dutch West India Company, against the Portuguese Empire. Beginning in 1602, the conflict primarily involved the Dutch companies invading Portuguese colonies in the Americas,...
.
The 18th century
During the reign of King John V of Portugal the Navy suffers a large transformation, during which the warship starts to differentiate from the merchant ship.In 1705, a squadron of eight ships of the line went to Gibraltar
Battle of Cabrita point
The Battle of Cabrita Point, usually referred to as the Battle of Marbella, was a naval battle that took place while a combined Spanish-French force besieged Gibraltar on 10 March 1705 during the War of Spanish Succession.The battle was an allied victory which effectively ended the Franco-Spanish...
to help England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
against Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
In 1717, the Portuguese Navy defeats the Ottoman Navy in the Battle of Matapan
Battle of Matapan
The naval Battle of Matapan took place on 19 July 1717 off the Cape Matapan, on the coast of the Mani Peninsula in southern Greece, between the combined naval forces of Venice, Portugal, the Papal States and Malta and the Ottoman fleet, under Kapudan Pasha...
.
In the late 18th century, the Portuguese Navy participates in the Mediterranean Campaign of 1798
Mediterranean campaign of 1798
The Mediterranean campaign of 1798 was a series of major naval operations surrounding a French expeditionary force sent to Egypt under Napoleon Bonaparte during the French Revolutionary Wars. The French Republic sought to capture Egypt as the first stage in an effort to threaten British India, and...
against the French Republic in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and in the Siege of Malta
Siege of Malta (1798–1800)
The Siege of Malta was a two-year siege and blockade of the French garrison in Valletta, the largest city and main port on the Mediterranean island of Malta between 1798 and 1800. Valletta had been captured by a French expeditionary force during the Mediterranean campaign of 1798, and garrisoned...
.
19th century to World War I
Jean-Andoche Junot
Jean-Andoche Junot, 1st Duke of Abrantès was a French general during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.-Early life:...
invaded Portugal in an attempt to expand Napoleon's continental empire. Prince Regent John
John VI of Portugal
John VI John VI John VI (full name: João Maria José Francisco Xavier de Paula Luís António Domingos Rafael; (13 May 1767 – 10 March 1826) was King of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves (later changed to just King of Portugal and the Algarves, after Brazil was recognized...
, with his country in disarray, called upon Portugal's Navy to save the crown. On November 29, the Prince Regent sailed for Brazil
Transfer of the Portuguese Court to Brazil
The Transfer of the Portuguese Court to Brazil was an episode in the history of Portugal and the history of Brazil in which the Portuguese royal family and its court escaped from Lisbon on November 29, 1807 to Brazil, just days before Napoleonic forces captured the city on December 1...
with some 15,000 members of the government and their families. The Portuguese fleet succeeded in preserving the Government until it could return later. The fleet that sailed for Brazil had one 84 gun ship of the line
Ship of the line
A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed from the 17th through the mid-19th century to take part in the naval tactic known as the line of battle, in which two columns of opposing warships would manoeuvre to bring the greatest weight of broadside guns to bear...
, the Príncipe Real. In addition there were three 74 gun ships, the Rainha de Portugal, Príncipe do Brasil and the Conde D. Henrique and four ships of 64 guns each along with four British warships.
Political instability dominated Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
during the 19th century after the Napoleonic invasions
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
. The Navy entered a period of crisis which only ended on the turn to the 20th century.
From the end of the 19th century and until the beginning of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, the Portuguese Navy was modernized and received a series of new warships, including six cruiser
Cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. The term has been in use for several hundreds of years, and has had different meanings throughout this period...
s, four 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...
s, a submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
, three destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
s, 13 gunship
Gunship
The term "gunship" is used in several contexts, all sharing the general idea of a light craft armed with heavy guns.-In Navy:In the Navy, the term originally appeared in the mid-19th century as a less-common synonym for gunboat.-In military aviation:...
s and others.
World War I
During the first World War, the main role of the Portuguese Navy was to patrol Portuguese waters, search for submarines, escort merchant vessels and transport troops to FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. The Portuguese Navy received additional submarines and destroyers and created a naval aviation
Portuguese Naval Aviation
The Portuguese Naval Aviation , was the air branch of the Portuguese Navy until 1952, and is today the command of the Navy responsible for the operation of the aircraft on board their ships...
. In addition, several merchant ships were adapted and transformed into warships.
The most important events were the Action of 14 October 1918
Action of 14 October 1918
The Action of 14 October was a naval engagement of the First World War when the German Navy submarine U-139 attacked the Portuguese civilian steamer São Miguel and the Portuguese Navy patrol boat NRPAugusto de Castilho in the Atlantic Ocean on the 14 of October, 1918.-Background:On the island of...
between the patrol boat NRP Augusto de Castilho (commanded by Carvalho Araújo
Carvalho Araújo
José Botelho de Carvalho Araújo was a Portuguese Navy officer and colonial administrator.-Life:Son of José de Carvalho Araújo Júnior and Margarida Ferreira Botelho de Araújo, he was born in the northern city of Porto at the parish of São Nicolau, while his fathers were visiting the city...
) and the German submarine U-139
SM U-139
SM U-139 was the lead ship of her class, one of the submarines serving in the Imperial German Navy in World War I. She was commissioned on 18 May 1918 under the command of Lothar von Arnauld de la Perière, who named the submarine Korvettenkapitän Schweiger, after Walther Schwieger, who had sunk...
, the sinking of the mine-sweeper NRP Roberto Ivens due to a collision with a sea mine, outside Lisbon harbour and the amphibious operations led by the cruiser NRP Adamastor in the border between Portuguese and German Eastern Africa.
After the war, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
built two new destroyers and two new gunships. Also, acquired two cruisers from the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and six torpedo-boats from Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
.
In 1922, the naval officers Sacadura Cabral
Sacadura Cabral
Artur de Sacadura Freire Cabral, GCTE , known simply as Sacadura Cabral , was a Portuguese aviation pioneer who in 1922, together with Gago Coutinho , conducted the first flight across the South Atlantic Ocean, and also the first using astronomical navigation only, from Lisbon, Portugal, to Rio de...
and Gago Coutinho
Gago Coutinho
Carlos Viegas Gago Coutinho, GCTE, GCC, generally known simply as Gago Coutinho was a Portuguese aviation pioneer who, together with Sacadura Cabral , was the first to cross the South Atlantic Ocean by air, from March to June 1922 , from Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro.The Fairey IIIB seaplane used by...
made the first South Atlantic aerial cross.
World War II
Before World War II, from 1933 to 1936, the Portuguese Navy underwent a profound reorganization, launching a vast naval program and acquiring a total of 22 new warships, including destroyers, submarines and avisoAviso
An aviso , a kind of dispatch boat or advice boat, survives particularly in the French navy, they are considered equivalent to the modern sloop....
s (frigates). An aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
started to be built, but was later canceled.
During the second World War the Portuguese Navy defended at sea and air the Portuguese neutrality. A particular concern was the defense of the strategic Atlantic islands of the Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
against a possible invasion. Due to the vast overseas empire
Portuguese Empire
The Portuguese Empire , also known as the Portuguese Overseas Empire or the Portuguese Colonial Empire , was the first global empire in history...
, with territories in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
and Oceania
Oceania
Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
, the assets were not enough, but still it was possible to maintain the integrity of the different parcels of the Empire, with the exception of Portuguese Timor
Portuguese Timor
Portuguese Timor was the name of East Timor when it was under Portuguese control. During this period, Portugal shared the island of Timor with the Netherlands East Indies, and later with Indonesia....
, which was occupied by Australia and Netherlands and a bit later by Imperial Japan from 1942 through to 1945.
After World War II, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
was one of the founding nations of NATO contributing with a fleet of three submarines, seven frigates, four patrol boats, 16 mine-sweepers, four mine-hunters and three survey vessels.
The Overseas Wars in Asia and Africa
After half a century, the Portuguese Navy was in combat again during the second half of the 20th century. These combats took place in the Indian OceanIndian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
against India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and in the African colonies during the Colonial War
Portuguese Colonial War
The Portuguese Colonial War , also known in Portugal as the Overseas War or in the former colonies as the War of liberation , was fought between Portugal's military and the emerging nationalist movements in Portugal's African colonies between 1961 and 1974, when the Portuguese regime was...
.
During the Portuguese-Indian War on December 18, 1961, when India invaded Goa with over 45,000 troops and a fleet of 8 combat ships, an aircraft carrier and various combat aircraft, the Portuguese navy was involved in hostilities.
The Portuguese naval defence comprised the sloop the NRP Afonso de Albuquerque which,besides engaging Indian naval units, was also tasked with providing a coastal artillery battery for the defence of the harbour and adjoining beaches, as well as providing vital radio communications with Lisbon after on-shore radio facilities had been destroyed in Indian air-strikes.
At 1200 hours on December 18, the Indian frigate INS Betwa, accompanied by the INS Beas entered Mormugao harbour and opened fire on the NRP Afonso with their 4.5-inch guns. In response, the NRP Afonso lifted anchor, headed out towards the enemy and returned fire with its 120 mm guns.
Eventually at 1250 hours, after having fired nearly 400 rounds at the Indians, hitting two of the Indian vessels, and having taken severe damage, the order was given to initiate the abandonment of the ship. Under heavy fire, directed both at the ship as well as at the coast, non-essential crew including weapons staff left the ship and made their way to the shore. They were followed at 1310 hours by the rest of the crew, who along with their injured commander, disembarked directly onto the beach after setting fire to the ship. Following this, the commander was transferred by car to the hospital at Panjim.
In all, the NRP Afonso lost 5 dead and 13 wounded in the battle.
At the enclave of Diu, a 6-man fibre-glass patrol boat NRP Vega, armed with one 20mm Oerlikon gun fired at attacking Indian Air Force
Indian Air Force
The Indian Air Force is the air arm of the Indian armed forces. Its primary responsibility is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during a conflict...
aircraft conducting bombing sorties over Diu. In retaliation the Indian aircraft attacked the Vega twice, killing the captain and the gunner and forcing the rest of the crew to abandon the boat and swim ashore, where they were taken prisoners of war.
During the Colonial wars
Portuguese Colonial War
The Portuguese Colonial War , also known in Portugal as the Overseas War or in the former colonies as the War of liberation , was fought between Portugal's military and the emerging nationalist movements in Portugal's African colonies between 1961 and 1974, when the Portuguese regime was...
fought in Africa (1961–1975), Portugal's Navy played a fundamental role in combat, patrol and amphibious missions in the ocean and inland waters of Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
, Portuguese Guinea
Portuguese Guinea
Portuguese Guinea was the name for what is today Guinea-Bissau from 1446 to September 10, 1974.-History:...
and Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
as well as providing long-range and coastal logistics to the Portuguese Armed forces in its overseas territories in the Atlantic (Cape Verde
Cape Verde
The Republic of Cape Verde is an island country, spanning an archipelago of 10 islands located in the central Atlantic Ocean, 570 kilometres off the coast of Western Africa...
, São Tomé e Príncipe, Guinea, Angola), Indian (Mozambique) and Pacific Oceans (Timor and Macau
Macau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
). In amphibious missions the action of the Portuguese Marines (fuzileiros) was fundamental. For the Colonial wars, the Portuguese Navy had to equip itself with a large fleet of small units including corvette
Corvette
A corvette is a small, maneuverable, lightly armed warship, originally smaller than a frigate and larger than a coastal patrol craft or fast attack craft , although many recent designs resemble frigates in size and role...
s, patrol boat
Patrol boat
A patrol boat is a relatively small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defense duties.There have been many designs for patrol boats. They may be operated by a nation's navy, coast guard, or police force, and may be intended for marine and/or estuarine or river environments...
s and landing craft
Landing craft
Landing craft are boats and seagoing vessels used to convey a landing force from the sea to the shore during an amphibious assault. Most renowned are those used to storm the beaches of Normandy, the Mediterranean, and many Pacific islands during WWII...
, most of them designed and many built in Portugal.
Activity Since 1975
The Portuguese Navy participated in various long-range missions where it has effectively conducted Portugal's foreign policy, using its units solely or integrated in vaster campaigns articulated with the Portuguese ArmyPortuguese Army
The Portuguese Army is the ground branch of the Portuguese Armed Forces which, in co-operation with other branches of the Portuguese military, is charged with the defence of Portugal...
and the Portuguese Air Force
Portuguese Air Force
The Portuguese Air Force is the air force of Portugal. Formed on July 1, 1952, with the Aeronáutica Militar and Aviação Naval united in a single independent Air Force, it is one of the three branches of the Portuguese Armed Forces and its origins dates back to 1912, when the military aviation...
. The Portuguese Navy has been especially active in peace-enforcement campaigns using combat ships, helicopter missions and special force marine detachments in amphibious and air evacuation of Portuguese nationals and other foreign civilians from dangerous war zones in Sub-Saharan Africa. The most notable missions performed were in Bolama (Guinea-Bissau, 1990), Luanda (Angola, 1992), and Bissau (Guinea-Bissau, 1998 and again in 1999). In these theatres the Portuguese Armed Forces
Portuguese Armed Forces
The armed forces of Portugal, commonly known as the Portuguese Armed Forces encompasses a Navy , an Army and an Air Force...
set up secure zones amidst the combat areas, and evacuation units, sometimes operated by Portuguese Army special forces or Portuguese Marines Special Actions Detachment (DAE) to retrieve civilians from hot-spots and evacuate them onto frigates stationed off-shore or onto Portuguese Air Force
Portuguese Air Force
The Portuguese Air Force is the air force of Portugal. Formed on July 1, 1952, with the Aeronáutica Militar and Aviação Naval united in a single independent Air Force, it is one of the three branches of the Portuguese Armed Forces and its origins dates back to 1912, when the military aviation...
C-130 Hercules transports, as in Angola in 1992. http://tropaselite.t35.com/portugal-Marinha-DAE.htm.
The Portuguese Navy has also actively participated in several international peace-keeping and peace-enforcing efforts in conjunction with other NATO, UN or EU forces in numerous theatres, distant from Portuguese territory.
During the liberation of Kuwait in 1990-91, the Portuguese Navy logistics ship NRP São Gabriel supported allied forces in the Persian Gulf. In the various Balkan wars which resulted from the dismembering of Yugoslavia, the Portuguese Navy was an active player in Portugal's UN and NATO commitment, maintaining a frigate with DAE special forces in the Adriatic Sea continuously between 1991 and 2000, and commanding the NATO Mediterranean Sea operation "Active Endeavour" in December, 2001 and January, 2002. Closer to home, the Portuguese Navy has consistently contributed patrol boats and corvettes to joint-nation EU exercises designed to aid Spain in dealing with its problem of illegal immigration and drug-trafficking off its the Southern coast and the Canary Islands. During the Prestige oil-spill incident, off the coast of Northern Spain, Portugal dispatched various frigates and surveillance aircraft to the area, which were fundamental in providing independent information regarding the events.
Portuguese Navy Marine contingents have also participated in peace-enforcing UN missions in Kinshasa (Zaire, 1997) and Congo (1998), East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
(1999–2004), the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2006, and the NATO fleet off the coast of Somalia, where Portugal's Navy has played a prominent role. During the flooding of the Save River, in Mozambique (2000) a detachment of Portuguese Marines conducted flood rescue operations as part of the humanitarian relief effort. http://ema.marinha.pt/NR/rdonlyres/E183FB51-11D7-450A-8A36-369D44A0DB7C/0/Defesa_militar_e_apoio_politica_externa.pdf
During the onset of East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
's independence from Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
in 1999, Portugal sent two frigates and various troops to aid its former colony in the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. The NRP Vasco da Gama
NRP Vasco da Gama (F330)
NRP Vasco da Gama is the lead ship of the Vasco da Gama class frigates operated by the Portuguese Navy. She was laid down by Blohm + Voss on 2 February 1989, launched on 26 June 1989, and commissioned on 20 November 1990....
and the NRP Hermenegildo Capelo
João Belo class frigate
The João Belo class, also known as Comandante João Belo class, is a class of four frigates of French design, identical to the Commandant Rivière class, with extra equipment for tropical climates...
remained in the area until mid 2001 http://antigo.mdn.gov.pt/Defesa/Estrutura/Organigrama/DGPDN/Departamento_RM/missoes_paz_humanitarias_1992_2004/Ficheiros_indice/timor_asia_central.pdf. A company of 155 Marines was also sent to the territory as part of Portugal's UN peacekeeping role while the situation was volatile. Since 2004 a smaller detachment of Portuguese Marines is integrated in the Timor Military Liaison Group http://fuzileiros.marinha.pt/NR/rdonlyres/D76B83C9-7BCF-4472-935C-27B6730F11B4/0/17UNMITMLG_v3.pdf closely coordinated with the Portuguese National Republican Guard
Portuguese National Republican Guard
The Portuguese National Republican Guard is the gendarmerie of Portugal. Members of the GNR are soldiers, who, unlike the agents of the Public Security Police , are subject to military law and organisation...
(GNR) contingent stationed in the capital, Dili, and the Armed Forces of Timor.
The Vasco da Gama class frigates NRP Álvares Cabral and NRP Corte Real have regularly contributed to long-range NATO exercises in the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
, and both have served as NATO task-force flagships in the mission against Piracy in Somalia
Piracy in Somalia
Piracy off the coast of Somalia has been a threat to international shipping since the second phase of the Somali Civil War in the early 21st century...
. During 2009 and January 2010, the NATO fleet in the Gulf of Aden was commanded by the Portuguese Navy http://www.manw.nato.int/pdf/global_reach_booklet.pdf, who received the award of "exceptional bravery at sea" from the International Maritime Organization
International Maritime Organization
The International Maritime Organization , formerly known as the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization , was established in Geneva in 1948, and came into force ten years later, meeting for the first time in 1959...
for its successful attacks on pirate activity, conducted by the Corte Real frigate during the peak of pirate activity. http://huntoftheseawolves.net/blog/?m=200911 http://gaops.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=201:27-nov-2009-portuguese-navy-thwarts-pirate-attack-on-cargo-ship&catid=3:news&Itemid=13.
Ships and weapon systems
Surface Vessels
- FrigateFrigateA frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
s- 3 Vasco da Gama classVasco da Gama class frigateThe Vasco da Gama class is a class of frigates of the Portuguese Navy. Named in honor of the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama, the ships are based on the German MEKO 200 design, and are Portugal's major surface ships...
- 2 Bartolomeu Dias classKarel Doorman class frigateThe Karel Doorman class is a class of eight multi-purpose frigates of the Royal Netherlands Navy. The class is also known as the "Multi-purpose" or M class....
- 3 Vasco da Gama class
- CorvetteCorvetteA corvette is a small, maneuverable, lightly armed warship, originally smaller than a frigate and larger than a coastal patrol craft or fast attack craft , although many recent designs resemble frigates in size and role...
s- 4 João Coutinho classJoão Coutinho class corvetteThe João Coutinho class corvettes were a series of corvettes built for the Portuguese Navy for service in Portugal's African colonies. The corvettes were designed in Portugal by naval engineer Rogério de Oliveira, but the urgent need of their services in the Portuguese Colonial War meant that the...
- 3 Baptista de Andrade classBaptista de Andrade class corvetteThe Baptista de Andrade were a class of four corvettes built for the Portuguese Navy by BAZAN in Spain in the 1970s. They are an updated version of the João Coutinho class corvettes - designed by the Portuguese naval engineer Rogério de Oliveira - with more modern armament and sensors...
- 4 João Coutinho class
- Patrol Boats
- 4 Cacine class
- 2 Albatroz class
- 10 Argos class
- 4 Centauro classCentauro class fiscalization boatThe Centauro class fiscalization boats are the evolution of the previous Argos class, from which its previous name was Classe Argos - 2nd Series...
- 1 Rio Minho classRio Minho class fiscalization boatThe Rio Minho-class fiscalization boat is a patrol vessel designed by the Portuguese navy to conduct patrol missions in shallow waters....
- 1 Viana do Castelo classViana do Castelo class patrol vesselThe Viana do Castelo is a class of offshore patrol vessels planned by and for the Portuguese Navy, as a result of the NPO2000 Project , that are being constructed in the Estaleiros Navais de Viana do Castelo...
- Landing Craft UtilityLanding Craft UtilityThe Landing Craft Utility is a type of boat used by amphibious forces to transport equipment and troops to the shore. They are capable of transporting tracked or wheeled vehicles and troops from amphibious assault ships to beachheads or piers....
- 1 Bacamarte class
- Auxiliary vessels
- NRP Bérrio (former-Royal Fleet AuxiliaryRoyal Fleet AuxiliaryThe Royal Fleet Auxiliary is a civilian-manned fleet owned by the British Ministry of Defence. The RFA enables ships of the United Kingdom Royal Navy to maintain operations around the world. Its primary role is to supply the Royal Navy with fuel, ammunition and supplies, normally by replenishment...
Blue Rover) fleet oiler - NRP Schultz Xavier oil recovery ship
- NRP Sagres sail training ship
- UAM CreolaUAM CreoulaUAM Creoula is a training ship of the Portuguese Navy, built in 1937 in the Companhia União Fabril shipyards in Lisbon for Parceria Geral de Pescas fishing company. From 1938 to 1973 it was used in the Cod fishing campaigns in New Foundland and Greenland...
sail training ship - UAM Polar sail training ship
- UAM Vega sail training ship
- UAM Dom Fernando II e GlóriaDom Fernando II e GlóriaDom Fernando II e Glória is a wooden-hulled, 50 gun frigate of the Portuguese Navy. She was launched in 1843 and made her maiden voyage in 1845...
museum shipMuseum shipA museum ship, or sometimes memorial ship, is a ship that has been preserved and converted into a museum open to the public, for educational or memorial purposes...
- NRP Bérrio (former-Royal Fleet Auxiliary
- Survey vessels
- 2 D. Carlos I class, ocean survey vessel
- 2 Andrómeda class, coastal survey vessel
Submarines
- 2 Tridente classTridente class submarineThe Tridente class, also designated as U 209PN, is a diesel-electric submarine class based on the Type 214 submarine developed by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft GmbH for the Portuguese Navy....
209PN submarines based on the Type 214 submarineType 214 submarineThe Type 214 is a diesel-electric submarine developed by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft GmbH . It features diesel propulsion with an air-independent propulsion system using Siemens polymer electrolyte membrane hydrogen fuel cells...
.
Aircraft
- 5 Westland Super Lynx Mk.95Westland LynxThe Westland Lynx is a British multi-purpose military helicopter designed and built by Westland Helicopters at its factory in Yeovil. Originally intended as a utility craft for both civil and naval usage, military interest led to the development of both battlefield and naval variants...
- helicopters (a helicopter squadron was formed in 1993 to operate the Lynx from the Vasco da Gama classVasco da Gama class frigateThe Vasco da Gama class is a class of frigates of the Portuguese Navy. Named in honor of the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama, the ships are based on the German MEKO 200 design, and are Portugal's major surface ships...
frigates).
Future Developments
- 6 offshore patrol vessels of the Viana do Castelo classViana do Castelo class patrol vesselThe Viana do Castelo is a class of offshore patrol vessels planned by and for the Portuguese Navy, as a result of the NPO2000 Project , that are being constructed in the Estaleiros Navais de Viana do Castelo...
(NPO 2000). - 1 amphibious transport dockAmphibious transport dockAn amphibious transport dock, also called a landing platform/dock , is an amphibious warfare ship, a warship that embarks, transports, and lands elements of a landing force for expeditionary warfare missions. Several navies currently operate this kind of ship...
designed by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft. - 2 NPO 2000 -derivated, Pollution Combat Ships (NCPs)
- 5 LFCs (Coastal Patrol Craft)
See also
- Military history of PortugalMilitary history of PortugalThe Military history of Portugal is as long as the history of the country, either before the emergence of the socio-political reality of an independent Portuguese state, either after that.-Before Portugal:...
- Fuzileiros, Portuguese Navy Marine Corps
- Destacamento de Acções Especiais, naval commando unit
- Destacamentos de Mergulhadores Sapadores, combat divers unit.
- Portuguese Naval AviationPortuguese Naval AviationThe Portuguese Naval Aviation , was the air branch of the Portuguese Navy until 1952, and is today the command of the Navy responsible for the operation of the aircraft on board their ships...
- Maritime Museum of LisbonMaritime Museum (Lisbon)The Navy Museum of Lisbon is dedicated to all aspects of the History of navigation in Portugal. The museum is administered by the Portuguese Navy and is located in the touristic district of Belém...
- Academia de MarinhaAcademia de MarinhaThe Academia de Marinha is the cultural agency of the Portuguese Navy under the Chief of Naval Staff. Its purpose is to promote and to publish artistic, literary, historical, and scientific studies relating to the sea and maritime activities...
- Ship prefixShip prefixA ship prefix is a combination of letters, usually abbreviations, used in front of the name of a civilian or naval ship.Prefixes for civilian vessels may either identify the type of propulsion, such as "SS" for steamship, or purpose, such as "RV" for research vessel. Civilian prefixes are often...
- Pennant numberPennant numberIn the modern Royal Navy, and other navies of Europe and the Commonwealth, ships are identified by pennant numbers...