Puerto Belgrano
Encyclopedia
Base Naval Puerto Belgrano (Port Belgrano Naval base) is the largest naval base
of the Argentine Navy
, situated next to Punta Alta
, near Bahía Blanca
, about 700 km (435 mi) south of Buenos Aires
. It is named after Manuel Belgrano
.
Home of the Argentine Fleet, it concentrates all major ships and arsenals, and is close to the main bases of the other Navy organisations: Marine's camp Baterías and Naval aviation
's air base Comandante Espora.
, Puerto Belgrano opened on November 30, 1896 under the name Puerto Militar (Military Port). In 1911, the French-owned railway company Ferrocarril Rosario y Puerto Belgrano
opened a broad gauge (5 in 7 in (1.7 m)) line between Puerto Belgrano and Rosario
. The harbor was renamed Puerto Belgrano in 1923.
The base grew in importance with the size of the fleet. During World War I
and World War II
the Rivadavia class
battleship
s Moreno
and Rivadavia
were docked here, and during the Cold War
the aircraft carriers Independencia and 25 de Mayo were docked at this base.
The shipyard continues doing maintenance and refits of vessels and submarines.
On April 2006, the Royal Navy
's Antarctic patrol vessel HMS Endurance (A171)
entered Puerto Belgrano for repairs after damaging its rudder while in Antarctica in February. It was the first time since the end of the 1982 Falklands War
that a British Royal Navy ship had entered the Argentine naval base.
Naval base
A naval base is a military base, where warships and naval ships are deployed when they have no mission at sea or want to restock. Usually ships may also perform some minor repairs. Some naval bases are temporary homes to aircraft that usually stay on the ships but are undergoing maintenance while...
of the Argentine Navy
Argentine Navy
The Navy of the Argentine Republic or Armada of the Argentine Republic is the navy of Argentina. It is one of the three branches of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic, together with the Army and the Air Force....
, situated next to Punta Alta
Punta Alta
Punta Alta is a city in Argentina, about 20 kilometers southeast of Bahía Blanca. It has a population of 57,296. It is the capital of the Coronel Rosales Partido...
, near Bahía Blanca
Bahía Blanca
Bahía Blanca is a city located in the south-west of the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, by the Atlantic Ocean, and seat of government of Bahía Blanca Partido. It has a population of 274,509 inhabitants according to the...
, about 700 km (435 mi) south of Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
. It is named after Manuel Belgrano
Manuel Belgrano
Manuel José Joaquín del Corazón de Jesús Belgrano , usually referred to as Manuel Belgrano, was an Argentine economist, lawyer, politician, and military leader. He took part in the Argentine Wars of Independence and created the Flag of Argentina...
.
Home of the Argentine Fleet, it concentrates all major ships and arsenals, and is close to the main bases of the other Navy organisations: Marine's camp Baterías and Naval aviation
Argentine Naval Aviation
The Argentine Naval Aviation is the naval aviation branch of the Argentine Navy and one of its four operational commands...
's air base Comandante Espora.
History
Designed by prominent local engineer Luis HuergoLuis Huergo
Luis Augusto Huergo was an Argentine engineer prominent in the development of his country's ports.-Early career:...
, Puerto Belgrano opened on November 30, 1896 under the name Puerto Militar (Military Port). In 1911, the French-owned railway company Ferrocarril Rosario y Puerto Belgrano
Ferrocarril Rosario y Puerto Belgrano
The Ferrocarril Rosario y Puerto Belgrano was a French-owned railway company which operated a broad gauge, , single track line between the cities of Rosario and Puerto Belgrano in Argentina...
opened a broad gauge (5 in 7 in (1.7 m)) line between Puerto Belgrano and Rosario
Rosario
Rosario is the largest city in the province of Santa Fe, Argentina. It is located northwest of Buenos Aires, on the western shore of the Paraná River and has 1,159,004 residents as of the ....
. The harbor was renamed Puerto Belgrano in 1923.
The base grew in importance with the size of the fleet. During 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...
and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the Rivadavia class
Rivadavia class battleship
The Rivadavia class was a two-ship group of battleships designed by the American Fore River Shipbuilding Company for the Argentine Navy...
battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
s Moreno
ARA Moreno
ARA Moreno was a dreadnought battleship designed by the American Fore River Shipbuilding Company for the Argentine Navy...
and Rivadavia
ARA Rivadavia
ARA Rivadavia"ARA" is an acronym for Armada de la República Argentina was a battleship of the Argentine Navy. Named after the first Argentine president, Bernardino Rivadavia, she was the lead ship of her class and the third dreadnought built during the South American dreadnought race...
were docked here, and during the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
the aircraft carriers Independencia and 25 de Mayo were docked at this base.
The shipyard continues doing maintenance and refits of vessels and submarines.
On April 2006, the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
's Antarctic patrol vessel HMS Endurance (A171)
HMS Endurance (A171)
MV Polar Circle was built in Norway in 1990, chartered by the Royal Navy as HMS Polar Circle, and finally purchased as HMS Endurance. She is a former Antarctic ice patrol ship, and is a class 1A1 icebreaker...
entered Puerto Belgrano for repairs after damaging its rudder while in Antarctica in February. It was the first time since the end of the 1982 Falklands War
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
that a British Royal Navy ship had entered the Argentine naval base.