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Almirante Brown 1931

Ships

Name	No	Yard No	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Comp	Fate
Almirante Brown	C1		OTO, Sestri Ponente, Italy	12.10.1927	28.9.1929	18.7.1931	stricken 6.1961
Veinticinco de Mayo	C2	163	OTO, Livorno, Italy	29.11.1927	11.8.1929	11.7.1931	stricken 3.1960

Technical data

Displacement standard, t	6800
Displacement full, t	9000
Length, m	162.5 pp 170.8 oa
Breadth, m	17.8
Draught, m	4.66
No of shafts	2
Machinery	2 sets Parsons geared turbines, 6 Yarrow boilers
Power, h. p.	85000
Max speed, kts	32
Fuel, t	oil 2300
Endurance, nm(kts)	8030(14)
Armour, mm	belt: 70, bulkheads: 60 - 40, deck: 25, turrets: 50, CT: 65
Armament	3 x 2 - 190/52 Odero-Terni, 6 x 1 - 102/45 Odero-Terni, 6 x 1 - 40/39 Vickers-Terni 1917, 6 - 533 TT (beam, 12), 1 catapult, 2 seaplanes (O2U Corsair)
Complement	780

Standard scale images

Graphics

Project history

To the mid-1920s Argentina had the most numerous Navy on continent, however its cruiser forces hopelessly become outdated. The ten years Naval programme accepted in 1926 with total cost of 75 million peso, provided building of three heavy cruisers. Competition has benefited by OTO, the same year received an order on two ships (the third was financed, but never ordered).     Design was developed on a basis of Italian heavy cruiser Trento, but differed by decreased dimensions, main guns calibre, protection and machinery structure. Though cruiser possessed a set of lacks peculiar to Italian shipbuilding school (hull construction weakness, insufficient machinery reliability, congestion by armament), nevertheless, they have allowed the Argentina Navy to go out on qualitatively new level and next two decades have ensured the resolute superiority over navies of the basic contenders, Brazil and Chile.     The hull had a bulb and big bow flare, but, unlike a prototype, had a forecastle.     Odero-Terni 190mm/52 guns were the forced version of 190mm/45 guns installed on British Hawkins class cruisers. Turrets were designed on the basis of turrets of Trento, guns were in common gun slides with maximal elevation angle 46°. TTs were fixed and placed on a main deck. In a fore end there was "Gagnotto" catapult and underdeck hangar containing 2 seaplanes (originally Vought 02U Corsair, later Grumman G5).     Machinery took places by linear scheme. On trials at forced draught ships reached 116000hp and 33.5kts, but in service conditions speed was significantly lower.     In 1937 inconvenient in usage catapult was landed from both ships, hangar was used for placing of additional accommodation spaces. In 1939 behind a funnel new rotating catapult was installed; thus the height of funnel was increased, the superstructure form was altered. In 1944 new cranes were mounted. In days of war Supermarine Walrus and Grumman G15 Duck seaplanes were based on cruisers.     Both ships arrived to Argentina 15.9.1931.

Ship protection

Protection scheme as a whole repeated Trento, differing in smaller thickness of horizontal protection. The citadel was stretched from bow to aft turret. 70mm belt was closed by 60-40mm transverse bulkheads, and was connected by the upper edge with flat 25mm main deck. Above a belt the side up to upper deck level was protected by 25mm plating.

Modernizations

1937, both: - catapult, 2 seaplanes

1939, both: + new rotated catapult, 2 seaplanes (Walrus); funnel was raised

1949, both: + type 268 radar

6/1950, both: - 6 x 1 - 40/39; + 4 x 2 - 40/60 Mk 1

1956, both: - 6 x 1 - 102/45, 1 catapult, 2 seaplanes; + 6 x 2 - 40/60 Mk 1

Naval service

Almirante Brown was damaged 3.10.1941 at collision with destroyer Corrientes and battleship Rivadavia: repair was lasted 3 months. Both were broken up in Italy in 1962.