Minas Geraes-class battleship

The Minas Geraes class, spelled Minas Gerais in some

sources,[upper-alpha 2] consisted of two battleships built for
the Brazilian Navy (Marinha do Brasil) in the early twentieth century. The ships were named Minas Geraes, after the Brazilian state, and So Paulo, honoring both the
state and city. They were intended to be Brazils rst
step towards becoming an international power, and consequently they initiated a South American naval arms
race.

Brazils navy fell into obsolescence after an 1889 revolution, which deposed Emperor Dom Pedro II, and an 1893
civil war.[1][4][5][upper-alpha 3] Meanwhile, an Argentine
Chilean dispute over the boundary of Patagonia and control of the Beagle Channel kindled a naval arms race
between the two beginning in the late 1880s and lasting until 1902. Restrictions were placed on the navies
of both countries and major vessels under construction
in both navies were sold as part of the British-mediated
three pacts which ended the dispute, but both countries
retained the numerous vessels built in the interim.[7][8]
As such, by the turn of the 20th century the Brazilian
Navy lagged far behind the Chilean and Argentine navies
in quality and total tonnage,[4][5][upper-alpha 4] despite Brazil
having nearly three times the population of Argentina and
almost ve times the population of Chile.[4][9]

In 1904, Brazil began a major naval building program

that included three small battleships. Designing and ordering the ships took two years, but these plans were
scrapped after the revolutionary "dreadnought" concept
rendered the Brazilian design obsolete. Two dreadnoughts were ordered from the United Kingdom instead,
making Brazil the third country to have ships of this
type under constructionbefore traditional powers like
Germany, France, or Russia. As such, the ships created much uncertainty among the major countries in the
world, many of whom incorrectly speculated the ships
were actually destined for a rival nation. Similarly, they
also caused much consternation in Argentina and consequently Chile.

Soaring demand for coee and rubber brought Brazil an

inux of revenue in the early 1900s.[9] Simultaneously,
there was a drive on the part of prominent Brazilians,
most notably the Baron of Rio Branco, to have the country recognized as an international power.[10] A large naval
acquisition program was drawn up and passed by the
National Congress of Brazil in October 1904 in accordance with their belief that a powerful navy would be cruSoon after their delivery in 1910, both Minas Geraes and
goal, but it was two years
So Paulo were embroiled in the Revolt of the Lash (Re- cial to the achievement of this [1][9][10]
before any ships were ordered.
volta da Chibata), in which the crews of four Brazilian
ships demanded the abolition of corporal punishment in Two factions argued over the types of ships to be orthe navy. The mutineers surrendered after four days, dered. One favored a navy centered around a small numwhen a bill was passed granting amnesty to all those in- ber of large warships, while the other preferred a larger
volved. In 1922, the two battleships were used to help navy of smaller warships.[10] The latter originally preput down a revolt at Fort Copacabana. Two years later, vailed with a bill authorizing the construction of three
lieutenants on So Paulo mutinied but found little support small battleships, three armored cruisers, six destroyers,
from other military units, so they sailed to Montevideo, twelve torpedo boats, three submarines, and two river
Uruguay, and obtained asylum. Minas Geraes was mod- monitors.[10][11] Though the Brazilian government later
ernized in the 1930s, but both battleships were too old eliminated the armored cruisers for monetary reasons, the
to participate actively in the Second World War, and in- Minister of the Navy, Admiral Jlio Csar de Noronha,
stead were employed as harbor defense ships in Salvador signed a contract with Armstrong Whitworth for three
and Recife. So Paulo was sold in 1951 to a British battleships on 23 July 1906.[12] While the rst designs
shipbreaker, but was lost in a storm north of the Azores for these ships were derived from the Norwegian coastal
while being towed to its nal destination. Minas Ger- defense ship Norge and the British (originally Chilean)
aes was sold to an Italian scrapper in 1953 and towed to Swiftsure class,[upper-alpha 5] the contracted ships were to
Genoa the following year.
follow Armstrong Whitworth's Design 439 (Design 188
in Vickers' les). They would displace 11,800 long tons
(12,000 tonnes), have a speed of 19 knots (22 mph; 35
km/h), and be protected by belt armor of 9 inches (23 cm)
and deck armor of 1.5 in (3.8 cm). Each ship would be
1 Background
armed with twelve 10-inch (25 cm) guns mounted in six
twin turrets. These turrets would be mounted in a hexagMain article: South American dreadnought race
onal conguration, similar to the later German Nassau-

3 INTERNATIONAL REACTION

class battleships.[14]
Alarmed, the American ambassador to Brazil sent a
cablegram to his Department of State in September 1906,
warning them of the destabilization that would occur if
the situation devolved into a full naval arms race. At the
same time, the American government under Theodore
Roosevelt tried using diplomatic means to coerce the
Brazilians into canceling their ships, but the attempts
were dismissed, with the Baron of Rio Branco remarking that caving to the American demands would render
Brazil as powerless as suzerain Cuba. The President of
Brazil, Afonso Pena, supported the naval acquisitions in
an address to the National Congress of Brazil in November 1906, as in his opinion the ships were necessary to
replace the antiquated and obsolete vessels of the current
navy.[15]

Bidding and construction

The launch of Minas Geraes on 10 September 1908. As

the ship has not gone through its tting-out period, it
weighed only around 9,000 long tons (9,100 metric tons)
at this time.[16]

Rear Admiral Alexandrino Faria de Alencar for the powerful post of minister of the navy.[18] The money authorized for naval expansion was redirected by de Alencar to
building two dreadnoughts, with plans for a third dreadnought after the rst was completed, two scout cruisers
(which became the Bahia class), ten destroyers (the Par
class), and three submarines.[18][19] The three battleships
on which construction had just begun were demolished
beginning on 7 January 1907.[17]
An entirely new design incorporating the latest dreadnought technology was drawn up by J.R. Perret, the head
of Elswick Ordnance Company, and approved by the
Brazilian government on 20 February 1907.[17][20] Argentina and Chile immediately annulled the 1902 treaty
that had ended their naval arms race, and both planned to
expand their own navies, though Chile was delayed by a
nancial depression in 1907 and a major earthquake the
next year.[4]
Minas Geraes, the lead ship, was laid down by Armstrong
on 17 April 1907, while its sister ship So Paulo followed thirteen days later at Vickers. Construction of the
partial hull needed to launch Minas Geraes was delayed
by a four-month strike to 10 September 1908, and So
Paulo followed on 19 April 1909.[21][22][23][24][25] Both
were christened in front of large crowds by the wife of
Francisco Rgis de Oliveira, the Brazilian ambassador
to the United Kingdom.[26][27] After multiple trials of
the speed, endurance, eciency, and weaponry of the
ship,[28][29] Minas Geraes was completed and handed over
to Brazil on 5 January 1910.[30] So Paulo followed in
July, after its own trials.[31][32] The third dreadnought,
which would have been named Rio de Janeiro and was
provided for in the original contract, was laid down on
16 March, but as the ship had already been eclipsed
by new naval technology (chiey the advent of superdreadnoughts, beginning with the British HMS Orion),
the Brazilian government canceled its on 7 May and asked
Armstrong to prepare a new design.[33][upper-alpha 6]
At this time, the dreadnought design had not been fully
validated, despite the success of the British namesake;[36]
for example, there were still concerns that the Minas
Geraes class superring turret arrangementwhich had
not been utilized on the original Dreadnought, but was
also being installed on the American South Carolina
classwould cause blast to hurt the crew in the lower
turret.[37][38] Any immediate concerns, however, were
mitigated during the ring tests when no ill eects were
observed,[38] though the Times (London) reported that
there were still concerns registered during So Paulo 's
gun trials in June 1910.[32]

Design 439 was modied before these ships were laid

down, increasing the displacement to 14,334 long tons
(14,564 t) and making them slightly longer and wider.
Two of these ships were laid down by Armstrong at
Elswick in Newcastle upon Tyne (Minas Geraes and
Rio de Janeiro), while the other was subcontracted out
to Vickers in Barrow (So Paulo). However, the new
dreadnought concept, which was showcased upon the 3 International reaction
completion of the namesake ship in December 1906, rendered the Brazilian ships obsolete.[17] A transition to a The start of work on Minas Geraes meant that Brazil had
few large warships was nalized with the selection of become the third countrybehind the United Kingdom

3
and the United States but ahead of major powers such as in 1908 were unsuccessful.[48] With three dreadnoughts
Germany, France, Russia and Japanto have a dread- planned (including the upcoming Rio de Janeiro), a Spannought under construction.[9][39][upper-alpha 7]
ish naval journal stated it was only natural that rumors
The order for the dreadnoughts caused an immediate stir [would begin] to circulate supporting the argument that
in the United States and Europe; in the words of the Brazil acted as an intermediary for some great power
acquire them before they terminate their
British Navy League Annual, they astonished the naval which would [49]
construction.
Various British papers speculated that
[41]
The American New York Times opened an
world.
either
the
Germans,
Japanese, or Americans were actuarticle on Minas Geraes ' launch with What on paper
ally buying the ships, while naval experts in Germany
at least is the most powerful warship ever built for any
British, or Japanese were gonavy ...,[26] while Scientic American called Minas Ger- thought the Americans,
ing to take them over.[22][50][51][52] On the other side of
aes the last word in heavy battleship design and the ...
most powerfully armed warship aoat.[42] Some publi- the Atlantic, some American papers theorized that the
ships would be sold to the United Kingdom, Germany,
cations, like the American Advocate of Peace, decried
[53][54][55]
The Brazilian government was forced
the dreadnought purchase for its cost, calling it a showy or Japan.
to
deny
these
spurious
allegations several times.[56] The
and pretentious naval policy seemingly for the sheer indulgence of national pride and continuing with "[sink- New York Times remarked:
ing] money into useless warships when, it is understood,
foreign money has had to be borrowed for city improvements in Rio de Janeiro is pitiful politics.[43]

Minas Geraes conducting its gun trials, at that time the heaviest
broadside ever red o a ship

The British House of Commons debated purchasing the

ships in March 1908 to bolster the Royal Navy while simultaneously ensuring they would not be sold to a foreign
rival.[17] The topic arose again in July and September,
when Arthur Lee expressed his discomfort at the possible
nal dispositions of the Brazilian ships, as any sale had the
potential to disrupt their "Two-Power Standard".[17][44]
International Marine Engineering analyzed the eect of
a sale to Japan, stating that the total broadside weight of
Japans line of battle would be increased by 31.6%, and
the only ships capable of matching the Minas Geraes '
in the near future would be the American Delaware and
German Nassau classes.[45]
Newspapers and journals around the world speculated
that Brazil was acting as a proxy for a naval power which
would take possession of the two dreadnoughts soon after completion, as they did not believe that a previously insignicant geopolitical power would contract for
such powerful armament.[46][47] The evidence for a sale
seemed strong, as Brazilian attempts to oat a multimillion-dollar loan against the value of their coee crop

The rumor is that the three warships ...

ordered [in Britain] two years ago will be
launched from English shores only to y the
German ag. It is asserted that these ships,
which are named the Sao Paulo, the Minas
Geras [sic] and the Rio de Janeiro, and all of
which will be completed by next fall, will be
conveyed to the German government on the
payment of $30,000,000.
It may be recalled that when orders were
placed for the ships ... there was much speculation as to the destiny of the vessels, as no
naval expert could understand how a secondrate power like Brazil needed such formidable
engines of war which would represent absolutely the latest stages of naval construction and
armament. Meanwhile, it had been reported
that the ships were being built for the Japanese
government, which had a secret understanding with Brazil. But this theory was soon discarded by the fact that relations between these
two countries were not extremely cordial on
account of the attitude of Brazil toward the
immigration of Japanese laborers.[upper-alpha 8]
Then it was semi-ocially stated that the ships
would never leave the ways except to y the
British ag, but the money for such a purpose
could only be raised by a loan or the Admiralty getting the sum from the sinking fund
contingencies which would naturally become
public property long before they could be carried out. ("Germany May Buy English Warships, New York Times, 9 August 1908, C8)
Despite the speculation, the United States quickly began
courting Brazil as an ally; caught up in the spirit, US naval
journals began using terms like Pan Americanism and
Hemispheric Cooperation.[22]
In South America, the ships came as a rude shock and
kindled a naval arms race among Brazil, Argentina, and

SERVICE HISTORIES

Chile. The 1902 treaty between the latter two was canceled upon the Brazilian dreadnought order so both could
be free to build their own dreadnoughts.[4] Argentina in
particular was alarmed at the possible power of the ships.
The Minister of Foreign Aairs, Manuel Augusto Montes
de Oca, remarked that either Minas Geraes or So Paulo
could destroy the entire Argentine and Chilean eets.[58]
While this may have been hyperbole, either one was much
more powerful than any single vessel in the Argentinian
eet.[59] As such, the Argentines quickly responded to the
dreadnoughts with an order to the United States for two of
their own, the Rivadavia class, while Chile ordered two of
the Almirante Latorre class from the United Kingdom.[60]

Ships

Service histories

After completion, both Minas Geraes and So Paulo

sailed to other countries before arriving in Brazil. Minas
Geraes left the Tyne on 5 February 1910 and traveled to
Plymouth before beginning a voyage to the United States
on 8 February.[61][62] The ship was assigned to escort the
American armored cruiser North Carolina, carrying the
body of the former Brazilian ambassador to the United
States Joaquim Nabuco, to Rio de Janeiro.[58][63][64] They
arrived in the city on 17 April 1910.[21][58] So Paulo
left Greenock on 16 September 1910,[65] and stopped
in Cherbourg, France, to embark the Brazilian President
Hermes da Fonseca.[66][67] Departing on the 27th,[68] So
Paulo voyaged to Lisbon, Portugal, where Fonseca was a
guest of Portugals King Manuel II. Soon after they arrived, the 5 October 1910 revolution began.[69] Although
the President oered political asylum to the King and his
family, the oer was refused.[70] There was a rumor that
the King was on board and revolutionaries attempted to
search the ship, but were denied permission. They also
asked for Brazil to land marines to help in the maintenance of order, but this request was also denied.[71] So
Paulo left Lisbon on 7 October for Rio de Janeiro,[69][72]
and docked there on 25 October.[65]

5.1

Revolt of the Lash

Main article: Revolt of the Lash

Soon after So Paulo 's arrival, a major rebellion known
as the Revolt of the Lash, or Revolta da Chibata, broke
out on four of the newest ships in the Brazilian Navy. The
initial spark was provided on 16 November 1910 when
Afro-Brazilian sailor Marcelino Rodrigues Menezes was
brutally ogged 250 times for insubordination.[upper-alpha 9]
Many Afro-Brazilian sailors were sons of former slaves,
or were former slaves freed under the Lei urea (abolition) but forced to enter the navy. They had been planning

Sailors pose for a photographer on board Minas Geraes, probably during the ships visit to the United States in early 1913.

Joo Cndido Felisberto with reporters, ocers and sailors on

board Minas Geraes on 26 November 1910, the last day of the
Revolt of the Lash

a revolt for some time, and Menezes became the catalyst.

Further preparations were needed, so the rebellion was
delayed until 22 November. The crewmen of Minas Geraes, So Paulo, the twelve-year-old Deodoro, and the new
Bahia quickly took their vessels with only a minimum of
bloodshed: two ocers on Minas Geraes and one each
on So Paulo and Bahia were killed.[74]
The ships were well-supplied with foodstus, ammunition, and coal, and the only demand of mutineersled
by Joo Cndido Felisbertowas the abolition of slavery as practiced by the Brazilian Navy. They objected to
low pay, long hours, inadequate training for incompetent
sailors, and punishments including blo (being struck on
the hand with a ferrule) and the use of whips or lashes
(chibata), which eventually became a symbol of the revolt. By the 23rd, the National Congress had begun discussing the possibility of a general amnesty for the sailors.
Senator Ruy Barbosa, long an opponent of slavery, lent a
large amount of support, and the measure unanimously
passed the Federal Senate on 24 November. The measure was then sent to the Chamber of Deputies.[75]
Humiliated by the revolt, naval ocers and the president of Brazil were staunchly opposed to amnesty, so
they quickly began planning to assault the rebel ships.
The former believed such an action was necessary to re-

5.2

Later career

store the services honor. Late on the 24th, the President ordered the naval ocers to attack the mutineers.
Ocers crewed some smaller warships and the cruiser
Rio Grande do Sul, Bahia 's sister ship with ten 4.7-inch
guns. They planned to attack on the morning of the 25th,
when the government expected the mutineers would return to Guanabara Bay. When they did not return and
the amnesty measure neared passage in the Chamber of
Deputies, the order was rescinded. After the bill passed
12523 and the president signed it into law, the mutineers
stood down on the 26th.[76]
During the revolt, the ships were noted by many observers to be well-handled, despite a previous belief that
the Brazilian Navy was incapable of eectively operating the ships even before being split by a rebellion. Joo
Cndido Felisberto ordered all liquor thrown overboard,
and discipline on the ships was recognized as exemplary.
The 4.7-inch guns were often used for shots over the city,
but the 12-inch were not, which led to a suspicion among
the naval ocers that the rebels were incapable of using the weapons. Later research and interviews indicate
that Minas Geraes ' guns were fully operational, and while
So Paulo 's could not be turned after salt water contaminated the hydraulic system, British engineers still on
board the ship after the voyage from the United Kingdom were working on the problem. Still, historians have
never ascertained how well the mutineers could handle
the ships.[77][78]

Minas Geraes after its 1930s modernization, possibly during the

Second World War

peror Pedro II and his wife, Teresa Cristina, back to

Brazil.[82][85][upper-alpha 10] In July 1922, both battleships
helped to quash the rst of the Tenente revolts (Revoluo
Tenentista), in which the garrison of Rio de Janeiros
Fort Copacabana rebelled and began bombarding the
city. So Paulo shelled the fort, and the rebels surrendered shortly thereafter; Minas Geraes did not re its
guns.[24][25][70][86][upper-alpha 11] In 1924, three lieutenants,
including Hercolino Cascardo, took over So Paulo with
other crewmen. They were unsuccessful in swaying any
other ships to their cause, except for an old torpedo boat,
and soon sailed out of the harbor after ring a six-pounder
gun at Minas Geraes. Short of food and with condensers
in poor condition, the rebels sailed to Montevideo, where
5.2 Later career
they received asylum. Minas Geraes followed So Paulo,
on 11 November and taking back possession of
Three years after the mutiny, Minas Geraes was used arriving [88]
the
ship.
to transport Brazilian Minister of Foreign Aairs Lauro
Mller to the United States.[79][80][81] The ship returned Minas Geraes was modernized at the Rio de Janeiro
on 16 July and arrived in Rio de Janeiro on 16 August. Naval Yard from June 1931 to 1938,[89][upper-alpha 12]
In September both Minas Geraes and So Paulo partici- while So Paulo led a naval force that broke the naval
pated in a major exercise with most of the Brazilian Navy. blockade of Santos during the Constitutionalist RevoluThe need for more modern re control system was iden- tion of 1932.[70] Though Brazil had also intended to modtied as early as late 1913, but no action was taken.[81][82] ernize So Paulo, its poor conditionshe was only able to
When Brazil entered the First World War in 1917, they make 10 knots (12 mph; 19 km/h) instead of its designed
were oered to the United Kingdom for service in the speed of 21 knots (24 mph; 39 km/h)made such acGrand Fleet, but the British declined due to the condition tion uneconomical.[90] Soon after Brazils entrance into
the ships were in. They had not been modernized since the Second World War on 21 August 1942,[91] So Paulo
entering service, and maintenance had been neglected; to was moved to Recife on 23 August to defend that port as
illustrate the problem, when Brazil sent So Paulo to the a harbor defense ship; Minas Geraes played a similar role
United States for a modernization in June 1918, fourteen at Salvador.[81][82][90] Even with the modernization, Miof the eighteen boilers that powered the ship failed. The nas Geraes was simply too old and vulnerable to actively
ship only nished the voyage to New York with the as- participate in the war.[92]
sistance of the American battleship Nebraska and cruiser Both ships were decommissioned after the war, So Paulo
Raleigh.[83] Minas Geraes followed after its sisters return, on 2 August 1947 and Minas Geraes on 31 December
and the modernization was done between 1 September 1952.[24][25] The former was sold to a British shipbreaker
1920 and 1 October 1921.[81][84]
and was towed out of Rio de Janeiro on 20 SeptemSo Paulo made two trips to Europe in 1920. The
rst conveyed King Albert I and Queen Elisabeth of
Belgium to Brazil for the centennial celebrations. After So Paulo brought them home, the ship traveled to
Portugal to take the bodies of the formerly-exiled Em-

ber 1951. When north of the Azores in a strong storm,

the tow line snapped. Though multiple searches were
mounted by American and British aircraft, the ship was
never found.[25][90] Minas Geraes was sold to an Italian
company in 1953 and towed to Genoa from 11 March

7 FOOTNOTES

1954 to 22 April.[24][81][90]

Specications

inches (150 and 76 mm) closer to each end of the ships.

The barbettes were protected by nine-inch armor, while
the turret had a twelve-inch (300 mm) front, eight-inch
(200 mm) sides, and a two- to three-inch (51 to 76 mm)
top, and the conning tower had twelve-inch armor. The
deck armor had multiple decks of one-and-a-half to two
inches (38 to 51 mm), one inch (25 mm), and one inch.[93]

7 Footnotes

Plans of the Minas Geraes class, showing the armor values (g.
1) and the theoretically possible radii of the main and secondary
batteries (g. 2 and 3), from the Journal of the United States
Artillery (1910)

The two ships of the Minas Geraes class were 543 feet
(166 m) overall, 530 feet (160 m) at the waterline, and
500 feet (150 m) between perpendiculars. They had a
beam of 83 feet (25 m), a mean draft of 25 feet (7.6 m),
a maximum draft of 28 feet (8.5 m), a normal displacement of 18,976 long tons (19,281 t), and a displacement
of 20,900 long tons (21,200 t) at full load. At the beginning of their careers, the ships were crewed by about 900
men.[22]
Minas Geraes and So Paulo were originally armed with
twelve 12-inch/45 caliber, twenty-two 4.7-inch/50 caliber, and eight 3-pounder naval guns. The main battery
was arranged with four superring turrets, two each fore
and aft, and two placed en echelon. The 4.7-inch secondary guns were placed in casemates along the side of
the ship.[22]
The propulsion of the two ships was provided by Vickers vertical triple expansion engines instead of the steam
turbines being used to power most contemporary dreadnoughts. Eighteen boilers provided power to the engines,
which in turn rotated the two three-bladed propellers with
23,500 shaft horsepower. Their designed top speed was
21 knots (24 mph; 39 km/h), though this was frequently
unattainable in their later careers owing to substandard
maintenance and neglect. The ships could carry 2,350
tonnes (2,310 long tons) of coal and 400 tonnes (390
long tons) of oil, and their original endurance was 10,000
nautical miles (12,000 mi; 19,000 km) when traveling at
10 knots (12 mph; 19 km/h).[22][93] During its trials, Minas Geraes was able to steam at 22.29 knots (25.65 mph;
41.28 km/h).[94]
The main armor belt was Krupp cemented and nine
inches (230 mm) thick, but narrowed to six and three

[1] This was a staggering sum of money for the time. After
the ships were ordered, a Brazilian newspaper equated the
initial purchase cost for Minas Geraes, So Paulo, and Rio
de Janeiro (given as 6,110,100 without accounting for
ammunition, which was 605,520, or necessary upgrades
to docks, costing 832,000) as equaling 5,029 kilometres
(3,125 mi) of railroad tracks or 30,300 homesteads. This
large sum, however, was dwarfed by later costs for maintenance; the rst ve years of the ships commissioned lives
cost Brazil about 60% of the initial cost.[3]
[2] Minas Geraes was the spelling when the battleship was
commissioned, but later changes to Portuguese orthography deprecated it in favor of Minas Gerais. The
words are pronounced [min eaj] in Portuguese. Ship
classes are named for the lead ship, in this case Minas Geraes.
[3] The civil war was begun by secessionists in the southern
province of Rio Grande do Sul. In 1893, Rear Admiral
Custdio Jos de Mello, the minister of the navy, revolted
against President Floriano Peixoto, bringing nearly all of
the Brazilian warships currently in the country with him.
Mellos forces took Desterro when the governor surrendered, and began to coordinate with the secessionists, but
loyal Brazilian forces overwhelmed them both. Most of
the rebel naval forces were sailed to Argentina, where their
crews surrendered; the agship, Aquidab, held out near
Desterro until sunk by a torpedo boat.[6]
[4] Chiles naval tonnage was 36,896 long tons (37,488 t), Argentinas 34,425 long tons (34,977 t), and Brazils 27,661
long tons (28,105 t).[4]
[5] Incidentally, the Swiftsure class, named Constitucin and
Libertad before being bought by the British, were the two
Chilean warships sold as part of the 1902 Argentinian
Chilean pacts that ended their naval arms race.[13]
[6] Rio de Janeiro was eventually constructed as a much
larger ship with fourteen 12-inch guns in seven turrets, all
mounted on the centerline, but it was sold partway through
construction to the Ottoman Empire. Later, shortly after
the First World War broke out, the ship was taken over by
the United Kingdom as HMS Agincourt.[34][35]
[7] Although Germany laid down their rst dreadnought,
Nassau, two months after Minas Geraes, the German vessel was completed rst.[9][40]
[8] cf. Japanese Brazilian. A series of rumors supporting this
theory, where Brazil was alleged to have placed large armament orders in the United Kingdom on behalf of Japan

(who would then use them against the United States), was
strongly denied by the Brazilian government. Rio Branco,
through a telegram sent to the Brazilian ambassador to
the United States Joaquim Nabuco, based his counterargument in the close relationship between Brazilian and
American governments, saying every sensible person will
understand that an honest and respectable government
would not lend itself to play the part attributed to Brazil
by the inventor of the news.[57]
[9] The sailors back was later described by Jos Carlos de
Carvalho, a retired navy captain assigned by the Brazilian
government as their representative to the mutineers, as a
mullet sliced open for salting.[73]
[10] cf. Legacy of Pedro II of Brazil.
[11] Scheina asserts that Minas Geraes shelled the fort,[87] but
this is contradicted by multiple other sources.[24][25][70][86]
[12] The 1938 date is somewhat variable; Topliss states A ...
modernization was undertaken in Brazil during the 1930s.
The ship was placed in repair status on 10 June 1931 and
ran sea trials only in 1938, on 22 April and 9 May. The
ship returned to active service status on 10 June 1938,
though all work was not completed until 1940.[89]

Endnotes

[20] Brazil, Naval Engineers, 834.

[21] Scheina, Naval History, 321.
[22] Scheina, Brazil, 404.
[23] Topliss, The Brazilian Dreadnoughts, 249.
[24] Minas Geraes I, Servio de Documentao da Marinha
Histrico de Navios.
[25] So Paulo I, Servio de Documentao da Marinha
Histrico de Navios.
[26] "Launch Greatest Warships, The New York Times, 11
September 1908, 5.
[27] "Launch Brazils Battleship, The New York Times, 20
April 1909, 5.
[28] The Brazilian Battleship, United States Artillery, 185
188.
[29] The Brazilian Battleship, Scientic American, 240241.
[30] The Minas Geraes, The Times, 6 January 1910, 4d.
[31] Trials of the Sao Paulo, The Times, 3 June 1910, 7c.
[32] Gun Trials of the Sao Paulo, The Times, 4 June 1910,
9b.
[33] Topliss, The Brazilian Dreadnoughts, 249, 254.

[1] Topliss, The Brazilian Dreadnoughts, 240.

[2] ONI, Information Concerning Some of the Principal Navies
of the World, 21.
[3] Scheina, Naval History, 86.
[4] Livermore, Battleship Diplomacy, 32.
[5] Martins, Colossos do mares, 75.

[34] Topliss, The Brazilian Dreadnoughts, 281282.

[35] Preston, Great Britain, 37.
[36] Scheina, Naval History, 354.
[37] The Brazilian Battleship, United States Artillery, 187
188.

[6] Scheina, Naval History, 6776, 352.

[38] The New Brazilian Battleships, The Times, 22 January

1910, 16f.

[7] Scheina, Naval History, 4552.

[39] Whitley, Battleships, 13.

[8] Garrett, Beagle Channel Dispute, 8688.

[40] Campbell, Germany, 145.

[9] Scheina, Brazil, 403.

[41] Quoted in Scheina, Naval History, 81 from The Navy

League Annual, 19101911, 103.

[10] Scheina, Naval History, 80.

[11] English, Armed Forces, 108.
[12] Topliss, The Brazilian Dreadnoughts, 240245.
[13] Scheina, Naval History, 52, 349.
[14] Topliss, The Brazilian Dreadnoughts, 244246.
[15] Livermore, Battleship Diplomacy, 33.
[16] Brazil, Naval Engineers, 836.
[17] Topliss, The Brazilian Dreadnoughts, 246.
[18] Scheina, Naval History, 81.
[19] Brazil, Naval Engineers, 88384.

[42] The Brazilian Battleship, Scientic American, 240.

[43] Mead, Reaction, 238239.
[44] "British and Foreign News, Evening Post, 12 September
1908, 13.
[45] The Brazilian Dreadnoughts, International Marine Engineering, 362363.
[46] Martins, Colossos do mares, 77.
[47] Mead, Reaction, 238.
[48] Topliss, The Brazilian Dreadnoughts, 247.
[49] Quoted in Scheina, Naval History, 354 from Revista General de Marina 64 (1908): 724.

REFERENCES

[50] British-Brazilian Warships, The Navy, 1112.

[77] Morgan, The Revolt of the Lash, 3940, 4849, 52.

[51] The Brazilian Dreadnoughts," The Navy, 1314.

[78] Scheina, Latin Americas Wars, 73.

[52] "The Race for Naval Supremacy, Nelson Evening Mail, 6

April 1909, 2.

[79] "Brazilian Envoy Host on Warship, The New York Times,

12 July 1913, 7.

[53] "Germany May Buy English Warships, The New York

Times, 9 August 1908, C8.

[80] "Tell Brazils Envoy of Trade Problems, The New York

Times, 18 June 1913, 14.

[54] "Another British Dreadnought and a Brazilian Battleship

on the Water, The New York Tribune, 11 September
1908, 4.

[81] E Minas Geraes, Navios De Guerra Brasileiros.

[55] "Brazil, Japan, and Great Britain, The Sun (New York),
1 July 1908, 6.

[83] Whitley, Battleships, 26, 28.

[56] The Reported Purchase of Battleships, The Navy

(Washington), 39; "Brazilian Minister and 'No Ulterior
Designs, Lancashire Evening Post, 19 April 1909, 2;
"Brazilian Battleship Launched at Barrow, Yorkshire Post
and Leeds Intelligencer, 20 April 1909, 5.
[57] The Reported Purchase of Battleships, The Navy
(Washington), 39.
[58] Martins, Colossos do mares, 76.
[59] Scheina, Argentina, 400.

[82] E So Paulo, Navios De Guerra Brasileiros.

[84] Whitley, Battleships, 26.

[85] Whitley, Battleships, 2829.
[86] Poggio, Um encouraado.
[87] Scheina, Naval History, 195.
[88] Scheina, Naval History, 7779.
[89] Topliss, The Brazilian Dreadnoughts, 289.
[90] Whitley, Battleships, 29.

[60] Scheina, Naval History, 8285.

[91] Scheina, Latin Americas Wars, 162164.

[61] Naval and Military Intelligence, The Times, 7 February

1910, 4f.

[92] Scheina, Latin Americas Wars, 164.

[62] Naval and Military Intelligence, The Times, 9 February

1910, 8c.
[63] "Minas Geraes Fogbound, The New York Times, 3 March
1910, 13.
[64] Whitley, Battleships, 2728.

[93] Topliss, The Brazilian Battleship, 250.

[94] Earle, Professional Notes, 306.
[95] Scheina, Naval History, 82; Vanterpool, The 'Riachuelo', 140.
[96] Scheina, Naval History, 82.

[65] Whitley, Battleships, 28.

[97] Scheina, Argentina, 401.

[66] "French Criticise Brazil, The New York Times, 25

September 1910, C4.

[98] Preston, Great Britain, 38.

[99] Whitley, Battleships, 20.

[67] France and Brazil, The Times, 26 September 1910, 6b.

[68] Marshal Hermes Da Fonseca, The Times, 28 September
1910, 4e.
[69] "Keeping Good Order in New Republic, The New York
Times, 8 October 1910, 12.
[70] Ribeiro, Os Dreadnoughts.
[71] The Journey from Lisbon, The Times, 8 October 1910,
56a.
[72] Movements of Warships, The Times, 8 October 1910,
6a.
[73] Quoted in Morgan, The Revolt of the Lash, 41.
[74] Morgan, The Revolt of the Lash, 3238, 50.
[75] Morgan, The Revolt of the Lash, 4042.
[76] Morgan, The Revolt of the Lash, 4446.

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Campbell, N.J.M. Germany.
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Gardiner, Robert and Randal Gray,
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19051925. The Journal of Modern History 16, no. 1 (1944): 31
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Martins, Joo Roberto, Filho.
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Morgan, Zachary R. The Revolt
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D.C.: U.S. Government Printing

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10

External links

British diplomatic documents relating to the dreadnought race (FO 508/8; Adam Matthew subscription
required)
Encouraados Minas Gerais e So Paulo on
YouTube
Minas Geraes slideshow on YouTube
Minas Geraes on Flickr (LOC)

EXTERNAL LINKS

11

11
11.1

Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

Text

Minas Geraes-class battleship Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minas_Geraes-class_battleship?oldid=680888860 Contributors:

Leandrod, Bradeos Graphon, Brutannica, SpookyMulder, LtNOWIS, Bellhalla, Jmcc150, Joel7687, Nick-D, SmackBot, Chris the speller,
Colonies Chris, Rcbutcher, Derekbridges, Fullstop, Salamurai, Jperrylsu, Mgiganteus1, Haus, The ed17, Cydebot, Aldis90, Jmg38, Headbomb, DPdH, CombatWombat42, GimmeBot, Climie.ca, SieBot, Vanished User 8a9b4725f8376, Lightmouse, Anyeverybody, Shinerunner, JL-Bot, SFX 1, MBK004, Snigbrook, Djmaschek, Alexbot, Lexlythius, Brianboulton, Dank, Bagunceiro, DumZiBoT, Laser brain,
Alansplodge, Kbdankbot, Addbot, Mortense, Johnboddie, LaaknorBot, Lightbot, The Bushranger, Drpickem, AnomieBOT, Archon 2488,
Sonia, Disinfoboxman, Lecen, Brad101AWB, DutchmanInDisguise, Paulista01, Eisfbnore, AustralianRupert, N419BH, BenzolBot, Citation bot 1, Serols, Dinamik-bot, RjwilmsiBot, Ripchip Bot, GoingBatty, Italia2006, ZroBot, Donner60, ChuispastonBot, ClueBot NG,
Helpful Pixie Bot, George Ponderevo, Kendall-K1, Portuguese Man o' War, Alarbus, Irondome, TFA Protector Bot, JustBerry, DissidentAggressor, Dutral and Anonymous: 30

11.2

Images

File:Brassey{}s_HMS_Canada_Plan_(1915).jpg Source:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/08/Brassey%27s_
HMS_Canada_Plan_%281915%29.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: Brassey, Thomas Allnutt; Leyland John (1915) "Part II:
Plans of British and Foreign Ships" in Brasseys Naval Annual (War Edition ed.), London: William Clowes and Sons, pp. Plate 2, after p.
192 Retrieved on 29 October 2010. Original artist: Sydney Walker Barnaby (?1925)[#cite_note-1 [1]]
File:Brazilian_battleship_Minas_Geraes_being_launched_1.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cc/
Brazilian_battleship_Minas_Geraes_being_launched_1.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums:
item DF.CLR-8-5, RefNo DS.VA/3/1994.164; part of a photographic collection (mainly postcards rst published in 1908/9 by A H Herries) to mark the launch and completion of Minas Geraes. Original artist: Unknown
File:Brazilian_battleship_Minas_Geraes_being_launched_2.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9c/
Brazilian_battleship_Minas_Geraes_being_launched_2.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums:
item DF.CLR-8-3 part of a photographic collection (mainly postcards rst published in 1908/9 by A H Herries) to mark the launch and
completion of the Brazilian battleship Minas Geraes. It is also available on Flickr. Original artist: Unknown
File:Brazilian_battleship_Minas_Geraes_firing_a_broadside.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/24/
Brazilian_battleship_Minas_Geraes_firing_a_broadside.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: The Brazilian Battleship Minas Geraes"". Scientic American (New York: Munn & Co., Inc.) 102: 240. 19 March 1910. It was also published in Engineering, January 1910.
The older version, in the history, is from Poder Naval Online here. Original artist: Brazilian Navy
File:Commons-logo.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg License: ? Contributors: ? Original
artist: ?
File:E_Minas_Geraes_1910_altered.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/73/E_Minas_Geraes_1910_
altered.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: The Brazilian Battleship Minas Geraes"". Scientic American (New York: Munn &
Co., Inc.) 102: 240. 19 March 1910. ISSN 0036-8733. Original artist: Brazilian Navy
File:Flag_of_Brazil_(1889-1960).svg
Source:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Flag_of_Brazil_
%281889-1960%29.svg License: Public domain Contributors: ? Original artist: ?
File:Joao_Candido.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f6/Joao_Candido.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: O Malho, 3 December 1910; obtained through Google Books ([1]) Original artist: Unknown
File:Minas_Geraes-class_battleship_drawings.jpg
Source:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/20/Minas_
Geraes-class_battleship_drawings.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: "The Brazilian Battleship Minas Geraes. Journal
of the United States Artillery 33, no. 2 (1910): 181. Original artist: Not specied
File:Minas_Geraes-class_battleships.jpg Source:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/Minas_Geraes-class_
battleships.jpg License: Public domain Contributors: Brassey, Thomas Allnutt; Leyland John (1915) "Part II: Plans of British and Foreign
Ships" in Brasseys Naval Annual (War Edition ed.), London: William Clowes and Sons, pp. Plate 22, after p. 192 Retrieved on 29
October 2010. Original artist: Sydney Walker Barnaby (?1925)[#cite_note-1 [1]]
File:Minas_Geraes_MdB_II.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/56/Minas_Geraes_MdB_II.jpg License:
Public domain Contributors: [1]; it is supposed to be linked here but the Brazilian Navy mistyped the image name. Original artist: Brazilian
Navy
File:Rivadavia-class_battleships.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/93/Rivadavia-class_battleships.jpg
License: Public domain Contributors: Brassey, Thomas Allnutt; Leyland John (1915) "Part II: Plans of British and Foreign Ships" in
Brasseys Naval Annual (War Edition ed.), London: William Clowes and Sons, pp. Plate 18, after p. 192 Retrieved on 29 October 2010.
Original artist: Sydney Walker Barnaby (?1925)[#cite_note-1 [1]]
File:Sailors_of_Minas_Geraes_2.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a1/Sailors_of_Minas_Geraes_2.
jpg License: Public domain Contributors: Sailors of Minas Geraes.jpg: <a href='//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sailors_
of_Minas_Geraes.jpg' class='image'><img alt='Sailors of Minas Geraes.jpg' src='https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/
thumb/f/fb/Sailors_of_Minas_Geraes.jpg/60px-Sailors_of_Minas_Geraes.jpg' width='60' height='43' srcset='https://upload.wikimedia.
org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fb/Sailors_of_Minas_Geraes.jpg/90px-Sailors_of_Minas_Geraes.jpg 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.
org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fb/Sailors_of_Minas_Geraes.jpg/120px-Sailors_of_Minas_Geraes.jpg 2x' data-le-width='5280' datale-height='3754' /></a> Original artist: modications by Penyulap

11.3

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