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Wednesday 19 September 2018

Brazil wanted to order new dreadnought to replace the sold Rio de Janeiro according to the magazine Mitteilungen aus dem Gebiete des Seewesens dated 1914 No. 3

Rio de Janeiro

An item referred to the Revista Maritime Brazileira reporting that instead of the battleship Rio de Janeiro (1) sold to Turkey, the British shipyard Withworth and Co., Newcastle-on-Tyne, England was to built a similar strong battleship (2). Displacement and armament were still unknown.

Notes
1. Laid down as Rio de Janeiro at the shipyard of Armstrong, Newcastle upon Tyne, England with yard number 702 on 14 September 1911, launched on 22 January 1913, for sale since October 1913 and sold to the Ottoman Empire for 2.750.000 pound sterling on 28 December 1913. Estimated building costs were 14.500.000. Brazil sold when finances became a problem as a result of the rubber boom collapse while on the other the relations with her rival Argentina improved. The original idea was that she was to be largest and most powerful warship of her time according to a statement of the Brazilian government on 6 August 1910. After protests was she redesigned and the original planned displacement of 32.000 tons (normal) reduced to 27.500 tons (normal).Renamed by Turkey in Sultan Osman-l Evvel executed she her trials in July 1914, completed in August 1914 and seized by the British government when the first World War broke out. In British service renamed in HMS Agincourt although she was now modified for instance by removing the flying bridge over the two centre turrets. Working up until 7 September 1914, in the reserve at Rosyth, Scotland in March 1919, Brazil was despite serious considerations finally not interested in buying her when she was offered for 1 million pound sterling in 1921 and she was to be disposed since April 1921, used for experiments in 1921, sold to be broken up as a result of the Washington Navy Treatt on 19 December 1922 but nor earlier broken up as in the end of 1924.
2. This battleship to be armed with 8-38,1cm/15 guns was ordered on 12 May 1914, to be laid down on 10 September 1914 which was prevented by the outbreak of the First World War and cancelled on 13 May 1915.