The projected Portuguese seaplane tender Sacadura Cabral of 1931

Portugal was original a kingdom but which was replaced by a republic in 1910. As a result of political chaos and economic problems was the republic replaced by a national dictatorship in 19126. António de Oliveira Salazar who was Finance Minister managed to restore the bankrupt Portuguese economy with as result in 1933 the founding of the Estado Novo (New State) which was described as a single party corporative regimen. In that period Portugal still possessed a colonial empire consisting of Asian and African possessions. Salazar became in 1932 also prime minister until 1968. These years were still restless with for instance a mutiny within the navy in 1936 and when two warships shoot at the fortresses Almada and Alto Duque at Lisbon.

The seaplane tender Sacadura Cabral was according to Jane’s Fighting Ships of 1931 planned to be build at the yard of the Cantieri Riunii dell’Adriatrico at Trieste, Italy with a displacement of 5,100 tons (normal) and with the dimensions 406’8”x 57’3”x 32’8” or 124 x 17,5 x 10 metres. The armament was to consist of 4-4.7” guns, 4-40mm anti aircraft pompoms and 2 bomb throwers and she could carry with her 14 hydroplanes. The two geared turbines and 4 Yarrow boilers supplied 14,000 shaft horse power and while driving two screws allowing a speed of 22 knots while with a speed of 12 knots and a oil bunker capacity of 830 tons she had a range of 10,000 nautical miles. Qua design she was comparable with the Australian seaplane tender HMS Albatross of 1928.

There was an extensive naval shipbuilding program planned which however lacking financial funds never was realized. The Dutch newspaper Het Vaderland evening edition dated 13 January 1931 reported a item dated Lisbon 13 January according to which the Portuguese cabinet asked British, French and Italian shipyards to come with tenders for the building of warships including a small cruiser, a mother ship for planes and 4 submarines. The same newspaper daily edition dated 18 September 1933 wrote that the Portuguese cabinet decided to execute the 1931 program included the building of the mother ship. Total costs of this part of the program were estimated to be around 20,000,000 Dutch guilders.


The Dutch naval magazine Marineblad dated 1933 no. 5 referred to the magazine Schiffbau dated 15 June reporting that finally was decided to built the Portuguese aircraft mother ship although in Italy. With a displacement of 5.600 ton were her dimensions to be 124 x 17,5 x 5 metres. The turbines supplied 14.000 hp allowing a speed of 22 knots. The armament consisted of 4-12,6cm guns, 4-7,6 cm guns and 4-4 cm guns. In the hangar were workshops planned and storage for 12 [sea] planes . These planes were to be catapulted at the started and by retuning loaded back on board with cranes.

New details added on 28 April 2013 10:23