BNS Rio de Janeiro (BB-1912 (1935-mod))

 

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With Chile receiving the reparations package that included 3 battleships, the Brazilians, if they wanted to retain their premiere position in South America, also needed to find more ships of modern lineage to bolster their Navy. The ships that Brazil wanted to get hold of were some of the Iron Duke class. But those vessels went to populate the navies of the Commonwealth. Second choice was the four ships of the Orion class that were being sold off by the Royal Navy as they could not keep them with the restrictions of the Washington Treaty. As Brazil was a 'favoured nation', they got the Orion class at virtually scrap value 



These four ships with the two Minas Gerais class were the backbone of the fleet until the mid 1930's when new construction joined the fleet. Once those ships started to join the fleet, these four ships were able to go through the rebuilding phase that all the WW1 battleships went through to be retained into the 1940's. More speed, more deck armour, better AA armament, better gun directors, better superstructure, aircraft handling facilities. The whole nine yards.



I'm happy with that. Between this drawing and the Pernambuco, I have established a Commonwealth / Brazilian 'look'.
 

Displacement 27,500 tons std 31,750 tons full load
Length 720 ft
Breadth 88 ft
Draught 30 ft
Machinery 4 shaft steam turbines, 80,000shp
Speed 27 knots
Range 8500 miles at 16 knots
Armour 12" side, 5" deck, 11" turrets
Armament As completed

10x 13.5" (5x2)
12 x 4" (12x1)


 
Refits to 1938
 
8x 13.5" (5x2)
20 x 4.5" (10x2)
32 x 2pd (4x8)
18 x 20mm HS (18x1)
 
Aircraft nil 3
Complement 1350
Notes  

 




Displacement 25,500 tons std, 31,100 tons full load
Length 584 ft
Breadth 89 ft
Draught 28 ft
Machinery 4 shaft steam turbines, 70,000shp
Speed 25 knots
Range 6500 miles at 12 knots
Armour 12" side, 4.5" deck, 11" turrets
Armament 8 x 13.5 (4x2)

20 x 4.5" (10x2)

24 x 2pd (6x4)

10 x 20mm (10x1)

Aircraft nil
Torpedoes nil
Complement 1120
Notes  


 

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