Brazilian ironclad Silvado

The Brazilian ironclad Silvado was originally ordered by Paraguay in 1864 with the name Nemesis, but was sold to Brazil when Paraguay could not make the final payments. She participated in the 1864–70 War of the Triple Alliance between Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay against Paraguay.

Class overview
NameSilvado class
Operators Imperial Brazilian Navy
Preceded byBrasil
Succeeded byBarroso
Built1864–1866
In commission1866–1880
Completed1
Scrapped1
History
Empire of Brazil
NameSilvado
NamesakeCaptain Americo Brasilio Silvado
BuilderArman Brothers, Bordeaux
Laid down1864
Launched1865
Completed15 September 1866
Stricken3 June 1880
General characteristics
TypeIronclad turret ship
Displacement1,350 metric tons (1,330 long tons)
Length66 m (216 ft 6 in) (p.p.)
Beam11.6 m (38 ft 1 in)
Draft3.9 m (13 ft)
Installed power950 ihp (710 kW)
Propulsion2 shafts, 2 trunk steam engines
Sail planBarque-rigged
Speed10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Complement170 officers and men
Armament2 × twin 70-pounder Whitworth rifled muzzle loader guns
Armor

Design and description

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Silvado was 216 feet 6 inches (66.0 m) long between perpendiculars, had a beam of 45 feet 10 inches (14.0 m) and a maximum draft of 7 feet 6 inches (2.3 m). Lima Barros displaced 1,350 long tons (1,370 t) and was fitted with a ram bow. Her crew consisted of 170 officers and enlisted men.[1] The ship had a pair of horizontal trunk steam engines, each driving one propeller shaft. The engines produced a total of 950 indicated horsepower (710 kW) and gave Silvado a maximum speed of 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). She was barque-rigged with three pole masts and a bowsprit.[2]

Silvado was armed with four 70-pounder Whitworth rifled, muzzle-loading guns mounted in two twin-gun turrets. She had a complete waterline belt of wrought iron that ranged in thickness from 4.5 inches (114 mm) amidships to 3 inches (76 mm) at the ends of the ship. The gun turret was also protected by 4.5 inches of armor.[1]

Construction and service

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Silvado, named after Captain Americo Brasilio Silvado, who was killed when his ship, the ironclad Rio de Janeiro, struck a mine and sank, was originally ordered by Paraguay from the French shipbuilding firm of Arman Brothers, and was laid down in 1864 with the name of Nemesis at their Bordeaux shipyard. She was purchased by Brazil the following year, after the start of the war when Paraguay was cut off from the outside world and could no longer make payments. The ship was launched in 1865 and completed on 15 September 1866.[3] She sailed to Brazil under the command of Manoel Antônio Vital de Oliveira later that year.

Footnotes

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  1. ^ a b Silverstone, p. 33
  2. ^ Lyon, p. 406
  3. ^ Silverstone, p. 39

References

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  • Davis, William H. (1977). "Question 1/77". Warship International. XIV (2): 161–172. ISSN 0043-0374.
  • Gratz, George A. (1999). "The Brazilian Imperial Navy Ironclads, 1865–1874". In Preston, Antony (ed.). Warship 1999–2000. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-724-4.
  • Gratz, George A. (1998). "Question 1/77: Warships of the Triple Alliance". Warship International. XXXV (2): 210–211. ISSN 0043-0374.
  • Holley, Alexander Lyman (1865). A Treatise on Ordnance and Armor. New York: D. Van Nostrand.
  • Lyon, Hugh (1979). "Brazil". In Chesneau, Roger & Kolesnik, Eugene M. (eds.). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-133-5.
  • Silverstone, Paul H. (1984). Directory of the World's Capital Ships. New York: Hippocrene Books. ISBN 0-88254-979-0.
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