Rosario-class gunboat
| Company type | Riverine gunboats |
|---|---|
| Industry | Naval shipbuilding |
| Founded | 1907 (construction started) |
| Headquarters | Argentina |
| Products | Armoured riverine gunboats |
| Hide header= | Header caption= | Ship type= Rosario class gunboat | Ship displacement=709 (standard) to 1055 (full load) tons | Ship length= 76.4 m (250.7 ft) | Ship beam=9.8 m (32.2 ft) | Ship height= | Ship draught= | Ship draft=4.3 m (14 ft) | Ship propulsion=Two-shaft arrangement, powered by 2 × Vickers triple-expansion steam engines, supplied by 2 × Yarrow boilers, delivering 1,300 ihp (970 kW), with 160 tons coal capacity | Ship speed=14.5 knots (16.7 mph; 26.9 km/h) | Ship range= 1000 nautical miles at 8 knots | Ship complement=145 personnel | Ship sensors= | Ship EW= | Ship armament=*2 × 152 millimetres (6.0 in) howitzers
|
Ship armour=hull belt, deck and conning tower (details in text) | Ship aircraft= | Ship aircraft facilities= |
The Rosario-class gunboats consisted of two vessels constructed prior to World War I in England between 1907 and 1909. These armoured riverine gunboats were intended for patrolling the Paraná and Uruguay rivers. They served within the Argentine Navy from the late 1900s until the early 1950s. The class's lead vessel was named after the Argentine city of Rosario, Santa Fe.Template:Fix/category[citation needed]
Design
![[icon]](/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (December 2016) |
The decision to build new warships arose as a response to worsening diplomatic ties with Brazil, which was competing for naval dominance in South America. Brazil had commissioned river monitors to secure its border waterways; accordingly, Argentina contracted the British shipbuilder Armstrong Whitworth#Armstrong, Mitchell & Co to construct two riverine gunboats.[1]
The Rosario class featured a shallow draft metal hull complemented by a single mast and funnel located amidships on the superstructure. Protection included a 4 -inch[convert: unknown unit] thick belt of Krupp cemented armor along the hull, an armored deck approximately [convert: invalid number] thick, and a fortified conning tower. Propulsion was provided by two Vickers triple-expansion steam engines powered by two Yarrow boilers, each driving one propeller.[2][3]
Armament comprised a main battery of two [convert: invalid number] howitzers and six [convert: invalid number] guns. The secondary weapons included two 37 mm Nordenfelt autocannons and four to eight machine guns of [convert: invalid number] caliber. Additionally, the vessels carried two naval landing guns of approximately [convert: invalid number] caliber mounted on wheeled carriages.[2][3]
Service history
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Conceived in the early 1900s, the Rosario class vessels were constructed beginning in 1907 and finalized between 1908 and 1909. The Argentine Navy commissioned these ships during 1908–1909, with their operational tenure extending until the early 1950s.
The Rosario and Paraná primarily conducted patrols along the Paraná and Uruguay waterways. Notably, they were dispatched to Asunción amid the Paraguayan revolution of 1911. Beyond patrol duties, these gunboats participated in naval training maneuvers and were occasionally assigned missions in Patagonia.
Following their decommissioning, both vessels were sold for dismantling and subsequently scrapped during the 1960s.
Specifications
| This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (December 2016) |
Ships in class
| Ship Name | Pennant Number | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Commissioned | Decommissioned |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARA Rosario | 21 | Armstrong, Tyne | 21 August 1907 | 8 July 1908 | 1909 | 1951 |
| ARA Paraná | 20 | Armstrong, Tyne | 16 September 1907 | 28 April 1908 | 1909 | 1951 |
Footnotes
See also
- List of ships of the Argentine Navy
- Javary-class monitor – river monitor ordered by Brazil but never entered service
Notes
Bibliography
- Arguindeguy, Pablo. Apuntes sobre los buques de la Armada Argentina (1810–1970). Buenos Aires: Comando en Jefe de la Armada, 1972.
- Brook, Peter. Warships for Export: Armstrong Warships 1867–1927. Gravesend: World Ship Society, 1999.
- Gardiner, Robert; Gray, Randal. Conway's All The World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. London: Conway Maritime Press, 1985.
Further reading
- Burzio, Humberto. Armada Nacional. Secretaria de Estado de Marina, 1960.
External links
- Cañonera "Rosario" - 1909 – Historia y Arqueologia Marítima (in Spanish)
- River gunboat "Rosario" – Tyne Built Ships
- River gunboat "Paraná" – Tyne Built Ships