HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

ARA ''Moreno'' was a
dreadnought The dreadnought was the predominant type of battleship in the early 20th century. The first of the kind, the Royal Navy's , had such an effect when launched in 1906 that similar battleships built after her were referred to as "dreadnoughts", ...
battleship A battleship is a large, heavily naval armour, armored warship with a main battery consisting of large naval gun, guns, designed to serve as a capital ship. From their advent in the late 1880s, battleships were among the largest and most form ...
designed by the American Fore River Shipbuilding Company for the
Argentine Navy The Argentine Navy (ARA; ). This forms the basis for the navy's ship prefix "ARA". is the navy of Argentina. It is one of the three branches of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic, together with the Argentine Army, Army and the Argentine ...
. Named after
Mariano Moreno Mariano Moreno (; September 23, 1778March 4, 1811) was an Argentine lawyer, journalist, and politician. He played a decisive role in the Primera Junta, the first national government of Argentina, created after the May Revolution. Moreno was bor ...
, a key member of the first independent government of Argentina, the First Assembly (''Primera Junta''), ''Moreno'' was the second dreadnought of the , and the fourth built during the
South American dreadnought race A naval arms race among Argentina, Brazil, and Chile—the ABC countries, wealthiest and most powerful countries in South America—began in the early twentieth century when the Brazilian government ordered three dreadnoughts, formidable battl ...
. Argentina placed orders for ''Moreno'' and its only
sister ship A sister ship is a ship of the same Ship class, class or of virtually identical design to another ship. Such vessels share a nearly identical hull and superstructure layout, similar size, and roughly comparable features and equipment. They o ...
, , in reply to a Brazilian naval building program. During their construction, the two dreadnoughts were subject to numerous rumors involving Argentina selling the two battleships to a country engaged in the
First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, but these proved to be false. After ''Moreno'' was completed in March 1915, a series of engine problems occurred during the
sea trial A sea trial or trial trip is the testing phase of a watercraft (including boats, ships, and submarines). It is also referred to as a "shakedown cruise" by many naval personnel. It is usually the last phase of construction and takes place on op ...
s which delayed its delivery to Argentina to May 1915. The next decade saw the ship based in Puerto Belgrano as part of the Argentine Navy's First Division before sailing to the United States for an extensive refit in 1924 and 1925. During the 1930s the ship was occupied with diplomatic cruises to Brazil, Uruguay, and Europe until the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
broke out. During this time, ''Moreno'' was employed little as Argentina was neutral. Decommissioned in 1949, ''Moreno'' was scrapped in Japan beginning in 1957.


Background

''Moreno''s genesis can be traced to the numerous naval arms races between Chile and Argentina, which in turn were spawned by territorial disputes over their mutual borders in
Patagonia Patagonia () is a geographical region that includes parts of Argentina and Chile at the southern end of South America. The region includes the southern section of the Andes mountain chain with lakes, fjords, temperate rainforests, and glaciers ...
and
Puna de Atacama The Puna de Atacama or Atacama Plateau''Atacama Plateau''
article at the ''Encyclopædia Bri ...
along with control of the
Beagle Channel Beagle Channel (; Yahgan language, Yahgan: ''Onašaga'') is a strait in the Tierra del Fuego, Tierra del Fuego Archipelago, on the extreme southern tip of South America between Chile and Argentina. The channel separates the larger main island of I ...
. Naval races flared up in the 1890s and in 1902; the latter was eventually settled via British mediation. Provisions in the dispute-ending treaty imposed restrictions on both countries' navies. The United Kingdom's
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
bought the two ''Constitución''-class
pre-dreadnought Pre-dreadnought battleships were sea-going battleships built from the mid- to late- 1880s to the early 1900s. Their designs were conceived before the appearance of in 1906 and their classification as "pre-dreadnought" is retrospectively appl ...
battleships that were being built for Chile, and Argentina sold its two ''Rivadavia''-class
armored cruiser The armored cruiser was a type of warship of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It was designed like other types of cruisers to operate as a long-range, independent warship, capable of defeating any ship apart from a pre-dreadnought battles ...
s under construction in Italy to Japan. After was commissioned, Brazil decided in early 1907 to halt three obsolescent pre-dreadnoughts which were under construction in favor of two or three
dreadnought The dreadnought was the predominant type of battleship in the early 20th century. The first of the kind, the Royal Navy's , had such an effect when launched in 1906 that similar battleships built after her were referred to as "dreadnoughts", ...
s.Whitley, ''Battleships of World War Two'', 24. These ships, which were designed to carry the heaviest battleship armament in the world at the time, came as an abrupt shock to the navies of South America, and Argentina and Chile quickly canceled the 1902 armament-limiting pact. Argentina in particular was alarmed at the possible power of the ships. The
Minister of Foreign Affairs In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and foreign relations, relations, diplomacy, bilateralism, ...
, Manuel Augusto Montes de Oca, remarked that even one ''Minas Geraes''-class ship could destroy the entire Argentine and Chilean fleets. While this may have been hyperbole, either one was much more powerful than any single vessel in the Argentine fleet. Although debates raged in Argentina over whether it would be prudent to counter Brazil's purchase by acquiring their own dreadnoughts, which would cost upwards of two million
pounds sterling Sterling (Currency symbol, symbol: Pound sign, £; ISO 4217, currency code: GBP) is the currency of the United Kingdom and nine of its associated territories. The pound is the main unit of account, unit of sterling, and the word ''Pound (cu ...
, further border disputes—particularly near the River Plate with Brazil—decided the matter, and they ordered and ''Moreno'' from the Fore River Shipbuilding Company in the United States.Scheina, "Argentina", 401.


Construction and trials

After the two new dreadnoughts were awarded to Fore River, ''Moreno'' was subcontracted out to the
New York Shipbuilding The New York Shipbuilding Corporation (or New York Ship for short) was an American shipbuilding company that operated from 1899 to 1968, ultimately completing more than 500 vessels for the U.S. Navy, the United States Merchant Marine, the United ...
Corporation of Camden,
New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
as called for in the final contract. ''Moreno''s
keel The keel is the bottom-most longitudinal structural element of a watercraft, important for stability. On some sailboats, it may have a fluid dynamics, hydrodynamic and counterbalancing purpose as well. The keel laying, laying of the keel is often ...
was laid on 9 July 1910, and construction was overseen by the Argentine Naval Commission. After the completion of the hull, it was launched on 23 September 1911. Isabel Betbeder, wife to the chief of the Argentine Naval Commission, sponsored ''Moreno''. The ship was then moored to a dock to commence
fitting-out Fitting out, or outfitting, is the process in shipbuilding that follows the float-out/launching of a vessel and precedes sea trials. It is the period when all the remaining construction of the ship is completed and readied for delivery to her o ...
. It was reported in January 1913 that apart from the usual naval requirements for ''Moreno'' and her sister ship ARA ''Rivadavia'', two Victrola
phonograph A phonograph, later called a gramophone, and since the 1940s a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogue reproduction of sound. The sound vibration Waveform, waveforms are recorded as correspond ...
s apiece were included as part of the official specifications. ''Moreno'' was finished on 15 February 1915,Whitley, ''Battleships of World War Two'', 21. and commissioned into the Argentine Navy nine days later.Burzaco and Ortíz, ''Acorazados y Cruceros'', 95. Over the course of their construction, ''Rivadavia'' and ''Moreno'' were the subject of various rumors insinuating that Argentina would accept the ships and then sell them to a European country or Japan, a fast-growing rival to the United States. The rumors were partially true; Argentina was looking to get rid of the battleships and devote the proceeds to opening more schools. This angered the American government, which did not want its warship technology offered to the highest bidder—yet they did not want to exercise a contract-specified option that gave the United States first choice if the Argentines decided to sell, as naval technology had already progressed past the ''Rivadavia''s, particularly in the adoption of the " all-or-nothing" armor scheme. Instead, the United States and its
State Department The United States Department of State (DOS), or simply the State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs o ...
and Navy Department put diplomatic pressure on the Argentine government. The Argentine government, bolstered by
socialist Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...
additions in the legislature, introduced several bills in May 1914 which would have put the battleships up for sale, but the bills were all defeated by late June. Following the commencement of the
First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, the German and British ambassadors to the United States both complained to the US State Department; the former believed that the British were going to be given the ships as soon as they reached Argentina, and the latter charged the United States with ensuring that the ships fell into Argentina's possession only. International armament companies attempted to influence Argentina into selling them to one of the smaller
Balkan The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...
countries, from which they would find their way into the war.Livermore, "Battleship Diplomacy", 46–47. In October 1914, ''Moreno'' sailed the
New York Naval Shipyard The Brooklyn Navy Yard (originally known as the New York Navy Yard) is a shipyard and industrial complex in northwest Brooklyn in New York City, New York, U.S. The Navy Yard is located on the East River in Wallabout Bay, a semicircular bend ...
to be painted, then conducted its
sea trials A sea trial or trial trip is the testing phase of a watercraft (including boats, ships, and submarines). It is also referred to as a " shakedown cruise" by many naval personnel. It is usually the last phase of construction and takes place on o ...
starting on the 25th. Reporters for several newspapers, including ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'', and American naval officers were allowed on board during this time; the ''Times'' reporters gave a glowing account of the alcohol-serving
café A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café (), is an establishment that serves various types of coffee, espresso, latte, americano and cappuccino, among other hot beverages. Many coffeehouses in West Asia offer ''shisha'' (actually called ''nargi ...
on the ship, calling it "the cutest little bar on any of the seven seas"—alcohol was banned on U.S. Navy ships. The trials were plagued with serious engine trouble, culminating in the failure of an entire turbine on 2 November. ''Moreno'' was forced to put in at Rockland,
Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...
—where many of the observers on board were left to be brought back by train to Camden—before proceeding for repairs to the
Fore River Shipyard Fore River Shipyard was a shipyard owned by General Dynamics Corporation located on Weymouth Fore River in Braintree, Massachusetts, Braintree and Quincy, Massachusetts. It began operations in 1883 in Braintree, and moved to its final location on ...
, which had built the ship's engines. In early 1915, nearly five years after construction had begun, the shipbuilding contractors demanded payment from the Argentine government for additional work, but the Argentines did not believe this was warranted, as ''Moreno'' had been scheduled to be completed more than a year prior. After
mediation Mediation is a structured, voluntary process for resolving disputes, facilitated by a neutral third party known as the mediator. It is a structured, interactive process where an independent third party, the mediator, assists disputing parties ...
offered by
Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...
, the
Assistant Secretary of the Navy Assistant Secretary of the Navy (ASN) is the title given to certain civilian senior officials in the United States Department of the Navy. From 1861 to 1954, the Assistant Secretary of the Navy was the second-highest civilian office in the Depart ...
at the time, ''Moreno'' was released on 20 February to Argentine sailors who had been staying in American battleships moored in the Philadelphia Navy Yard. Even ''Moreno''s departure was marked by mishaps. On the night of 26 March, ''Moreno'' accidentally rammed and sank the barge ''Enterprise'' in the
Delaware River The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and is the longest free-flowing (undammed) river in the Eastern United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock, New York, the river flows for a ...
, south of Philadelphia near the city of New Castle. No one was hurt, but the battleship accidentally ran aground immediately after. Efforts to refloat it succeeded, and ''Moreno'' continued on its way at around 7:30 the next morning without damage. On the 29th, President
Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was the 28th president of the United States, serving from 1913 to 1921. He was the only History of the Democratic Party (United States), Democrat to serve as president during the Prog ...
was hosted for lunch on board the warship, accompanied by the Argentine ambassador to the United States, Romulo S. Naon. On 15 April, ''Moreno'' ran aground in the river again, this time near Reedy Island. Like the previous time, the ship was not damaged and tugs were able to refloat the ship the next day.


Service

''Moreno'' docked in Argentina for the first time on 26 May 1915. The ship was immediately assigned to the Argentine Navy's First Division, based out of the major naval base of Puerto Belgrano, and remained there until 1923 when it was put into the reserve fleet. In 1924, ''Moreno'' was sent to the United States for modernization. The opportunity to show the flag was not missed; ''Moreno'' made stops in Valparaiso and
Callao Callao () is a Peruvian seaside city and Regions of Peru, region on the Pacific Ocean in the Lima metropolitan area. Callao is Peru's chief seaport and home to its main airport, Jorge Chávez International Airport. Callao municipality consists ...
before transiting the Panama Canal and sailing north.Whitley, ''Battleships of World War Two'', 21–22. Most of the work was done in Philadelphia, though armament changes were made in Boston. ''Moreno'' was converted to use fuel oil instead of coal, was fitted with a new fire-control system, rangefinders were added to the fore and aft superfiring turrets, and the aft mast was replaced by a tripod. To reduce exhaust interference when spotting ships in a battle, a funnel cap was installed.Burzaco and Ortíz, ''Acorazados y Cruceros'', 94. The main armament's range was increased from to , and the turrets were modified to double the firing rate. The 6-inch secondary armament was retained, but the smaller 4-inch guns were taken off in favor of four
anti-aircraft Anti-aircraft warfare (AAW) is the counter to aerial warfare and includes "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It encompasses surface-based, subsurface ( submarine-launched), and air-ba ...
guns and four 3-pounders. When ''Moreno'' returned to Argentina in August 1926, it was initially assigned to the training division of the Navy before being reassigned to the First Division. In 1932, ''Moreno'' was moved into a new Battleship Division with ''Rivadavia''. The remainder of the 1930s was filled with diplomatic cruises.Whitley, ''Battleships of World War Two'', 22. ''Moreno'', escorted by the three s, brought Argentine president
Agustín Pedro Justo Agustín Pedro Justo Rolón (26 February 1876 – 11 January 1943) was the president of Argentina from 1932 to 1938, during the Infamous Decade. Justo took part in the coup of 1930, becoming president two years later thanks to widespread electo ...
to Brazil in 1933 for a major diplomatic visit. Departing in the afternoon of 2 October, he arrived in
Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...
on the morning of 7 October to huge celebrations. Brazilian ships of the first and second squadrons, along with three squadrons worth of warplanes, met ''Moreno'' at sea and escorted it to the harbor. When Justo landed and traveled by car to Guanabra Palace, the road was flanked by a plethora of army and naval forces along with thousands of citizens. Rio was described as "ablaze with light", and a high imitation of France's
Arc de Triomphe The Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile, often called simply the Arc de Triomphe, is one of the most famous monuments in Paris, France, standing at the western end of the Champs-Élysées at the centre of Place Charles de Gaulle, formerly named Plac ...
was erected, onto which various colors were projected."Brazil Welcomes Head of Argentina", ''The New York Times'', 8 October 1933, 18. Justo then took a royal train, originally designed for
Albert I of Belgium Albert I (8 April 1875 – 17 February 1934) was King of the Belgians from 23 December 1909 until his death in 1934. He is popularly referred to as the Knight King (, ) or Soldier King (, ) in Belgium in reference to his role during World War I ...
's use during Brazil's 1922 centennial celebrations, to
São Paulo São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...
. After three days, he traveled to Santos, where he boarded ''Moreno'' to travel first to Uruguay, then back to Argentina; he arrived in the latter on 22 October. In 1934, ''Moreno'' was sent as one of Argentina's representatives for the anniversary of Brazil's independence. In 1937, ''Rivadavia'' and ''Moreno'' were sent on a diplomatic cruise to Europe. Departing Argentina on 6 April, they split up when they reached the
English Channel The English Channel, also known as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates Southern England from northern France. It links to the southern part of the North Sea by the Strait of Dover at its northeastern end. It is the busi ...
. ''Moreno'' participated in the British Spithead Naval Review, where ''The New York Times'' described it as "a strange vestigial sea monster in this company of more modern fighting ships." Hanson Baldwin, "158 Warships Boom Salute to George in Spithead Review", ''The New York Times'', 21 May 1937, 1 and 9. Afterward, ''Moreno'' met up with ''Rivadavia'' at
Brest, France Brest (; ) is a port, port city in the Finistère department, Brittany (administrative region), Brittany. Located in a sheltered bay not far from the western tip of a peninsula and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an impor ...
and cruised together to
Wilhelmshaven Wilhelmshaven (, ''Wilhelm's Harbour''; Northern Low Saxon: ''Willemshaven'') is a coastal town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the western side of the Jade Bight, a bay of the North Sea, and has a population of 76,089. Wilhelmsha ...
before splitting up again; ''Moreno'' went to
Bremen Bremen (Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (, ), is the capital of the States of Germany, German state of the Bremen (state), Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (), a two-city-state consisting of the c ...
, while ''Rivadavia'' put in at
Hamburg Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...
. They then sailed for home and arrived in Puerto Belgrano on 29 June. In September 1939, ''Moreno'' and ''Rivadavia'' traveled together to Brazil with naval cadets. However, before they could return, four s had to be sent to escort the ships back, as the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
had erupted in Europe. Since Argentina remained neutral in the war, ''Moreno'' saw little active service. By 1949, the venerable dreadnought had been decommissioned into reserve and was used as a
barracks Barracks are buildings used to accommodate military personnel and quasi-military personnel such as police. The English word originates from the 17th century via French and Italian from an old Spanish word 'soldier's tent', but today barracks ar ...
. In 1955, ''Moreno'' was used as a
prison ship A prison ship, is a current or former seagoing vessel that has been modified to become a place of substantive detention for convicts, prisoner of war, prisoners of war or civilian internees. Some prison ships were hulk (ship type), hulked. W ...
during the Liberating Revolution (''Revolución Libertadora''). The ship was stricken from the navy list on 1 October 1956; on 11 January 1957, Argentina sold ''Moreno'' for
scrap Scrap consists of recyclable materials, usually metals, left over from product manufacturing and consumption, such as parts of vehicles, building supplies, and surplus materials. Unlike waste, scrap can have monetary value, especially recover ...
for $2,468,660 to the Japanese Yawata Iron and Steel Company. On 12 May, the Argentine fleet assembled to salute the battleship one last time as it was towed out by the Dutch-owned ocean tugs ''Clyde'' and ''Ocean''. ''Moreno'' was taken through the Panama Canal to the scrappers, arriving on 17 August.96 Day Tow of Warship Ends
, ''The New York Times'', 18 August 1957, 61.


Footnotes


Endnotes


References

* Burzaco, Ricardo and Patricio Ortíz. ''Acorazados y Cruceros de la Armada Argentina, 1881–1982''. Buenos Aires: Eugenio B. Ediciones, 1997. . . (in Spanish) * Garrett, James L. "The Beagle Channel Dispute: Confrontation and Negotiation in the Southern Cone." '' Journal of Interamerican Studies and World Affairs'' 27, no. 3 (1985): 81–109. . . . * Livermore, Seward W. "Battleship Diplomacy in South America: 1905–1925." ''The Journal of Modern History'' 16, no. 1 (1944): 31–44. . . . * Martins, João Roberto, Filho
"Colossos do mares"
olossuses of the Seas ''Revista de História da Biblioteca Nacional'' 3, no. 27 (2007): 74–77. . . * Scheina, Robert L. "Argentina" in ''Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921'', edited by Robert Gardiner and Randal Gray, 400–402.
Annapolis Annapolis ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland. It is the county seat of Anne Arundel County and its only incorporated city. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east o ...
,
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...
, United States:
Naval Institute Press The United States Naval Institute (USNI) is a private non-profit military association that offers independent, nonpartisan forums for debate of national security issues. In addition to publishing magazines and books, the Naval Institute holds se ...
, 1985. . * Scheina, Robert L. ''Latin America: A Naval History 1810–1987''. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 1987. . . * Whitley, M.J. ''Battleships of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia''. Annapolis:
Naval Institute Press The United States Naval Institute (USNI) is a private non-profit military association that offers independent, nonpartisan forums for debate of national security issues. In addition to publishing magazines and books, the Naval Institute holds se ...
, 1998. . .


External links


"Historia y Arqueología Marítima" (HistArMar) – Battleships ARA ''Moreno'' & ''Rivadavia'' – History & Pictures


{{DEFAULTSORT:Moreno 1911 ships Rivadavia-class battleships Ships built by New York Shipbuilding Corporation