ARA ''Rivadavia'' () was an Argentine battleship 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 ...

. Named after the first Argentine president,

Bernardino Rivadavia Bernardino de la Trinidad González Rivadavia (May 20, 1780 – September 2, 1845) was the first President of Argentina, then called the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata, from February 8, 1826 to June 27, 1827. He was educated at th ...

,Whitley, ''Battleships'', 19. it was the

lead ship The lead ship, name ship, or class leader is the first of a series or class of ships that are all constructed according to the same general design. The term is applicable to naval ships and large civilian vessels. Large ships are very comple ...

of its class. was ''Rivadavia''s 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 1907, the Brazilian government placed an order for two of the powerful new "

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", ...

" warships as part of a larger naval construction program. Argentina quickly responded, as the Brazilian ships outclassed anything in the Argentine fleet. After an extended bidding process, contracts to design and build ''Rivadavia'' and ''Moreno'' were given to the American Fore River Shipbuilding Company. During their construction, there were rumors that the ships might be sold to a country engaged in the First World War, but both were commissioned into the Argentine Navy. ''Rivadavia'' underwent extensive refits in the United States in 1924 and 1925. The ship saw no active service during the Second World War, and its last cruise was made in 1946. Stricken from the naval register in 1957, ''Rivadavia'' was sold later that year and broken up for scrap starting in 1959.

Background

''Rivadavia''s genesis can be traced to the naval arms races between Chile and Argentina which 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 ...

. These arms races flared up in the 1890s and again in 1902; the latter was eventually stopped through 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 by the United Kingdom, Brazil decided in early 1907 to halt the construction of three obsolescent pre-dreadnoughts and begin work on two

s (the ).Whitley, ''Battleships'', 24. These ships, which were designed to carry the heaviest battleship armament in the world at the time, came as a 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 Argentinian fleet. Debates raged in Argentina over whether to spend more than 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 ...

to acquire dreadnoughts. With further border disputes, particularly with Brazil near the

Río de la Plata The Río de la Plata (; ), also called the River Plate or La Plata River in English, is the estuary formed by the confluence of the Uruguay River and the Paraná River at Punta Gorda, Colonia, Punta Gorda. It empties into the Atlantic Ocean and ...

(River Plate), Argentina made plans to contract for their own dreadnoughts. After an extended bidding process, ''Rivadavia'' and were ordered from the Fore River Shipbuilding Company in the United States.Scheina, "Argentina," 401.

Construction and trials

Laid down Laying the keel or laying down is the formal recognition of the start of a ship's construction. It is often marked with a ceremony attended by dignitaries from the shipbuilding company and the ultimate owners of the ship. Keel laying is one ...

on 25 May 1910, ''Rivadavia'' was launched and christened on 26 August 1911 by Isabel, the wife of the Argentine Minister to the United States Rómulo Sebastián Naón. Thousands of people were present to witness the event,Launch Rivadavia, Biggest Battleship
" ''The New York Times'', 27 August 1911, 7. including representatives from the Argentine Navy and the country's

legation A legation was a diplomatic representative office of lower rank than an embassy. Where an embassy was headed by an ambassador, a legation was headed by a minister. Ambassadors outranked ministers and had precedence at official events. Legation ...

in Washington. The United States sent the assistant chief of the Latin American Division in the

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 ...

, Henry L. James, to be its official representative. Two United States Navy bureau chiefs also attended. It was reported in January 1913 that apart from the usual fitting-out requirements for ''Rivadavia'' and her sister ship ARA ''Moreno'', 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. In mid-September 1913, ''Rivadavia'' conducted trials off

Rockland, Maine Rockland is a city in and the county seat of Knox County, Maine, United States. As of the United States Census, 2020, 2020 census, the town population was 6,936. The city is a popular tourist destination. It is a departure point for the Maine S ...

, after a two-week delay due to turbine malfunctions. During speed trials on the 16th,Accident to Rivadavia
" ''The New York Times'', 19 September 1913, 1. the dreadnought was able to obtain a maximum speed of .
" ''The New York Times'', 17 September 1917, 2. On a 30-hour endurance trial starting the next day, ''Rivadavia'' damaged one of its turbines and had to put in at President Roads, one of

Boston Harbor Boston Harbor is a natural harbor and estuary of Massachusetts Bay, located adjacent to Boston, Massachusetts. It is home to the Port of Boston, a major shipping facility in the Northeastern United States. History 17th century Since its dis ...

's deep-water anchorages. The turbines were still a problem as late as August 1914. One was dropped by a crane in July and had to be removed for repairs in August.

Attempted sale

Over the course of their construction, ''Rivadavia'' and ''Moreno'' had been the subject of rumors that Argentina would accept the ships and then sell them to Japan, a fast-growing military rival to the United States, or to a European country. The rumors were partially true; some in the government were looking to get rid of the battleships and devote the proceeds to opening more schools, and ''The New York Times'' reported in late 1913 that the country had received several offers from interested parties. This angered the American government, which did not want its warship technology offered to the highest bidder. Neither did they 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'' class, particularly in the adoption of the " all-or-nothing" armor scheme. Instead, the United States and its State Department and Navy Department put diplomatic pressure on the Argentine government. After

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 ...

gains in the legislature, the Argentine government introduced several bills in May 1914 which would have put the battleships up for sale, but they 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 the ships reached Argentina, and the latter considered it the responsibility of the United States to ensure that the ships never left Argentina's possession. International armament companies attempted to get Argentina to sell 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 and expected that the ships would then find their way into the war.Livermore, "Battleship Diplomacy," 46–47.

Service

''Rivadavia'' was commissioned into the ''Armada de la República Argentina'' on 27 August 1914 at the

Charlestown Navy Yard The Boston Navy Yard, originally called the Charlestown Navy Yard and later Boston Naval Shipyard, was one of the oldest shipbuilding facilities in the United States Navy. It was established in 1801 as part of the recent establishment of t ...

,Whitley, ''Battleships'', 21. although it was not fully completed until December. On 23 December 1914, ''Rivadavia'' left the United States for Argentina. It arrived in its capital,

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...

, on 19 February 1915. Over 47,000 people came out to see the new ship over the next three days, including the

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

Victorino de la Plaza. In April 1915, ''Rivadavia'' was put into the training division of the Navy, remaining there until 1917, when the navy transferred the ship into the First Division. In 1917, ''Rivadavia'' sailed to

Comodoro Rivadavia Comodoro Rivadavia (), often shortened to Comodoro ( ), is a city in the Patagonian Provinces of Argentina, province of Chubut Province, Chubut in southern Argentina, located on the San Jorge Gulf, an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean, at the foot of th ...

when communist oil workers went on strike. Later in 1917, the Argentines had to sharply curtail ''Rivadavia''s activities because of a fuel shortage, but they voyaged to the United States with the Argentine ambassador in 1918. ''Rivadavia'' then took on a load of gold bullion and brought it back to Argentina, docking in Puerto Belgrano on 23 September 1918. In December 1920, ''Rivadavia'' participated in ceremonies that marked the 400th anniversary of the discovery of the

Strait of Magellan The Strait of Magellan (), also called the Straits of Magellan, is a navigable sea route in southern Chile separating mainland South America to the north and the Tierra del Fuego archipelago to the south. Considered the most important natura ...

. On the 2nd, the ship called on

Valparaíso Valparaíso () is a major city, Communes of Chile, commune, Port, seaport, and naval base facility in the Valparaíso Region of Chile. Valparaíso was originally named after Valparaíso de Arriba, in Castilla–La Mancha, Castile-La Mancha, Spain ...

in Chile; 25 days later, it took part in an international naval review. Two years later, ''Rivadavia'' was placed into reserve. In 1923, the Navy decided to send ''Rivadavia'' to the United States to be modernized. The ship departed on 6 August 1924 and reached Boston on the 30th, where it spent the next two years. ''Rivadavia'' was converted to use fuel oil instead of coal and had "a general machinery overhaul".Scheina, "Argentina," 402. A new

fire-control system A fire-control system (FCS) is a number of components working together, usually a gun data computer, a director and radar, which is designed to assist a ranged weapon system to target, track, and hit a target. It performs the same task as a hum ...

was fitted with rangefinders on the fore and aft superfiring turrets, and the aft mast was replaced by a tripod. A funnel cap was installed so that smoke from the funnels did not interfere with accurate rangefinding of enemy ships. 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. After sailing back to Argentina in March and April 1926,Rivadavia Off For Home
" ''The New York Times'', 15 March 1926, 12. ''Rivadavia'' spent the remainder of the year undergoing

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. The dreadnought joined the training division once again in 1927, but after ''Rivadavia'' made four training cruises, the division was disbanded, and the ship remained moored in Puerto Belgrano until 1929. This began a series of cyclic activity followed by being demoted to the reserve fleet. Although active in both 1929 and 1930, ''Rivadavia'' was placed in reserve on 19 December 1930. Shortly thereafter, it was restored to active service to serve as the

flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of navy, naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically ...

for 1931 fleet exercises. ''Rivadavia'' went back into reserve in 1932 before coming back out in January 1933. It remained in full commission for most of the rest of the decade as part of the Battleship Division, alongside ''Moreno''. ARA Rivadavia speed trials 2

In January 1937, the ship called on Valparaíso 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 ...

in Peru. In company with ''Moreno'', ''Rivadavia'' left Puerto Belgrano for Europe on 6 April. After crossing the ocean, they split up, with ''Rivadavia'' mooring at the French port of Brest while ''Moreno'' took part in the British Coronation Review in

Spithead Spithead is an eastern area of the Solent and a roadstead for vessels off Gilkicker Point in Hampshire, England. It is protected from all winds except those from the southeast, with the Isle of Wight lying to the south-west. Spithead and the ch ...

. The two ships then journeyed to several German ports: both put in at

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 ''Rivadavia'' went to

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 ...

and ''Moreno'' 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 ...

. They returned to Argentina on 29 June. While ''Rivadavia'' made an official visit to

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 ...

, Brazil, in 1939, Argentina remained neutral for the majority of 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 ...

, and the aging dreadnought saw no active service. Its next cruise came after the war ended (29 October to 22 December 1946), when it called on countries in the Caribbean and northern South America, including

Trinidad Trinidad is the larger, more populous island of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the country. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is the southernmost island in ...

, Venezuela, and Colombia. This was the last time the ship would be in service under its own power. Moored in Puerto Belgrano from 1948 on, the ship was rendered inoperable in 1951 and cannibalized for many years for useful arms and equipment. On 18 October 1956, the ship was listed for disposal, and it was stricken from the Navy on 1 February 1957. On 30 May, ''Rivadavia'' was sold to an Italian

ship breaking Ship breaking (also known as ship recycling, ship demolition, ship scrapping, ship dismantling, or ship cracking) is a type of ship disposal involving the breaking up of ships either as a source of Interchangeable parts, parts, which can be sol ...

company for . Beginning on 3 April 1959, the ship was towed by two

tugboat A tugboat or tug is a marine vessel that manoeuvres other vessels by pushing or pulling them, with direct contact or a tow line. These boats typically tug ships in circumstances where they cannot or should not move under their own power, suc ...

s to

Savona Savona (; ) is a seaport and (municipality) in the west part of the northern Italian region of Liguria, and the capital of the Province of Savona. Facing the Ligurian Sea, Savona is the main center of the Riviera di Ponente (the western se ...

, Italy, where they arrived on 23 May. It was thereafter broken up in

Genoa Genoa ( ; ; ) is a city in and the capital of the Italian region of Liguria, and the sixth-largest city in Italy. As of 2025, 563,947 people live within the city's administrative limits. While its metropolitan city has 818,651 inhabitan ...

Footnotes

Endnotes

References

* Burzaco, Ricardo and Patricio Ortíz. ''Acorazados y Cruceros de la Armada Argentina, 1881–1982''. Buenos Aires: Eugenio B. Ediciones, 1997. . . * Martins, João Roberto, Filho.
Colossos do mares
olossuses of the Seas" ''Revista de História da Biblioteca Nacional'' 3, no. 27 (2007): 74–77. . . * 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. . . . * 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, Maryland 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 ...

, 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. . . * ———. ''Latin America: A Naval History 1810–1987''. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 1987. . . * Whitley, M.J. ''Battleships of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia''. Annapolis, Maryland, United States:

, 1998. . .

External links

ARA Rivadavia
at

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"Historia y Arqueología Marítima" (HistArMar) Battleship ARA Rivadavia (1914) – Pictures

* ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2CmqPprTBw Acorazado Rivadaviaat YouTube {{DEFAULTSORT:Rivadavia 1911 ships Rivadavia-class battleships Ships built in Quincy, Massachusetts