- Joined
- Jul 22, 2013
- Messages
- 3,004
- Reaction score
- 1,513
- Gender
- Male
- Political Leaning
- Independent
This is a strange, convulted but interesting story of a brand spanking new, obscure, but instantly-obsolete/outdated battleship that changed hands 3 freaking times before ever being commissioned! Its 3rd change in ownership helped thrust the Ottoman empire into WW1 on the side of Germany. They lost BTW!! LOL.
It was 1910, four years before WW1, and Brazil needed new capital ships to remain competitive with their arch nemesis, Chile. Their economic boom wasnt booming as hard as b4, so they decided not to order a more expensive, modern battleship with 8 of the 14" guns. Instead, they decided upon a longer ship with a LOT of turrets carrying twin 12" guns. The to-be "Rio De Janeiro" would carry more main gun turrets than any battleship ever built, 7 of them! It was to be built in England.
But as it was being built, their economic boom became bust, and they couldnt afford to keep funding it. Fortunately, battleships were all the rage in the early 1900s! Soon, the Orroman empire decided to buy the still-unfinished "Rio De Janeiro", along with another different ship that Britain was already building for them.
The Ottomans paid for it, and renamed it the "Sultan Osman Evel". In order to pay for it, they did a private collection from their citizens, including schools, businesses, etc. So there was a LOT of national pride in this ship they'd soon be receiving. But then WW1 was warming up, and both ships were finished, the Brits realized they didnt want to hand over 2 capital ships to a country they may soon be fighting against.
So the Ottomans sent a whole crew of naval personnel to England to learn the ships, then to sail them home. But the Brits reneged on the deal, refusing to sell it. It REALLY p*ssed off the Ottoman leaders AND the public, who helped pay for it!
As a result, and because Germany agreed to turn over a few older ships to the Ottomans, they joined the central powers in WW1, which led directly to their doom as an empire, once they lost...
In the mean time, the Brits kept the ship, and renamed it the "HMS Agincourt". It was immediately obsolete. It didnt do much in WW1, compared to the more powerful, better armored ships of the FAR superior Queen Elizabeth class, with 15" guns.
It was 1910, four years before WW1, and Brazil needed new capital ships to remain competitive with their arch nemesis, Chile. Their economic boom wasnt booming as hard as b4, so they decided not to order a more expensive, modern battleship with 8 of the 14" guns. Instead, they decided upon a longer ship with a LOT of turrets carrying twin 12" guns. The to-be "Rio De Janeiro" would carry more main gun turrets than any battleship ever built, 7 of them! It was to be built in England.
But as it was being built, their economic boom became bust, and they couldnt afford to keep funding it. Fortunately, battleships were all the rage in the early 1900s! Soon, the Orroman empire decided to buy the still-unfinished "Rio De Janeiro", along with another different ship that Britain was already building for them.
The Ottomans paid for it, and renamed it the "Sultan Osman Evel". In order to pay for it, they did a private collection from their citizens, including schools, businesses, etc. So there was a LOT of national pride in this ship they'd soon be receiving. But then WW1 was warming up, and both ships were finished, the Brits realized they didnt want to hand over 2 capital ships to a country they may soon be fighting against.
So the Ottomans sent a whole crew of naval personnel to England to learn the ships, then to sail them home. But the Brits reneged on the deal, refusing to sell it. It REALLY p*ssed off the Ottoman leaders AND the public, who helped pay for it!
As a result, and because Germany agreed to turn over a few older ships to the Ottomans, they joined the central powers in WW1, which led directly to their doom as an empire, once they lost...
In the mean time, the Brits kept the ship, and renamed it the "HMS Agincourt". It was immediately obsolete. It didnt do much in WW1, compared to the more powerful, better armored ships of the FAR superior Queen Elizabeth class, with 15" guns.