Brazilian aircraft carrier Minas Gerais
- HMS Vengeance
The Lean Minas Gerais was a light aircraft carrier of the Brazilian Navy. He was from 1960 to 2001 the flagship of the Brazilian Navy. From 1945 to 1955, the ship served under the name of HMS Vengeance ( ID: R71 ) in the British Royal Navy and the Royal Australian Navy.
History
The carrier was built at the shipyard Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson at Wallsend and baptized in 1944 in the name of Vengeance. The support of the Royal Australian Navy from 1952 to 1955 was used. End of 1956, Brazil purchased the ship from England and named it in Minas Gerais in order, according to the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, and sent it immediately in a Dutch shipyard, made in the modifications and upgrades.
The acquisition of the ship caused a serious dispute between the Navy and the Air Force ( FAB) of the country. The Navy claimed control of the aircraft stationed on the carrier; against violent protest of the Air Force. For this reason, the 1 ° Grupo de Aviação Embarcada da FAB launched on 6 February 1957. It should place the airplane squadrons of Minas Gerais, led by the FAB. This group was divided into two squadrons: a fighter squadron and one for patrol flights, both with machines of the type Grumman S -2. Nevertheless, the problem remained for the following governments exist. Only President Humberto Castelo Branco 1964, the FAB secured the full availability of the aircraft based on.
Since 1960, the ship was incorporated into the Brazilian fleet and navigated primarily along the coast of the country. Despite the modernization made the turbine power was only sufficient for about 20 kn. These are three to four nodes less than would have been necessary for modern aircraft. Therefore, the Minas Gerais was made on 9 October 2001 out of service and replaced by the NAe São Paulo.
In 2002, the Minas Gerais was auctioned. Among the twelve bidders, most indicated that they want to scrap the ship and further process the steel from its hull. A representative of the British NGO Friends of the HMS Vengeance wanted to restore the native of the Second World War ship and exhibit in a museum.
The ship was finally sold for $ 2,000,000 at an event company in Shanghai. For a Chinese museum said that the surrender of the Imperial Japanese troops stationed there had been signed on the ship after the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong. However, there was also speculation about a possible Chinese carrier program, especially as the aircraft carrier had been overhauled in 1998. According to Friends of the HMS Vengeance, the Chinese purchase is lost due to financing problems.
The Minas Gerais was towed to India in 2004 and scrapped at Alang.