View source for Almirante Latorre-class battleship

{{Short description|1915 Chilean battleship class}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2017}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
| Ship image = Chilean battleship Almirante Latorre.jpg
| Ship caption = ''Almirante Latorre'' at anchor during a [[sea trial]] in 1921.
}}
{{Infobox ship class overview
| Builders = [[Armstrong Whitworth]]
| Operators = *{{Navy|Chile}}
*{{Navy|United Kingdom}}
| Class before = {{ship|Chilean battleship|Capitán Prat||2}}
| Class after = None
| Cost = 
| Built range = 2 (1 converted to an [[aircraft carrier]])
| In commission range = 1915–59
| Total ships lost = 1
| Total ships scrapped = 1
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
| Hide header = 
| Header caption = 
| Ship class = 
| Ship displacement = {{convert|28100|LT|t|lk=in|sp=us}} [[Displacement (ship)#Standard displacement|standard]] and {{convert|31610|LT|t|sp=us}}
| Ship length = {{convert|661|ft|abbr=on}} [[length overall|overall]]
| Ship beam = {{convert|92|ft|m|abbr=on}}
| Ship draught = {{convert|29|ft|m|abbr=on}}
| Ship propulsion = *21 Coal and oil-fired [[Water-tube boiler#Yarrow|Yarrow boilers]]
* Low pressure [[C. A. Parsons and Company|Parsons]] and High pressure [[John Brown & Company|Brown-Curtis]]/[[Parsons Marine Steam Turbine Company|Parsons]] [[steam turbine]]s
| Ship speed = {{convert|22.75|kn|lk=in}}
| Ship range = {{convert|4400|nmi|abbr=on|lk=in}} at {{convert|10|kn}}
| Ship complement = 1,167 (during the First World War)
| Ship power = {{convert|37000|shp|0|abbr=on|lk=in}}
| Ship armament = *10 × [[EOC 14 inch /45 naval gun|14 inch (355 mm)/45 caliber]] [[British ordnance terms#BL|BL]] guns
* 16 × {{convert|6|in|mm|0|abbr=on}} guns
* 2 × [[QF 3-inch 20 cwt|{{convert|3|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}]] anti-aircraft guns
* 4 × [[QF 3-pounder Hotchkiss|3-pounder guns]]
* 4 × {{convert|21|in|mm|0|abbr=on}} [[torpedo tube]]s (submerged)
| Ship armor = *Belt: {{convert|9|to|4|in|mm|abbr=on}}
* Deck: {{convert|4|to|1|in|mm|abbr=on}}
* Barbette: {{convert|10|to|4|in|mm|abbr=on}}
* Turret face: {{convert|10|in|mm|abbr=on}}
* Conning tower: {{convert|11|in|mm|abbr=on}}
| Ship aircraft = 
| Ship aircraft facilities = 
| Ship notes = 
}}
|}

The '''''Almirante Latorre'' class''' consisted of two [[super-dreadnought]] [[battleship]]s designed by the British company [[Armstrong Whitworth]] for the [[Chilean Navy]]. They were intended to be Chile's entries to the [[South American dreadnought race]], but both were purchased by the [[Royal Navy]] prior to completion for use in the [[World War I|First World War]]. Only one, {{ship|Chilean battleship|Almirante Latorre||2}} ({{HMS|Canada|1913|6}}), was finished as a battleship; {{ship|Chilean battleship|Almirante Cochrane||2}} ({{HMS|Eagle|1918|6}}), was converted to an [[aircraft carrier]]. Under their Chilean names, they honored Admirals (''Almirantes'') [[Juan José Latorre]] and [[Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald|Thomas Cochrane]]; they took their British names from what was then a dominion of [[Canada]] and a [[HMS Eagle|traditional ship name in the Royal Navy]].

At the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries, Chile was engaged in an [[Argentine–Chilean naval arms race|intense naval competition]] with its neighbor Argentina. This ended peacefully in 1902, but less than a decade later Argentina responded to Brazil's order for two [[dreadnought]]s with two of its own. The Chilean congress responded by allocating money for its own dreadnoughts, which were ordered from the United Kingdom despite a strong push from the American government for the contracts, probably due to Chile's traditionally strong ties with the British.

''Almirante Latorre'', which was closer to completion than its [[sister ship|sister]], was bought in 1914 and commissioned into British service as HMS ''Canada'' in October 1915. The ship spent its wartime service with the [[Grand Fleet]], seeing action in the [[Battle of Jutland]]. After the war, HMS ''Canada'' was put into reserve before being sold back to Chile in 1920 as ''Almirante Latorre''. The crew of the battleship instigated a [[Chilean naval mutiny of 1931|naval mutiny in 1931]]. After several years of inactivity, the ship underwent a major refit in the United Kingdom in 1937, later allowing it to patrol Chile's coast during the [[World War II|Second World War]]. After a boiler room fire and a short stint as a [[prison ship]], ''Almirante'' ''Latorre'' was [[ship breaking|scrapped]] in 1959. After ''Almirante Cochrane'' was purchased by the British in 1918, it was decided to convert the ship into an [[aircraft carrier]]. After numerous delays, ''Almirante Cochrane'' was commissioned into the Royal Navy as HMS ''Eagle'' in February 1924. It served in the [[Mediterranean Fleet]] and on the [[China Station]] in the inter-war period, and operated in the Atlantic and Mediterranean during the Second World War before being sunk in August 1942 during [[Operation Pedestal]].

== Background ==

=== Argentine–Chilean boundary dispute ===
{{Main|Argentine–Chilean naval arms race}}
{{See also|Beagle conflict}}
Conflicting Argentine and Chilean claims to [[Patagonia]], a geographic region in the southernmost portion of South America, went back to the 1840s. In 1872 and again in 1878, Chilean warships seized merchant ships which had been licensed to operate in the disputed area by Argentina. An Argentine warship did the same to an American ship in 1877. These actions nearly led to war in November 1878, when Argentina dispatched a squadron of warships to the [[Santa Cruz River (Argentina)|Santa Cruz River]]. Chile responded with the same, and war was only avoided when the Fierro–Sarratea treaty was hastily signed. Both countries were distracted in the next few years by Argentina's [[Conquest of the Desert|internal military operations against the indigenous population]] and Chile's [[War of the Pacific]] (''Guerra del Pacífico'') against Bolivia and Peru, but by 1890 a full-fledged naval [[arms race]] was underway between the two.<ref>Scheina, ''Naval History'', 45–46.</ref><ref>Garrett, "Beagle Channel," 85–87.</ref>

[[File:ARALibertad1892-MNPB.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.2|''Libertad'', seen here {{circa|1893}}, was [[keel laying|laid down]] in 1890 as part of the developing naval arms race between Argentina and Chile.]]
Both sides began ordering warships from the United Kingdom. Chile added [[Pound sterling|£]]3,129,500 in 1887 to the budget for its fleet, which was centered on two 1870s [[central battery ship|central battery]] [[ironclad warship|ironclads]], {{ship|Chilean ironclad|Almirante Cochrane||2}} and {{ship|Chilean ironclad|Blanco Encalada||2}}, and a [[protected cruiser]]. The battleship {{ship|Chilean battleship|Capitán Prat||2}}, two protected cruisers, and two [[torpedo boat]]s were ordered, and their [[keel laying|keels were laid]] in 1890. Argentina responded soon after with an order for two battleships, {{ship|ARA|Independencia|1891|2}} and {{ship|ARA|Libertad|1890|2}}. The race continued through the 1890s, even after the [[Chilean Civil War of 1891]]. The two countries alternated cruiser orders between 1890 and 1895, each ship marking a small increase in capabilities from the ship previous. The Argentines upped the ante in July 1895 by buying an [[armored cruiser]], {{ship|ARA|Garibaldi||2}}, from Italy. Chile responded by ordering its own armored cruiser, {{ship|Chilean cruiser|O'Higgins|1897|2}}, and six torpedo boats; Argentina quickly ordered another cruiser from Italy and later bought two more.<ref>Scheina, ''Naval History'', 45–49, 297–298, 347.</ref>

The race abated somewhat after a boundary dispute in the [[Puna de Atacama]] region was successfully mediated by the [[United States Ambassador to Argentina|American ambassador to Argentina]], [[William Paine Lord]], in 1899, but more ships were ordered by Argentina and Chile in 1901. Argentina ordered two {{sclass|Garibaldi|cruiser|0}} armored cruisers from Italy, and Chile replied with orders for two {{sclass|Constitución|battleship|0}} [[pre-dreadnought]] battleships. Argentina continued by signing letters of intent with Italian engineering company [[Gio. Ansaldo & C.|Ansaldo]] in May 1901 to buy two larger battleships.<ref>Scheina, ''Naval History'', 49–50.</ref>

The growing dispute disturbed the British government, who had extensive commercial interests in the area. Through their minister to Chile, they mediated negotiations between the two countries. These [[Treaty of Arbitration Between Chile and Argentina of 1902|were successfully concluded]] on 28 May 1902 with three pacts, [[Pactos de Mayo]]. The third limited the naval armaments of both countries; both were barred from acquiring any further warships for five years without giving the other an eighteen months' advance notice. The United Kingdom purchased the two Chilean battleships, while Japan took over the order for the two Argentine armored cruisers; the two Argentine battleships were never ordered. Two Argentine cruisers and Chile's ''Capitán Prat'' were [[demilitarization|demilitarized]].<ref>Scheina, ''Naval History'', 49–52.</ref>

Meanwhile, beginning in the late 1880s, Brazil's navy fell into obsolescence after an [[Decline and fall of Pedro II of Brazil#Fall|1889 revolution]], which deposed [[Politics of the Empire of Brazil|Emperor]] [[Dom (title)|Dom]] [[Pedro II of Brazil|Pedro II]], and an [[Revolta da Armada|1893 civil war]].<ref name=Topliss240>Topliss, "The Brazilian Dreadnoughts," 240.</ref><ref name=Livermore32>Livermore, "Battleship Diplomacy," 32.</ref> By the turn of the 20th century it was lagging behind the Chilean and Argentine navies in quality and total tonnage,<ref name=Livermore32/>{{efn-ua|Chile's naval tonnage was {{convert|36896|LT|t}}, Argentina's {{convert|34425|LT|t}}, and Brazil's {{convert|27661|LT|t}}.<ref name=Livermore32/>}} despite Brazil having nearly three times the population of Argentina and almost five times the population of Chile.<ref name=Livermore32/><ref name=Conways403>Scheina, "Brazil," 403.</ref>

=== Dreadnought arms race ===
{{main|South American dreadnought race}}
[[File:E Minas Geraes 1910 altered.jpg|260px|thumb|Brazil's order for two dreadnoughts ({{ship|Brazilian battleship|Minas Geraes||2}} pictured) sparked a naval arms race between themselves, Argentina, and Chile.]]
By 1904, Brazil—the largest country in South America in both size and population—began to seriously consider upgrading its navy, which had fallen to third in total tonnage.<ref name="Livermore32"/> [[São Paulo (state)#Early 20th century|Soaring demand]] for coffee and [[rubber boom|rubber]] brought an influx of tax revenue,<ref name="Conways403" /><ref name=Sondhaus216>Sondhaus, ''Naval Warfare'', 216.</ref> used to begin a large naval building plan. The centerpiece of the new navy would be two {{sclass|Minas Geraes|battleship|0}} [[dreadnought]]s built by the United Kingdom.<ref name=Livermore32/> The order for these powerful ships, designed to carry the heaviest armament in the world at the time,<ref>"[https://www.nytimes.com/1908/08/09/archives/germany-may-buy-english-warships-three-dreadnoughts-building-for.html Germany may buy English warships]," ''[[The New York Times]]'', 1 August 1908, C8.</ref> shocked Argentina and Chile,<ref>Scheina, "Argentina," 400.</ref> causing them to cancel the 1902 armament-limiting pact with immediate effect. Alarmed, the American ambassador to Brazil sent a [[cablegram]] to his [[United States Department of State|Department of State]], warning them of the destabilizing effects that would occur if the situation devolved into a full naval arms race.<ref>Livermore, "Battleship Diplomacy," 32–33.</ref>

Argentina and other countries attempted to avert a full-scale naval arms race by offering to purchase one of the two dreadnoughts. Brazil refused Argentina's offer.  After further tensions over the [[Río de la Plata|River Plate]] (''Río de la Plata'', literally "Silver River") area and inflammatory newspaper editorials favoring dreadnoughts, Argentina went ahead with a massive naval building plan. After a [[Rivadavia-class battleship#Design|drawn-out bidding process]] among fifteen shipyards from the United States, Great Britain, Germany, France, and Italy, Argentina ordered two {{sclass|Rivadavia|battleship|0}} dreadnoughts with an option for a third from the United States. They also ordered twelve destroyers from three nations in Europe. With its major rival acquiring so many modern vessels,{{efn-ua|By 1911, the disparity between the navies of Chile, Argentina, and Brazil had grown; Brazil had nearly four times the tonnage of Chile, while Argentina had nearly three and a half times as much.<ref name=Livermore41>Livermore, "Battleship Diplomacy," 41.</ref>}} Chile wanted to respond as early as February 1906,<ref>Hough, ''The Big Battleship'', 23.</ref> but the country's naval plans were delayed by a major [[1906 Valparaíso earthquake|earthquake in 1906]] and a financial [[depression (economics)|depression]] in 1907 brought on by a drastic fall in the [[nitrate]] market.<ref>Livermore, "Battleship Diplomacy," 33–41.</ref>{{efn-ua|Livermore attributes part of this delay to a 1908 earthquake,<ref>Livermore, "Battleship Diplomacy," 40.</ref> but no major earthquake hit Chile in that year, ''cf.'' [[List of earthquakes in Chile]]. However, the [[1906 Valparaíso earthquake|Valparaíso earthquake]] of 1906 caused nearly 4,000 deaths, a tsunami, and a wide swath of destruction over the Chilean capital and surrounding areas. Given this, and at least one primary source's confirmation that the plans were delayed by the Valparaíso earthquake,<ref>"The Status of South American Navies," ''Naval Engineers'', 257.</ref> it seems likely that Livermore's 1908 earthquake was a simple typographical error.}}

== Bidding, construction, and sale to the British ==
On 6 July 1910, the [[National Congress of Chile]] passed a [[Bill (proposed law)|bill]] allocating funds for six [[destroyer]]s, two [[submarine]]s, and two large [[battleship]]s, later named {{ship|Chilean battleship|Almirante Latorre||2}} and {{ship|Chilean battleship|Almirante Cochrane||2}}.<ref name=Armada>{{cite web|url=http://www.armada.cl/site/unidades_navales/336.htm |title=Acorazado Almirante Latorre |access-date=2008-06-08 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080608084301/http://www.armada.cl/site/unidades_navales/336.htm |archive-date=2008-06-08 }}, Armada de Chile, archived 8 June 2008.</ref>{{efn-ua|''Almirante Latorre'' was originally named ''Valparaíso'', after the [[Valparaíso|Chilean city]], but was renamed to ''Libertad'', Spanish for "freedom."<ref name=Appendix7/> After the death of the famed admiral [[Juan José Latorre]], it was renamed ''Almirante Latorre'' in July 1912.<ref name=Armada/> Sources are not specific as to when the ship was renamed for the first time. Similar to its sister, ''Almirante Cochrane'' was named ''Santiago'', for the [[Santiago, Chile|city of the same name]], ''Constitución'', Spanish for "constitution." ''Almirante Cochrane'' was a tribute to another admiral, [[Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald|Thomas Cochrane]].<ref name=Appendix7/>}} Even before the decision was officially announced, the United Kingdom was widely viewed as the only country with a chance of landing the contract. The Chilean Navy had enjoyed a long-standing close relationship with its British counterpart, the [[Royal Navy]], since the 1830s, when Chilean naval officers were given places on British ships to receive training and experience they could bring back to their country. This relationship had recently been cemented when a British [[naval mission]] was requested by Chile and sent in 1911.<ref>Scheina, ''Naval History'', 138.</ref>

{{Quote box
 |quote = Favor such as Great Britain showed Chile found no parallel in the world's other important navies ... except those countries linked by alliance to Great Britain. (Scheina, ''Naval History'', 138, 364)
 |width = 25%
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Still, the United States made a push to have the orders placed in an American shipyard. The American government sent [[Henry Prather Fletcher]] to be the new [[United States Ambassador to Chile|minister to Chile]] in September 1910. Fletcher had successfully implemented [[William Howard Taft|President William Howard Taft]]'s "[[Dollar Diplomacy]]" policy in China.<ref name=Livermore41/> He met with resistance, which he attributed to lingering sentiment from the 1891 [[Baltimore Crisis|''Baltimore'' Crisis]]: "My advances in the matter have not been met with frankness or encouragement and I feel a spirit of covert opposition. Under a very polite and courteous exterior there still exists a feeling of soreness towards us."<ref name=Livermore41quote>Quoted in Livermore, "Battleship Diplomacy," 41.</ref> The US [[military attaché|naval attaché]] opined that, barring anything short of a revolution, the contracts would be given to the British. Indeed, the bidding process specified ships very close to the armament and armor mounted on recent British warships. Fletcher asked for an extension to the bidding process so that American shipbuilding firms could tailor proposals to these requirements, and this was granted.<ref name=Livermore41/>

During this time, Germany announced plans to send the [[battlecruiser]] {{SMS|Von der Tann||2}} on a South American cruise. As the ship was "widely advertised as the fastest and most powerful warship then afloat,"<ref name=Livermore41quote/> the United States and United Kingdom felt its presence might give German companies an advantage in potential armament contracts, so they sent ships of their own. The United States sent the new battleship {{USS|Delaware|BB-28|2}} on a ten-week excursion to Brazil and Chile, carrying the body of the recently deceased Chilean minister, Anibal Cruz, to the United States; the British responded with an armored cruiser squadron. ''Delaware''{{'}}s captain was ordered to give the Chileans full access to the vessel—the only exception being that he should not give full particulars of the new [[fire-control system]]<ref>Livermore, "Battleship Diplomacy," 41–42.</ref>—in an attempt by the Navy Department "to aid the shipbuilding interests of the country [United States] to make contracts for the building of men-of-war for foreign countries."<ref>Quoted in Livermore, "Battleship Diplomacy," 42.</ref> As a further incentive, the US indicated its willingness to provide a $25&nbsp;million loan to support the purchase of the ship.<ref name=Livermore42>Livermore, "Battleship Diplomacy," 42.</ref>

[[File:Delaware (BB28). Starboard bow, Guantanamo Bay, 01-01-1920 - NARA - 512950.jpg|thumb|right|The American battleship [[USS Delaware (BB-28)|USS ''Delaware'']] was sent to Brazil and Chile in early 1911 as part of a concentrated effort to obtain the battleship contracts for American shipyards.]]

In the event, the efforts made by the United States came to little. The final decision came down to a choice between the American and British tenders,<ref>Hough, ''The Big Battleship'', 24.</ref> and with a loan from the [[Rothschild family|Rothchilds]], Chile awarded one battleship contract to the latter's [[Armstrong Whitworth]] on 25 July 1911.<ref name=Livermore42/> The design was drawn up by [[J.R. Perret]], who had also designed Brazil's {{ship|Brazilian battleship|Rio de Janeiro||2}}.<ref name=Burt231>Burt, ''British Battleships'', 231.</ref>{{efn-ua|''Rio de Janeiro'' was ordered for Brazil from Armstrong in 1911, but falling government revenues forced Brazil to look for a country willing to purchase her. The Ottoman Empire obliged and bought the battleship over before completion, renaming it ''Sultân Osmân-ı Evvel''.<ref name=Scheina82>Scheina, ''Naval History'', 82.</ref> The battleship was completed on the eve of the First World War, but shortly after it began, ''Sultân Osmân-ı Evvel'' was taken over by the Royal Navy to prevent it from being used against the [[Triple Entente]].<ref name=ConwaysGB>Preston, "Great Britain," 38.</ref>}} The United States still hoped that Chile would order American [[14"/50 caliber gun|14-inch/50 caliber]] guns for the battleship's [[main battery]] armament, but orders came only for [[coastal artillery]]. The second dreadnought was awarded to Armstrong in June 1912.<ref>Livermore, "Battleship Diplomacy," 42–43.</ref> Six {{sclass|Almirante Lynch|destroyer (1912)|0}} destroyers were ordered in 1911 from [[J. Samuel White]] to accompany the new dreadnoughts.<ref>English, ''Armed Forces'', 146.</ref> Before construction began, the ''Almirante Latorre'' design was enlarged to mount sixteen 6-inch (152&nbsp;mm) rather than twenty-two 4.7-inch (119&nbsp;mm) guns. This increased the displacement by {{convert|600|LT|t|lk=in}}, to {{convert|28000|LT|t|0|lk=in}}, the [[draft (hull)|draft]] by {{convert|6.5|in|mm}}, to {{convert|33|ft|m}}, and made the ship a quarter-knot slower, to 22.75 knots.<ref name=Parkes605>Parkes, ''British Battleships'', 605.</ref>

Officially ordered on 2 November 1911 and [[keel laying|laid down]] less than a month later on 27 November,<ref name=Appendix7>Scheina, ''Naval History'', 322.</ref><ref name=Conways>Scheina, "Chile," 408.</ref> the first dreadnought became the largest ship that Armstrong had built.<ref>Gill, "Professional Notes," 493.</ref> The second dreadnought was ordered on 29 July 1912 and laid down on 22 January 1913,<ref name=Appendix7/> delayed by ''Rio de Janeiro'' occupying the [[slipway]] in which it would be built.<ref name=Burt231/> The ''[[New York Tribune]]'' (2 November 1913) and [[Proceedings (magazine)|''Proceedings'']] (May and June 1914) reported that [[Greece]] had reached an accord to purchase the first battleship counterbalance the [[Ottoman Empire]]'s acquisition of ''Rio de Janeiro'' from Brazil,<ref>"[http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030214/1913-11-02/ed-1/seq-12/ Turkey Threatened with Another War]," ''[[New York Tribune]]'', 2 November 1913, 12.</ref><ref>Gill, "Professional Notes," 934.</ref> but despite a developing sentiment within Chile to sell one or both of the dreadnoughts, no deal was made.<ref name=Livermore45>Livermore, "Battleship Diplomacy," 45.</ref><ref>Kaldis, "Background for Conflict," D1135.</ref>{{efn-ua|The nationalistic sentiments that exacerbated the naval arms race had given way to a slowing economy and growing public opinion that supported investing inside the country.<ref name=Livermore45/> The United States' [[United States Ambassador to Chile|Minister to Chile]], [[Henry Prather Fletcher]], commented to [[United States Secretary of State|Secretary of State]] [[William Jennings Bryan]]: "Since the naval rivalry began in 1910, financial conditions, which were none too good then, have grown worse; and as time approaches for the final payment, feeling has been growing in these countries that perhaps they are much more in need of money than of battleships."<ref>Quoted in Livermore, "Battleship Diplomacy," 45.</ref>}}

''Almirante Latorre'' was [[ship naming and launching|launched]] first, on 27 November 1913,<ref name=Burt240>Burt, ''British Battleships'', 240.</ref><ref>Gill, "Professional Notes," 193.</ref>{{efn-ua|Scheina gives 17 November as the launching date.<ref name=Appendix7/>}} in an elaborate ceremony that was attended by various dignitaries and presided over by Chile's ambassador to the United Kingdom, [[Agustín Edwards Mac Clure]]. The battleship was [[ship christening|christened]] by the ambassador's wife, Olga Budge de Edwards,<ref name=Armada/> and weighed {{convert|10700|LT|t}} at the time.<ref name=Parkes607>Parkes, ''British Battleships'', 607.</ref> After the [[World War I|First World War]] broke out in Europe, work on ''Almirante Latorre'' was halted in August 1914,<ref name=Parkes605/> and it was formally purchased on 9 September after the British [[Cabinet of the United Kingdom|Cabinet]] recommended it four days earlier.<ref name=Appendix7/><ref name=ConwaysGB/><ref>Burt, ''British Battleships'', 231, 240.</ref><ref>"[https://www.nytimes.com/1918/12/07/archives/british-navy-gains-four-ships-of-30000-tons-each-with-30-to-35-knot.html British Navy Gains]," ''The New York Times'', 7 December 1918, 14.</ref> ''Almirante Latorre'' was not forcibly seized like the Ottoman {{ship|Ottoman battleship|Reşadiye||2}} and {{ship|Ottoman battleship|Sultân Osmân-ı Evvel||2}} (ex-''Rio de Janeiro''), two other ships being built for a foreign navy, because of Chile's "friendly neutral" status with the United Kingdom.<ref name=ConwaysGB/> The former Chilean ship was completed on 30 September 1915,<ref name=Appendix7/> and commissioned into the Royal Navy on 15 October.<ref name=Burt240/> Work on the other ship, ''Almirante Cochrane'', was halted after the outbreak of war. The British purchased it on 28 February 1918 to be converted to an [[aircraft carrier]], as the partially completed ship was the only available large and fast hull capable of being modified into a full flush-deck carrier. Low priority and [[industrial action|quarrels with shipyard workers]] slowed completion of the ship.<ref name=Preston70>Preston, "Great Britain," 70.</ref>

== Service histories ==
''Almirante Latorre'' was renamed HMS ''Canada'' and slightly modified for British service.<ref name="Burt240"/> The ship completed [[fitting-out]] on 20 September 1915,<ref name=Appendix7/><ref name=ConwaysGB/> and was [[ship commissioning|commissioned]] into the [[Royal Navy]] on 15 October. It initially served with the [[4th Battle Squadron (United Kingdom)|4th Battle Squadron]] of the [[Grand Fleet]], and saw action in the [[Battle of Jutland]] on 31 May and 1 June 1916. It fired 42 rounds from its 14-inch guns and 109 6-inch shells during the battle, and suffered no hits or casualties. ''Canada'' was transferred to the [[1st Battle Squadron (United Kingdom)|1st Battle Squadron]] on 12 June 1916, received further modifications in 1917 and 1918, and was put into reserve in March 1919.<ref name=Burt240/>

[[File:Inflexible LOC det 4a16122.jpg|thumb|left|{{HMS|Inflexible|1907|2}} would have been one of two {{sclass|Invincible|battlecruiser|1}}s sold to Chile, but monetary considerations and significant opposition prevented their purchase.]]
After the end of the war in Europe, Chile began to seek additional ships to bolster its fleet, and the United Kingdom eagerly offered many of its surplus warships. This action worried the nations of South America, who feared that a Chilean attempt to regain the title of "the first naval power in South America"<ref>Graser Schornstheimer, "[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9B04E6DF173AE532A25751C2A96E9C946195D6CF Chile as a Naval Power]," ''The New York Times'', 22 August 1920, X10.</ref> would destabilize the region and start another naval arms race.<ref name="Livermore48">Livermore, "Battleship Diplomacy," 48.</ref> Chile asked for ''Almirante Cochrane'' in addition to ''Canada'', but would not purchase the ship unless it was reconstructed into the original battleship configuration. The British halted work on the incomplete ship while seriously considering the offer in October 1919. But because of the increased cost of reconverting her—£2.5&nbsp;million, compared to a potential profit of £1.5&nbsp;million from selling her—and a desire to test the aircraft carrier concept and especially the viability of [[wikt:island|island]] superstructures, the British kept and completed the ship, as {{HMS|Eagle|1918|6}}.<ref name="Preston70"/><ref>Brown, "HMS ''Eagle''," 251.</ref>

In April 1920, Chile only bought ''Canada'' and four destroyers, all of which had been ordered by Chile prior to the war's outbreak and requisitioned by the British for the war.<ref name="Livermore48"/> Planned replacements for ''Almirante Cochrane'' included the two remaining {{sclass|Invincible|battlecruiser|1}}s, but a leak to the press of the secret negotiations to acquire them caused an uproar. The most visible dissension came from a block of officers in the navy who publicly opposed any possible purchase and instead promoted a "New Navy" which would acquire submarines and airplanes. They argued that these weapons would cost less and give the country, and its lengthy coastline, better protection from external threats. The ships were not bought for reasons of cost, but neither were the airplanes its supporters had been hoping for.<ref name="ReferenceA">Somervell, "Naval Affairs," 389–390.</ref>

=== ''Almirante Latorre'' in Chilean service ===
{{main|Chilean battleship Almirante Latorre}}
[[File:Chilean battleship Almirante Latorre 1.jpg|thumb|right|''Almirante Latorre'' in the 1930s.]]
''Canada'' was renamed ''Almirante Latorre'' once again and formally handed over to the Chilean government on 27 November 1920.<ref name=Burt240/> It departed [[Plymouth]] the same day with two of the destroyers,<ref>"[https://www.nytimes.com/1920/11/28/archives/chiles-new-war-fleet-sails.html Chile's War Fleet Sails]," ''The New York Times'', 28 November 1920, 12.</ref> and they arrived in Chile on 20 February 1921, where they were welcomed by Chile's president, [[Arturo Alessandri]]. ''Almirante Latorre'' was made the [[flagship]] of the navy.<ref name=Armada/> The dreadnought was frequently used by Alessandri for various functions, including as transport to Vallenar after a [[1922 Vallenar earthquake|1922 earthquake]],<ref name=Armada/><ref>"More Earthquakes Hit Northern Chile," ''The New York Times'', 16 November 1922, 3.</ref> and to [[Talcahuano]] for the grand opening of a new naval drydock in 1924.<ref name=Armada/> In 1925, with the fall of the [[Government Junta of Chile (1925)|January Junta]], the ship hosted Alessandri after his return from exile. In September, the last month of his term, Alessandri received the United Kingdom's [[Edward VIII|Edward]], [[Prince of Wales]], on board the battleship.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>

''Almirante Latorre'' was sent to the United Kingdom for a modernization at the [[HMNB Devonport|Devonport Dockyard]] in 1929. It lasted for quite some time, but finally left for Valparaíso nearly two years later, on 5 March 1931, and arrived on 12 April.<ref name=Whitley33>Whitley, ''Battleships'', 33.</ref> Not long after it returned, crewmembers aboard ''Almirante Latorre'' instigated [[Chilean naval mutiny of 1931|a major mutiny]]. The revolt was a result of [[Great Depression in Latin America|the country's economic woes]] in the midst of the [[Great Depression]] and a recent pay cut. Most of the navy's ships joined ''Almirante Latorre'' in the mutiny, but they surrendered five days after it began when an air strike was mounted by government forces. ''Almirante Latorre'' ended up in the [[Tongoy|Bay of Tongoy]] with {{ship|Chilean cruiser|Blanco Encalada|1893|2}}.<ref>Scheina, ''Naval History'', 112–114.</ref><ref>Scheina, ''Latin America's Wars'', 76.</ref><ref>Sater, "The Abortive Kronstadt," 240–253.</ref>

With Chile still in the midst of the depression, ''Almirante Latorre'' was deactivated at Talcahuano in 1933 to lessen government expenditures,<ref>"[https://www.nytimes.com/1933/01/19/archives/chile-lays-up-all-battleships-in-drastic-economy-measure.html Chile Lays Up All Battleships in Drastic Economy Measure]," ''The New York Times'', 19 January 1933, 7.</ref> and only a caretaker crew was assigned to tend to the [[:wikt:mothballed|mothballed]] ship into the mid-1930s.<ref>Scheina, ''Naval History'', 86, 359.</ref>{{efn-ua|It is not clear when ''Almirante Latorre'' was reactivated. Scheina gives two possible years, 1935 or after the 1937 refit.<ref>Scheina, ''Naval History'', 359.</ref>}} Soon after Japan's [[attack on Pearl Harbor]], the United States approached Chile with the aim of purchasing ''Almirante Latorre'', two destroyers, and a submarine tender to bolster the United States Navy, but the offer was declined.<ref>Scheina, ''Naval History'', 164.</ref><ref>English, ''Armed Forces'', 149.</ref> ''Almirante Latorre'' was used during the [[World War II|Second World War]] for Chilean neutrality patrols.<ref name=Burt240/> The ship remained active until 1951, when an accident in its engine room killed three crewmen. Moored at Talcahuano, the battleship became a storage facility for fuel oil.<ref name=Whitley33/> It was [[ship decommissioning|decommissioned]] in October 1958, and was sold in February 1959 to be [[ship breaking|broken up]] for scrap in Japan.<ref name=Armada/><ref name=Appendix7/> ''Almirante Latorre'' was taken under tow by the tug ''Cambrian Salvos'' on 29 May 1959,<ref name=Armada/><ref name=Whitley33/> and reached [[Yokohama]], Japan, at the end of August,<ref name=Burt240/><ref name=Whitley33/><ref name="In Japan">"[https://www.nytimes.com/1959/08/30/archives/chilean-warship-in-japan.html Chilean Warship in Japan]," ''The New York Times'', 30 August 1959, S13.</ref>{{efn-ua|Sources disagree as to the exact date. Whitley, the ''New York Times'', and Burt give 28, 29, and 30 August, respectively.<ref name=Burt240/><ref name=Whitley33/><ref name="In Japan"/>}} though the scrapping process did not begin immediately on arrival.<ref name=Burt240/>

=== ''Almirante Cochrane''/''Eagle'' in British service ===
{{main|HMS Eagle (1918)}}
[[File:Hms-eagle-1942.jpg|260px|thumb|right|''Eagle'' in the Mediterranean, where it would be sunk in August 1942.]]
''Eagle'' was used for trials throughout 1920. As the concept of aircraft carriers was still very new, the lessons learned were incorporated in a 1921–23 refit. Its official [[sea trials]] were conducted in September 1923, and it was commissioned on 26 February 1924. The new ship was sent to the [[Mediterranean Fleet]] in June, and alternated between refits in the United Kingdom (1926, 1929) and the Mediterranean until 1931, when ''Eagle'' was sent to [[:wikt:show the flag|show the flag]] on a South American cruise. Between its major refits in 1931–32 and 1936, ''Eagle'' was sent to the [[China Station]] before rotating back to the Mediterranean. After 1936, it was sent back to the Far East, and was there when the Second World War broke out in September 1939. For the next seven months, ''Eagle'' was used for anti-raider patrols, but when one of its own aircraft bombs exploded on board in March 1940, the carrier was forced to sail to [[Singapore]] for repairs. Soon after, ''Eagle'' was again moved to the Mediterranean, where it protected [[convoy]]s until May 1941, when it was sent to [[Gibraltar]]. The ship spent the next several months in the South Atlantic, on guard against German raiders.<ref>Brown, "HMS ''Eagle''," 251–265.</ref>

In September, a major fire severely damaged ''Eagle'', so it was sent back to the United Kingdom. The refit lasted from October 1941 to February 1942, and it was quickly sent to reinforce [[Force H]]. It was employed to ferry [[fighter aircraft|fighters]] to [[Malta]] in attempts to keep the besieged island under British control. As part of this duty, it was used to cover a convoy in August 1942 (Operation Pedestal); during the voyage, ''Eagle'' was sunk in four minutes by four [[torpedo]]es from the German submarine {{GS|U-73|1940|2}}.<ref>Brown, "HMS ''Eagle''," 265–271.</ref>

== Specifications ==
{{For|specifications of ''Almirante Cochrane'' after it became an aircraft carrier|HMS Eagle (1918)}}
[[File:Brassey's HMS Canada Plan (1915).jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.8|''Almirante Latorre'' was the last South American dreadnought built, and was larger and better armed than its counterparts in Brazil and Argentina. The more efficient arrangement of the five 14-inch turrets, with all mounted on the centerline rather than [[En echelon (turret arrangement)|''en echelon'']], allowed the main battery to fire on a single [[Broadside (naval)|broadside]] without damaging the ship.<ref name=ConwaysGB/><ref>Whitley, ''Battleships'', 20.</ref>]]
''Almirante Latorre'' closely resembled the British {{sclass|Iron Duke|battleship|4}}, the major difference being that the Chilean ship was longer, had less [[forecastle]] but more [[quarterdeck]], and had larger funnels along with an aft mast. The ship was {{convert|28100|LT|t|lk=in|sp=us}} [[Displacement (ship)#Standard displacement|standard]] and {{convert|31610|LT|t|sp=us}} at [[Displacement (ship)#Full or deep load or loaded displacement|full load]]. At {{convert|661|ft|m}} [[length overall|overall]], it was {{convert|39|ft|m}} longer than the ''Iron Duke''-class; it had a [[Beam (nautical)|beam]] of {{convert|92|ft|m}} and a mean [[Draft (hull)|draft]] of {{convert|29|ft|m}}.<ref name=ConwaysGB/>

The ship's [[main battery]] was composed of ten [[EOC 14 inch /45 naval gun|14-inch/45]] [[caliber#Caliber as unit of measurement|caliber]] guns mounted in five dual turrets. The arrangement was the same as for the ''Iron Duke'' class, with two turrets [[superfire|superfiring]] forward and a single turret amidships separated from the aft superfiring pair by superstructure and a mast. Built by the [[Elswick Ordnance Company]], the guns were able to fire a {{convert|1586|lb|kg|adj=on}} shell at a [[muzzle velocity]] of 1507&nbsp;ft/s (764&nbsp;m/s) to a maximum range of {{convert|24400|yd|m}}. They were able to depress to {{formatnum:-5}}° and elevate to {{formatnum:20}}°.<ref name=Campbell379>Campbell, ''Naval Weapons'', 379.</ref> Fourteen of these guns were manufactured, ten mounted on ''Almirante Latorre'' and four kept for use as spares. The latter were kept by the United Kingdom after the sale to Chile and scrapped in 1922,<ref>Burt, ''British Battleships'', 231, 234.</ref> while those built for ''Almirante Cochrane'' were at least originally kept for potential later use on ''Almirante Latorre''.<ref>Brown, "HMS ''Eagle''," 249.</ref> The secondary battery was originally composed of sixteen [[BL 6 inch Mk XI naval gun|6-inch Mark XI]], two [[QF 3 inch 20 cwt|3-inch]] 20 [[Hundredweight|cwt]] [[anti-aircraft warfare|anti-aircraft]] guns, four [[Ordnance QF 3 pounder Vickers|3-pounders]], and four submerged [[British 21 inch torpedo#21 inch Mark II|21-inch torpedo tubes]]. The two 6-inch guns located farthest aft were removed in 1916, as they were affected by [[Naval artillery|blast damage]] from the amidships 14-inch turret.<ref name="Parkes607"/><ref name=Burt234>Burt, ''British Battleships'', 234.</ref> During the 1929 refit in the United Kingdom, four additional anti-aircraft guns were placed in the aft superstructure.<ref name=ConwaysGB/><ref name=Campbell379/>

''Almirante Latorre'' was powered by [[steam turbine]]s manufactured by [[John Brown & Company|Brown–Curtis]] and [[Parsons Marine Steam Turbine Company|Parsons]], which put out 37,000&nbsp;[[shaft horsepower]], and 21 [[Water-tube boiler#Yarrow|Yarrow boilers]]. Together, these turned four [[propeller]]s which drove the ship through the water at a maximum speed of {{convert|22.75|kn|mph km/h}}. {{convert|3300|t|LT|sp=us}} of coal and {{convert|520|t|LT|sp=us}} of oil could be carried, giving the ship a maximum theoretical range of {{convert|4400|nmi|mi km}} at {{convert|10|kn|mph km/h}}.<ref name=ConwaysGB/>

The battleship's armor was composed of a {{convert|9|to|4|in|mm|adj=on|0}} [[belt armor|belt]], {{convert|4.5|to|3|in|mm|adj=on}} [[bulkhead (partition)|bulkheads]], {{convert|10|to|4|in|mm|adj=on|0}} [[barbette]]s, {{convert|10|in|mm|adj=on|0}} turret faces, a {{convert|4|to|3|in|mm|adj=on}} turret roof, a {{convert|11|in|mm|adj=on}} [[conning tower]], and {{convert|4|to|1|in|mm|adj=on}} [[Armour|armoured decks]].<ref name=ConwaysGB/>

== Footnotes ==
{{Notelist-ua}}

== Endnotes ==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

== References ==
* Brown, David. "HMS ''Eagle''." In ''Profile Warship'', edited by [[Antony Preston]], 249–272. Windsor, United Kingdom: Profile Publishing, 1973. {{ISSN|1754-4459}}. {{OCLC|249286023}}. {{closed access}}
* Burt, R. A. ''British Battleships of World War One''. [[Annapolis, Maryland|Annapolis]]: [[Naval Institute Press]], 1986. {{ISBN|0-87021-863-8}}. {{OCLC|14224148}}. {{closed access}}
* Campbell, John. ''Naval Weapons of World War II''. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 1985. {{ISBN|0-87021-459-4}}. {{OCLC|13085151}}. {{closed access}}
* English, Adrian J. ''Armed Forces of Latin America''. London: Jane's Publishing Inc., 1984. {{ISBN|0-7106-0321-5}}. {{OCLC|11537114}}. {{closed access}}
* Gardiner, Robert and Randal Gray, eds. ''Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921''. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 1985. {{ISBN|0-87021-907-3}}.  {{OCLC|12119866}}. {{closed access}}
* Garrett, James L. "[https://www.jstor.org/stable/165601 The Beagle Channel Dispute: Confrontation and Negotiation in the Southern Cone]." ''Journal of Interamerican Studies and World Affairs'' 27, no. 3 (1985): 81–109. {{JSTOR|165601}}. {{ISSN|0022-1937}}. {{OCLC|2239844}}. {{closed access}}
* Gill, C.C. "[https://books.google.com/books?id=EMcjAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA193 Professional Notes]." ''Proceedings'' 40, no. 1 (1914): 186–272. {{OCLC|2496995}}. {{open access}}
*&nbsp;———. "[https://books.google.com/books?id=EMcjAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA492 Professional Notes]." ''Proceedings'' 40, no. 2 (1914): 495–618. {{OCLC|2496995}}. {{open access}}
*&nbsp;———. "[https://books.google.com/books?id=EMcjAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA934 Professional Notes]." ''Proceedings'' 40, no. 3 (1914): 835–947. {{OCLC|2496995}}. {{open access}}
* [[Richard Hough|Hough, Richard]]. ''The Big Battleship''. Cornwall, United Kingdom: Periscope Publishing, 2003. First published 1966 by Michael Joseph. {{ISBN|1-904381-14-6}}. {{OCLC|8898108}}. {{closed access}}
* Kaldis, William Peter. "[https://www.jstor.org/stable/1881125 Background for Conflict: Greece, Turkey, and the Aegean Islands, 1912–1914]." ''Journal of Modern History'' 51, no. 2 (1979): D1119–D1146. {{OCLC|62219150}}. {{closed access}}
* Parkes, Oscar. ''British Battleships''. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 1990. First published 1957 by Seeley Service. {{ISBN|1-55750-075-4}}. {{OCLC|22240716}}. {{closed access}}
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* Livermore, Seward W. "[https://www.jstor.org/stable/1870986 Battleship Diplomacy in South America: 1905–1925]." ''Journal of Modern History'' 16, no. 1 (1944): 31–48. {{OCLC|62219150}}. {{closed access}}
* Sater, William F. "[https://www.jstor.org/stable/2513217 The Abortive Kronstadt: The Chilean Naval Mutiny of 1931]." ''Hispanic American Historical Review'' 60, no. 2 (1980): 239–68. {{OCLC|421498310}}. {{closed access}}
* Scheina, Robert L. "Argentina." In Gardiner and Gray, ''Conway's'', 400–403. {{closed access}}
*&nbsp;———. "Brazil." In Gardiner and Gray, ''Conway's'', 403–407. {{closed access}}
*&nbsp;———. "Chile." In Gardiner and Gray, ''Conway's'', 407–409. {{closed access}}
*&nbsp;———. ''Latin America: A Naval History 1810–1987''. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 1987. {{ISBN|0-87021-295-8}}. {{OCLC|15696006}}. {{closed access}}
*&nbsp;———. ''Latin America's Wars''. Washington, DC: Brassey's, 2003. {{ISBN|1-57488-452-2}}. {{OCLC|49942250}}. {{closed access}}
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* "[https://books.google.com/books?id=0OwgqUnabYYC&pg=PA254 The Status of South American Navies]," ''Journal of the American Society of Naval Engineers'' 21, no. 1 (1909): 254–57. {{OCLC|3227025}}. {{open access}}
* Topliss, David. "The Brazilian Dreadnoughts, 1904–1914." ''Warship International'' 25, no. 3 (1988): 240–289. {{ISSN|0043-0374}}. {{OCLC|1647131}}. {{closed access}}
* Vanterpool, Alan. "The Riachuleo." ''Warship International'' 6, no. 2 (1969): 140–141. {{closed access}}
* Whitley, M.J. ''Battleships of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia''. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 1998. {{ISBN|1-55750-184-X}}. {{OCLC|40834665}}. {{closed access}}

== Further reading ==
* Sturton, Ian. "Battleship End-notes: Almirante Latorre." In ''Warship 2006'', edited by John Jordan, 124–125. London: Conway Maritime Press, 2006. {{ISBN|1844860302}}. {{OCLC|64315089}}. {{closed access}}

== External links ==

* [https://www.armada.cl/armada/tradicion-e-historia/unidades-historicas/l/acorazado-almirante-latorre-1/2014-02-14/153627.html Acorazado "Almirante Latorre" 1°], ''Unidades Historicas'', Armada de Chile.<!-- accessed 13 May 2021 -->
* {{Commons category-inline|Almirante Latorre-class battleship|''Almirante Latorre''-class battleship}}

{{Almirante Latorre class battleships}}
{{Chilean battleships}}
{{South American dreadnoughts}}

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