View source for Brazilian battleship São Paulo

{{short description|Brazilian dreadnought battleship}}
{{For|the aircraft carrier|Brazilian aircraft carrier São Paulo}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{| {{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
| Ship image   = Brazilian battleship São Paulo trials.jpg
| Ship caption = ''São Paulo'' on its [[sea trial]]s, 1910
}}
{{Infobox ship career
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| Ship country = Brazil
| Ship flag = {{shipboxflag|Brazil|1889}}
| Ship name = ''São Paulo''
| Ship namesake = The state and city of [[São Paulo]]<ref name="NGB" />
| Ship ordered = 
| Ship awarded = 
| Ship builder = [[Vickers]], [[Barrow-in-Furness]], United Kingdom<ref name="Conways" />
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| Ship laid down = 30 April 1907<ref name="NGB" /><ref name="Conways" />
| Ship launched = 19 April 1909<ref name="NGB" /><ref name="Conways" />
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| Ship completed = 
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| Ship commissioned = 12 July 1910<ref name="NGB" /><ref name="Conways" />
| Ship recommissioned = 
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| Ship out of service = 
| Ship renamed = 
| Ship reclassified = 
| Ship refit = 
| Ship struck = 2 August 1947<ref name="NGB" /><ref name="Whitley29" />
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| Ship homeport = 
| Ship identification = 
| Ship motto = Non Ducor, Duco<ref name="NGB" />{{efn-ua|The English translation of this Latin phrase is "I am not led, I lead". ''São Paulo'' shared this motto with the city the ship was named after.<ref name="NGB" />}}
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| Ship fate = Sank 1951 while en route to be scrapped
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{{Infobox ship characteristics
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| Ship class = {{sclass|Minas Geraes|battleship}}
| Ship displacement =* 19,105 tons standard<ref name="Topliss249">Topliss, "The Brazilian Dreadnoughts," 249.</ref>{{efn-ua|Topliss includes specific displacement figures for ''São Paulo'' which differ from ''Minas Geraes''.}}
* 21,370 tons full load<ref name="Topliss249" />
  
| Ship length =* {{convert|500|ft|m|abbr=on}} [[length between perpendiculars|p.p]]<ref name="Topliss249" />
* {{convert|543|ft|m|abbr=on}} [[length overall|overall]]<ref name="Topliss249" />
  
| Ship beam = {{convert|83|ft|m|abbr=on}}<ref name="Topliss249" />
| Ship height = 
| Ship draft =* {{convert|24|ft|8.75|in|m|abbr=on}} [[normal displacement|normal]]<ref name="Topliss249" />
* {{convert|27|ft|3|in|abbr=on}} [[full-load displacement|full&nbsp;load]]<ref name="Topliss249" />
  
| Ship power =* 23,500 [[shaft horsepower|shp]] (17,524 kW; design)<ref name="Conways" />
* 23,400 [[indicated horsepower|ihp]] (design)<ref name="Topliss251">Topliss, "The Brazilian Dreadnoughts," 251.</ref>
* 27,500 ihp (actual)<ref name="Topliss251" />
  
| Ship propulsion =* 2-shaft reciprocating vertical triple-expansion ([[triple expansion engine|VTE]]) steam engines<ref name="Topliss250">Topliss, "The Brazilian Dreadnoughts," 250.</ref>
* 18 [[Babcock & Wilcox]] boilers<ref name="Topliss250" />
  
| Ship speed = {{convert|21.5|knots}}<ref name="Topliss251" />
| Ship range = 
| Ship endurance = 10,000&nbsp;nautical&nbsp;miles @&nbsp;10&nbsp;knots (11,500&nbsp;mi @ 11.5&nbsp;mph or 18,500&nbsp;km @ 18.5&nbsp;km/h)<ref name="Conways" />
| Ship boats = 
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| Ship armament =* 12 × [[EOC 12 inch /45 naval gun|{{convert|12|in|mm|adj=on|sigfig=4}} main guns]] (6 × 2)<ref name="Topliss249" />
* 22 × {{convert|4.7|in|mm|abbr=on}} guns<ref name="Topliss250" />
* 18 × [[Ordnance QF 3-pounder Vickers|3-pounder (47&nbsp;mm)]] guns
* 8 × 1 pdr (37&nbsp;mm) guns
| Ship armour =* [[Belt armor|Belt]]: {{convert|9|to|3|in|mm|abbr=on}} (upper belt 9&nbsp;in)<ref name="Topliss250" />
* Upper [[deck armor|deck]]: {{convert|1.5|in|mm|abbr=on}}<ref name="Topliss250" />
* Main deck: {{convert|2|in|mm|abbr=on}}<ref name="Topliss250" />
* [[gun turret|Turrets]]: {{convert|12|in|mm|abbr=on}} face, {{convert|8|in|mm|abbr=on}} sides, {{convert|3|to|2|in|mm|abbr=on}} roofs<ref name="Topliss250" />
* [[Barbette]]s: {{convert|9|in|mm|abbr=on}}<ref name="Topliss250" />
* Conning tower: {{convert|12|in|mm|abbr=on}},{{convert|2|in|mm|abbr=on}} sides and roof<ref name="Topliss250" />
  
| Ship notes = Characteristics are as built; ''cf.'' [[Minas Geraes-class battleship#Specifications|Specifications of the ''Minas Geraes''-class battleships]]
}}
|}

'''''São Paulo''''' was a [[dreadnought]] [[battleship]] of the [[Brazilian Navy]]. It was the second of two ships in the {{sclass|Minas Geraes|battleship|4}}, and was named after the [[São Paulo (state)|state]] and [[São Paulo|city]] of São Paulo.

The British company [[Vickers#Vickers, Sons & Maxim|Vickers]] constructed ''São Paulo'', [[ship naming and launching|launching]] it on 19 April 1909. The ship was [[ship commissioning|commissioned]] into the Brazilian Navy on 12 July 1910. Soon after, it was involved in the [[Revolt of the Lash]] (''Revolta de Chibata''), in which crews on four Brazilian warships mutinied over poor pay and harsh punishments for even minor offenses. After entering the First World War, Brazil offered to send ''São Paulo'' and its [[Sister ship|sister]] {{ship|Brazilian battleship|Minas Geraes||2}} to Britain for service with the [[Grand Fleet]], but Britain declined since both vessels were in poor condition and lacked the latest fire control technology. In June 1918, Brazil sent ''São Paulo'' to the United States for a full refit that was not completed until 7 January 1920, well after the war had ended. On 6 July 1922, ''São Paulo'' [[wikt:fire in anger|fired its guns in anger]] for the first time when it attacked a fort that had been taken during the [[Copacabana Fort revolt]]. Two years later, mutineers took control of the ship and sailed it to [[Montevideo]] in [[Uruguay]], where they obtained [[Right of asylum|asylum]].

In the 1930s, ''São Paulo'' was passed over for modernization due to its poor condition—it could only reach a top speed of {{convert|10|knots}}, less than half its design speed. For the rest of its career, the ship was reduced to a reserve coastal defense role. When Brazil entered the Second World War, ''São Paulo'' sailed to [[Recife]] and remained there as the port's main defense for the duration of the war. [[wikt:stricken|Stricken]] in 1947, the dreadnought remained as a [[training vessel]] until 1951, when it was taken under tow to be scrapped in the United Kingdom. The tow lines broke during a strong gale on 6 November, when the ships were {{convert|150|nmi|abbr=on}} north of the [[Azores]], and ''São Paulo'' was lost.

== Background ==
{{main|South American dreadnought race|Minas Geraes-class battleship|l2=''Minas Geraes''-class battleship}}

Beginning in the late 1880s, Brazil's navy fell into obsolescence, a situation exacerbated by an [[Decline and fall of Pedro II of Brazil#Fall|1889 coup d'état]], which deposed Emperor [[Dom (title)|Dom]] [[Pedro II of Brazil|Pedro II]], and an [[Federalist Revolution|1893 civil war]].<ref name="Topliss240">Topliss, "The Brazilian Dreadnoughts," 240.</ref><ref name="Livermore32">Livermore, "Battleship Diplomacy," 32.</ref><ref name="Martins75">Martins, "Colossos do mares," 75.</ref>{{efn-ua|The civil war began in the southern state of [[Rio Grande do Sul]]. Later in 1893, Rear Admiral [[Custódio José de Mello]], the minister of the navy, revolted against President [[Floriano Peixoto]], bringing nearly all of the Brazilian warships currently in the country with him. Mello's forces took [[Florianópolis|Desterro]] when the governor surrendered, and began to coordinate with the revolutionaries in Rio Grande do Sul, but loyal Brazilian forces eventually overwhelmed them both. Most of the rebel naval forces were sailed to Argentina, where their crews surrendered; the flagship, {{ship|Brazilian battleship|Aquidabã||2}}, held out near Desterro until sunk by a torpedo boat.<ref>Scheina, ''Naval History'', 67–76, 352.</ref>}} Despite 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> by the end of the 19th century Brazil was lagging behind the Chilean and Argentine navies in quality and total tonnage.<ref name="Livermore32" /><ref name="Martins75" />{{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" /> For an account of the Argentinian–Chilean naval arms races, see Scheina, ''Naval History'', 45–52.}}

At the turn of the 20th century, soaring demand for [[Coffee cycle|coffee]] and [[rubber boom|rubber]] brought prosperity to the Brazilian economy.<ref name="Conways403" /> The government of Brazil used some of the extra money from this economic growth to finance a naval building program in 1904,<ref name="Conways">Scheina, "Brazil," 404.</ref> which authorized the construction of a large number of warships, including three battleships.<ref>Scheina, ''Naval History'', 80.</ref><ref>English, ''Armed Forces'', 108.</ref> The minister of the navy, Admiral [[Júlio César de Noronha]], signed a contract with [[Armstrong Whitworth]] for three battleships on 23 July 1906.<ref>Topliss, "The Brazilian Dreadnoughts," 240–245.</ref> The new [[dreadnought]] battleship design, which debuted in December 1906 with the completion of [[HMS Dreadnought (1906)|the namesake ship]], rendered the Brazilian ships, and all other existing capital ships, obsolete.<ref name="Topliss246">Topliss, "The Brazilian Dreadnoughts," 246.</ref> 

The money authorized for naval expansion was redirected by the new Minister of the Navy, Rear Admiral [[Alexandrino Fario de Alencar]], to building two dreadnoughts, with plans for a third dreadnought after the first was completed, two scout cruisers (which became the {{sclass|Bahia|cruiser|4}}), ten destroyers (the {{sclass|Pará|destroyer (1908)|4}}), and three submarines.<ref name="Scheina81">Scheina, ''Naval History'', 81.</ref><ref>''Journal of the American Society of Naval Engineers'', "Brazil," 883.</ref> The three battleships on which construction had just begun were scrapped beginning on 7 January 1907, and the design of the new dreadnoughts was approved by the Brazilians on 20 February 1907.<ref name="Topliss246" /> In South America, the ships came as a shock and kindled a [[South American dreadnought race|naval arms race among Brazil, Argentina, and Chile]]. The [[Pacts of May|1902 treaty]] between the latter two was canceled upon the Brazilian dreadnought order so both could be free to build their own dreadnoughts.<ref name="Livermore32" />

[[File:Minas Geraes-class battleships.jpg|thumb|left|Line drawing of a ''Minas Geraes''-class battleship]]

{{ship|Brazilian battleship|Minas Geraes||2}}, the [[lead ship]], was laid down by Armstrong on 17 April 1907, while ''São Paulo'' followed thirteen days later at Vickers.<ref name="Conways" /><ref name="Topliss249" /><ref name="Appendix7">Scheina, ''Naval History'', 321.</ref> The news shocked Brazil's neighbors, especially Argentina, whose [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship|Minister of Foreign Affairs]] remarked that either ''Minas Geraes'' or ''São Paulo'' could destroy the entire Argentine and Chilean fleets.<ref name="Martins76">Martins, "Colossos do mares," 76.</ref> In addition, Brazil's order meant that they had laid down a dreadnought before many of the other major maritime powers, such as Germany, France or Russia,{{efn-ua|Although Germany laid down {{SMS|Nassau||2}} two months after ''Minas Geraes'', ''Nassau'' was commissioned first.<ref name="Conways" /><ref>Campbell, "Germany," 145.</ref>}} and the two ships made Brazil the third country to have dreadnoughts under construction, behind the United Kingdom and the United States.<ref name="Conways403" /><ref>Whitley, ''Battleships'', 13.</ref> 

Newspapers and journals around the world, particularly in Britain and Germany, speculated that Brazil was acting as a proxy for a naval power which would take possession of the two dreadnoughts soon after completion, as they did not believe that a previously insignificant geopolitical power would contract for such powerful warships.<ref name="Conways" /><ref>Martins, "Colossos do mares," 77.</ref> Despite this, the United States actively attempted to court Brazil as an ally; caught up in the spirit, U.S. naval journals began using terms like "Pan Americanism" and "Hemispheric Cooperation".<ref name="Conways" />

== Early career ==

''São Paulo'' was [[Ship naming and launching|christened]] by Régis de Oliveira, the wife of Brazil's minister to Great Britain, and [[Ship naming and launching|launched]] at Barrow-in-Furness on 19 April 1909 with many South American diplomats and naval officers in attendance.<ref>"[https://www.nytimes.com/1909/04/20/archives/launch-brazils-battleship-sao-paulo-slides-down-ways-at.html Launch Brazil's Battleship]," ''[[The New York Times]]'', 20 April 1909, 5.</ref> The ship was [[ship commissioning|commissioned]] on 12 July,<ref name="NGB">"E São Paulo," ''Navios De Guerra Brasileiros''.</ref><ref name="Official">"São Paulo I," Serviço de Documentação da Marinha&nbsp;— Histórico de Navios.</ref> and after [[fitting-out]] and [[sea trial]]s,<ref name="Official" /> it  left [[Greenock]] on 16 September 1910.<ref name="Whitley28">Whitley, ''Battleships'', 28.</ref> Shortly thereafter, it stopped in [[Cherbourg-Octeville|Cherbourg]], France, to embark the [[President of Brazil|Brazilian President]] [[Hermes Rodrigues da Fonseca]].<ref>"[https://www.nytimes.com/1910/09/25/archives/french-criticise-brazil-object-to-employment-of-german-officers-to.html French Criticise Brazil]," ''The New York Times'', 25 September 1910, C4.</ref> Departing on the 27th,<ref>"Marshal Hermes Da Fonseca," ''[[The Times]]'', 28 September 1910, 4e.</ref> ''São Paulo'' sailed to [[Lisbon]], Portugal, where Fonseca was a guest of Portugal's King [[Manuel II of Portugal|Manuel II]]. Soon after they arrived the [[5 October 1910 revolution]] began, which caused the fall of the Portuguese monarchy.<ref name="Keeping Good Order">"[https://www.nytimes.com/1910/10/08/archives/keeping-good-order-in-new-republic-portugals-revolutionary-ministry.html Keeping Good Order in New Republic]," ''The New York Times'', 8 October 1910, 1–2.</ref> Although the president offered political asylum to the king and his family, the offer was refused.<ref name="Poder">Ribeiro, "Os Dreadnoughts."</ref> A rumor that the king was on board, circulated by newspapers and reported to the Brazilian legation in Paris,<ref>"[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=wfZUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=CZMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4647,545388 King Manuel Takes Flight Aboard Brazilian Warship]," ''[[The Age]]'', 7 October 1910, 7.</ref><ref>"[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=4rJCAAAAIBAJ&sjid=XqsMAAAAIBAJ&pg=1631,2206504 Europe Stirred By Lisbon News]," ''The Telegraph-Herald'', 5 October 1910, 1.</ref> led revolutionaries to attempt to search the ship, but they were denied permission. They also asked for Brazil to land marines "to help in the maintenance of order", but this request was also denied.<ref>"The Journey from Lisbon," ''The Times'', 8 October 1910, 5–6a.</ref> ''São Paulo'' left Lisbon on 7 October for Rio de Janeiro,<ref name="Keeping Good Order" /><ref>"Movements of Warships," ''The Times'', 8 October 1910, 6a.</ref> and docked there on 25 October.<ref name="Whitley28" />

=== Revolt of the Lash ===

[[File:Joao Candido.jpg|thumb|240px|[[João Cândido Felisberto]] (front row, directly to the left of the man in the dark suit) with reporters, officers and sailors onboard ''Minas Geraes'' on 26 November 1910, the last day of the Revolt of the Lash]]
{{Main|Revolt of the Lash}}

Soon after ''São Paulo''{{'}}s arrival, a major rebellion known as the Revolt of the Lash, or ''Revolta da Chibata'', broke out on four of the newest ships in the Brazilian Navy. The initial spark was provided on 16 November 1910 when [[Afro-Brazilian]] sailor [[Marcelino Rodrigues Menezes]] was brutally flogged 250 times for insubordination.{{efn-ua|The sailor's back was later described by [[José Carlos de Carvalho]], a retired navy [[Captain (nautical)|captain]] assigned to be the Brazilian government's representative to the mutineers, as "a mullet sliced open for salting."<ref>Quoted in Morgan, "The Revolt of the Lash," 41.</ref>}} Many Afro-Brazilian sailors were sons of former slaves, or were former slaves freed under the ''[[Lei Áurea]]'' (abolition) but forced to enter the navy. They had been planning a revolt for some time, and Menezes became the catalyst. Further preparations were needed, so the rebellion was delayed until 22 November. The crewmen of ''Minas Geraes'', ''São Paulo'', the twelve-year-old {{ship|Brazilian battleship|Deodoro||2}}, and the new {{ship|Brazilian cruiser|Bahia||2}} quickly took their vessels with only a minimum of bloodshed: two officers on ''Minas Geraes'' and one each on ''São Paulo'' and ''Bahia'' were killed.<ref>Morgan, "The Revolt of the Lash," 32–38, 50.</ref>

The ships were well-supplied with foodstuffs, ammunition, and coal, and the only demand of mutineers—led by [[João Cândido Felisberto]]—was the abolition of "slavery as practiced by the Brazilian Navy". They objected to low pay, long hours, inadequate training, and punishments including ''bolo'' (being struck on the hand with a [[ferrule]]) and the use of whips or lashes (''chibata''), which eventually became a symbol of the revolt. By the 23rd, the National Congress had begun discussing the possibility of a general [[amnesty]] for the sailors. Senator [[Ruy Barbosa]], long an opponent of slavery, lent a large amount of support, and the measure unanimously passed the [[Senate of Brazil|Federal Senate]] on 24 November. The measure was then sent to the [[Chamber of Deputies of Brazil|Chamber of Deputies]].<ref>Morgan, "The Revolt of the Lash," 40–42.</ref>

Humiliated by the revolt, naval officers and the president of Brazil were staunchly opposed to amnesty, so they quickly began planning to assault the rebel ships. The officers believed such an action was necessary to restore the service's honor. The rebels, believing an attack was imminent, sailed their ships out of [[Guanabara Bay]] and spent the night of 23–24 November at sea, only returning during daylight. Late on the 24th, the President ordered the naval officers to attack the mutineers. Officers crewed some smaller warships and the cruiser {{ship|Brazilian cruiser|Rio Grande do Sul||2}}, ''Bahia''{{'}}s sister ship with ten 4.7-inch guns. They planned to attack on the morning of the 25th, when the government expected the mutineers would return to Guanabara Bay. When they did not return and the amnesty measure neared passage in the Chamber of Deputies, the order was rescinded. After the bill passed 125–23 and the president signed it into law, the mutineers stood down on the 26th.<ref>Morgan, "The Revolt of the Lash," 44–46.</ref>

During the revolt, the ships were noted by many observers to be well handled, despite a previous belief that the Brazilian Navy was incapable of effectively operating the ships even before being split by a rebellion. João Cândido Felisberto ordered all liquor thrown overboard, and discipline on the ships was recognized as exemplary. The 4.7-inch guns were often used for shots over the city, but the 12-inch guns were not, which led to a suspicion among the naval officers that the rebels were incapable of using the weapons. Later research and interviews indicate that ''Minas Geraes''{{'}} guns were fully operational, and while ''São Paulo''{{'}}s could not be turned after salt water contaminated the [[hydraulic]] system, British engineers still on board the ship after the voyage from the United Kingdom were working on the problem. Still, historians have never ascertained how well the mutineers could handle the ships.<ref>Morgan, "The Revolt of the Lash," 39–40, 48–49, 52.</ref>

=== First World War ===
{{See also|Brazil during World War I}}

The Brazilian government declared that the country would be neutral in the [[World War I|First World War]] on 4 August 1914. The sinking of Brazilian merchant ships by German [[U-boat]]s led them to revoke their neutrality, then declare war on 26 October 1917.<ref>Scheina, ''Latin America's Wars'', 35–36.</ref> By this time, ''São Paulo'' was no longer one of the world's most powerful battleships. Despite an identified need for more modern fire control,<ref name="NGB" /> it had not been fitted with any of the advances in that technology that had appeared since its construction, and it  was in poor condition.<ref>Scheina, ''Latin America's Wars'', 37.</ref> For these reasons the [[Royal Navy]] declined a Brazilian offer to send it and ''Minas Geraes'' to serve with the [[Grand Fleet]].<ref name="Conways" /> In an attempt to bring the battleship up to international standards, Brazil sent ''São Paulo'' to the United States in June 1918 to receive a full refit. Soon after it departed the naval base in Rio de Janeiro, fourteen of the eighteen [[boiler]]s powering the dreadnought broke down.<ref name="Whitley28" /> The American battleship {{USS|Nebraska|BB-14|2}}, which was in the area after transporting the body of the late Uruguayan Minister to the United States to Montevideo,<ref>"[https://web.archive.org/web/20040314002542/http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/n3/nebraska.htm Nebraska]," ''[[Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships]]'', [[Naval History & Heritage Command]], last modified 7 July 2010.</ref> rendered assistance in the form of temporary repairs after the ships put in at [[Salvador, Bahia|Bahia]]. Escorted by ''Nebraska'' and another American ship, {{USS|Raleigh|C-8|2}}, ''São Paulo'' made it to the [[New York Naval Yard]] after a 42-day journey.<ref name="Conways" /><ref name="Whitley28" />{{Clear}}

== Major refit and the 1920s ==
[[File:Brazilian battleship Sao Paulo.jpg|thumb|300px|right|''São Paulo'' seen at an unknown point in its career]]
''São Paulo'' underwent a refit in New York, beginning on 7 August 1918 and completing on 7 January 1920.<ref name="Whitley27" /> Many of its crewmen were assigned to American warships during this time for training.<ref name = "Lind">Lind, "Professional Notes," 452.</ref> It received [[Sperry Corporation|Sperry]] fire control equipment and [[Bausch and Lomb]] range-finders for the two [[Superfire|superfiring]] [[Gun turret|turrets]] [[Bow (ship)|fore]] and [[aft]]. A vertical armor [[Bulkhead (partition)|bulkhead]] was fitted inside all six main turrets, and the secondary battery of {{convert|4.7|in|mm|abbr=on}} [[casemate]] guns was reduced from twenty-two to twelve guns. A few modern [[Anti-aircraft warfare|AA]] guns were fitted as well: two [[3"/50 caliber gun]]s from [[Bethlehem Steel]] were added on the aft superstructure, 37&nbsp;mm guns were added near each turret, and [[Ordnance QF 3 pounder Vickers|3 pounders]] were removed from the top of turrets.<ref name="Whitley27" />

After the refit was completed, ''São Paulo'' picked up ammunition in [[Gravesend, Brooklyn|Gravesend]] and sailed to Cuba for firing trials.<ref name="Lind" /> Seven members of the United States' [[Bureau of Standards]] traveled with the ship from New York and observed the operations, which were conducted in the [[Gulf of Guacanayabo]]. After dropping the Americans off in [[Guantánamo Bay]],<ref>Scheina, ''Latin America'', 134.</ref><ref>Department of Commerce, ''Reports'', 365–66.</ref> ''São Paulo'' returned home in early 1920.<ref name = "Whitley28" /> August 1920 saw the dreadnought sailing to Belgium, where King [[Albert I of Belgium|Albert I]] and Queen [[Elisabeth of Bavaria (1876–1965)|Elisabeth]] were embarked on 1 September to bring them to Brazil.<ref name="NGB" /><ref>"[https://www.nytimes.com/1920/09/01/archives/king-albert-and-his-queen-sail-for-brazil-today.html King Albert and His Queen Sail for Brazil Today]," ''The New York Times'', 1 September 1920, 1.</ref> After bringing the royals home, ''São Paulo'' traveled to Portugal to bring the remains of the former emperor Pedro II and his wife, [[Teresa Cristina of the Two Sicilies|Teresa Cristina]], back to Brazil.<ref name="NGB" /><ref>Whitley, ''Battleships'', 28–29.</ref>{{efn-ua|''cf.'' [[Legacy of Pedro II of Brazil]].}}

In 1922, ''São Paulo'' and ''Minas Geraes'' helped to put down the first of the [[Tenentism|Tenente revolts]]. Soldiers [[Copacabana Fort revolt|seized Fort Copacabana]] in [[Rio de Janeiro]] on 5 July, but no other men joined them. As a result, some men deserted the rebels, and by the next morning only 200 people remained in the fort.<ref name ="Scheina123">Scheina, ''Latin America's Wars'', 128.</ref> ''São Paulo'' bombarded the fort, firing five salvos and obtained at least two hits; the fort surrendered half an hour later.<ref>Poggio, "Um encouraçado contra o forte: 2ª Parte."</ref> The Brazilian Navy's official history reports that one of the hits opened a hole ten meters deep.<ref name= "Official"/>

Crewmen aboard ''São Paulo'' rebelled on 4 November 1924, when First [[Lieutenant (naval)|Lieutenant]] [[Hercolino Cascardo]], seven [[second lieutenant]]s and 260 others commandeered the ship.<ref>Scheina, ''Latin America's Wars'', 129.</ref><ref>"[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=obstAAAAIBAJ&sjid=2YsFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6781,1432690 Preparing to Take Battleship Home]," [[The Gazette (Montreal)|''The Gazette'']], 12 November 1924, 11.</ref> After the boilers were fired, ''São Paulo''{{'}}s mutineers attempted to entice the crews of ''Minas Geraes'' and the other ships nearby to join.<ref name="Whitley29">Whitley, ''Battleships'', 29.</ref> They were only able to sway the crew of one old [[torpedo boat]] to the cause.<ref name="Whitley29" /> The battleship's crew, angry that ''Minas Geraes'' would not join them, fired a six-pounder at ''Minas Geraes'' that wounded a cook.<ref name="Whitley29" /><ref name="Poder" /> The mutineers then sailed out of Rio de Janeiro's harbor, where the forts at [[Fortaleza de Santa Cruz da Barra|Santa Cruz]] and [[Fort Copacabana|Copacabana]] engaged her, damaging ''São Paulo''{{'}}s fire control system and funnel. The forts stopped firing soon after the battleship returned fire due to concern over possible civilian casualties.<ref name="Official" /> The crewmen aboard ''São Paulo'' attempted to join revolutionaries in [[Rio Grande do Sul]], but when they found that the rebel forces had moved inland, they set course for Montevideo, Uruguay.<ref name="Official" /><ref name="Poder" /> They arrived on 10 November, where the rebellious members of the crew disembarked and were granted asylum,<ref name="Whitley29" /><ref name="Official" /> and ''Minas Geraes'', which had been pursuing ''São Paulo'', escorted the wayward ship home to Rio de Janeiro, arriving on the 21st.<ref name="Poder" />

== Late career ==
{{See also|Vargas Era}}
[[File:Monumento ao Almirante Tamandaré, Encouraçado São Paulo 1.JPG|thumb|upright|''São Paulo''{{'}}s [[ship's bell|bell]] at [[Ibirapuera Park]], in the city of [[São Paulo]]]]

In the 1930s, Brazil decided to modernize both ''São Paulo'' and ''Minas Geraes''. ''São Paulo''{{'}}s dilapidated state made this uneconomic; at the time it  could sail at a maximum of {{convert|10|knots}}, less than half its design speed.<ref name="Whitley27">Whitley, ''Battleships'', 27.</ref> As a result, while ''Minas Geraes'' was thoroughly refitted from 1931 to 1938 in the [[Rio de Janeiro Naval Yard]],<ref name="Poder" /> ''São Paulo'' was employed as a coast-defense ship, a role in which it remained for the rest of its service life.<ref name="Whitley29" /> During the 1932 [[Constitutionalist Revolution]], it acted as the [[flagship]] of a naval [[blockade]] of Santos.<ref name="Poder" /> After repairs in 1934 and 1935, the ship returned to lead three naval training exercises. In the same year, accompanied by the Brazilian cruisers {{ship|Brazilian cruiser|Bahia||2}} and {{ship|Brazilian cruiser|Rio Grande do Sul||2}}, the Argentine battleships {{ship|ARA|Rivadavia||2}} and {{ship|ARA|Moreno||2}}, six Argentine cruisers, and a group of destroyers, ''São Paulo'' carried the Brazilian President [[Getúlio Vargas]] up the [[Río de la Plata|River Plate]] to [[Buenos Aires]] to meet with the presidents of Argentina and Uruguay.<ref name="NGB" /><ref>"[https://web.archive.org/web/20081228050049/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,883398,00.html Argentina: Lobsters, Pigeons, Parades]," ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'', 3 June 1935. {{subscription required}}</ref>

In 1936, the crew of ''São Paulo'', as well as {{ship|Brazilian cruiser|Rio Grande do Sul||2}}{{'}}s crew, played in the Liga Carioca de Football's Open Tournament, a cup where many amateur teams had the chance to play the likes of [[Clube de Regatas do Flamengo|Flamengo]] and [[Fluminense Football Club|Fluminense]].<ref>[https://archive.today/20130408065828/http://cacellain.com.br/blog/?p=41380 TORNEIO ABERTO CARIOCA – 1936] (in Portuguese)</ref>

As in the First World War, Brazil stayed neutral during the opening years of the [[World War II|Second World War]], until U-boat attacks drove the country to declare war on Germany and Italy on 21 August 1942.<ref>Scheina, ''Latin America{{'}}s Wars'', 163–164.</ref> The age and condition of ''São Paulo'' relegated it to the role of harbor defense ship; it set sail for Recife on 23 November 1942  escorted by American destroyers {{USS|Badger|DD-126|2}} and {{USS|Davis|DD-395|2}}, and served as the main defense of the port for the war, only returning to Rio de Janeiro in 1945.<ref name="NGB" /><ref name="Whitley29" /><ref name="Official" /><ref name="Poder" /> Stricken from the naval register on 2 August 1947,<ref name="Whitley29" /> the ship remained as a [[training vessel]] until August 1951,<ref name="Poder" /> when it was sold to the [[Iron and Steel Corporation of Great Britain]] for [[ship breaking|breaking up]]<ref name="Whitley29" /> at a cost of 18,810,000 cruzeiros.<ref>"[https://books.google.com/books?id=8o7h2qoQZ2IC&pg=RA16-PA6 Brazilian News and Notes]," ''Brazilian Bulletin'' 8, no. 185 (1 September 1951): 6.</ref>

=== Sinking ===
[[File:Couraçado São Paulo (atribuído), da Coleção Brasiliana Iconográfica.jpg|thumb|right|''São Paulo'' as painted by [[Edoardo De Martino]]]]
After preparing from 5 to 18 September 1951, ''São Paulo'' was given an eight-man caretaker crew and taken under tow by two tugs, ''Dexterous'' and ''Bustler'', departing Rio de Janeiro on 20 September 1951 for a final voyage to the scrappers.<ref name="Whitley29" /><ref name="Time5oct">"[https://archive.today/20240524130036/https://www.webcitation.org/5kh5eHn8P?url=http://uk.geocities.com/elliget@btinternet.com/Sao_Paulo/TheTimes_05Oct1954_Battleship_Lost_During_Tow.png Battleship lost during tow, Inquiry after three years]," ''The Times'', 5 October 1954.</ref> When north of the [[Azores]] in early November, the flotilla ran into heavy storm seas.<ref name="Whitley29" /><ref name="Poder" />N

At 17:30 UTC on 4 or 6 November,{{efn-ua|Whitley and the Brazilian histories give 6 November,<ref name="Whitley29" /><ref name="Poder" /> but contemporary newspaper accounts of the sinking and the [[Board of Trade (Privy Council)|Board of Trade]] report use 4 November.<ref name="CDT" /><ref name="LAT" /><ref name="Plimsoll_14101954" />}} the sea state caused ''São Paulo'' to pull sharply to starboard and fall into the [[Trough (physics)|trough]] between high waves. The action dragged the tugs astern and toward each other. To avoid a collision, ''Dexterous'' severed its cable and steered away, as had been previously agreed; however, the battleship's weight fell so heavily and abruptly onto ''Bustler''{{'}}s towing winch that it could not take in the slack—the tow cable became fouled in the tug's propeller and parted.<ref name="Whitley29" /><ref name="Poder" /> The now drifting ''São Paulo''{{'}}s port (red) navigation light was visible for several minutes before it disappeared.<ref name="Plimsoll_14101954">{{cite web |last1=Hayward |first1=R.F. |last2=Atkinson |first2=A.M. |last3=Nutton |first3=W.J. |title=Wreck Report for 'Sao Paulo', 1951|url=https://plimsoll.southampton.gov.uk/SOTON_Documents/Plimsoll/21527.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230324021008/https://plimsoll.southampton.gov.uk/SOTON_Documents/Plimsoll/21527.pdf|url-status=live|archive-date=24 March 2023|website=Southampton City Council|access-date=24 March 2023|language=en|date=14 October 1954}}</ref> American [[Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress|B-17 Flying Fortress]] bombers and British planes were launched to scout the Atlantic for the missing ship;<ref name="CDT">"Planes Fail to Find Warship Lost at Sea," ''Chicago Daily Tribune'', 11 November 1951, 27.</ref><ref>"Towed Warship Missing," ''The New York Times'', 9 November 1951, 49.</ref> it was reported, incorrectly, as found on 15 November.<ref name="MBL">"Missing Battleship Located," ''The New York Times'', 16 November 1951, 51.</ref> The search was ended on 10 December without finding ''São Paulo'' or its crew.<ref name="LAT">"Lost Warship Hunt Given Up," ''Los Angeles Times'', 11 December 1951, 13.</ref>

On 14 October 1954, the [[Board of Trade (Privy Council)|Board of Trade]] in London released its report on the circumstances and causes for the loss of the ship. The Board concluded that once both tow cables had parted, the ''São Paulo'' would have foundered or capsized within the hour, very near its last sighted position. The Board determined that the ''São Paulo'' sank at about 17:45 on 4 November 1951, at position {{Coord|30|49|N|23|30|W|dim:2000km|display=inline}}.<ref name="Plimsoll_14101954" />

== Footnotes ==
{{notelist-ua}}

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

== References==
{{refbegin | indent = yes }}
* "[https://books.google.com/books?id=PUVLAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA833 Brazil]." ''Journal of the American Society of Naval Engineers'' 20, no. 3 (1909): 833–836. {{issn|0099-7056}}. {{oclc|3227025}}.
* Campbell, N.J.M. "Germany." In Gardiner and Gray, ''Conway's'', 134–189.
* "[https://web.archive.org/web/20080224085803/http://www.naval.com.br/NGB/S/S031/S031.htm E São Paulo]." ''Navios De Guerra Brasileiros''. Last modified 24 February 2008.
* English, Adrian J. ''Armed Forces of Latin America''. London: Jane's Publishing Inc., 1984. {{ISBN|0-7106-0321-5}}. {{oclc|11537114}}.
* 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}}.
* Lind, Wallace L. "[https://books.google.com/books?id=URJLAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA452 Professional Notes]." ''Proceedings of the United States Naval Institute'' 46, no. 3 (1920): 437–486.
* Livermore, Seward W. "Battleship Diplomacy in South America: 1905–1925." ''The Journal of Modern History'' 16, no. 1 (1944): 31–44. {{JSTOR|1870986}}. {{issn|0022-2801}}. {{oclc|62219150}}.
* Martins, João Roberto, Filho. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20101102034637/http://www.revistadehistoria.com.br/v2/home/?go=detalhe&id=1307 Colossos do mares] [Colossuses of the Seas]." ''Revista de História da Biblioteca Nacional'' 3, no. 27 (2007): 74–77. {{issn|1808-4001}}. {{oclc|61697383}}.
* Morgan, Zachary R. "The Revolt of the Lash, 1910." In ''Naval Mutinies of the Twentieth Century: An International Perspective'', edited by Christopher M. Bell and Bruce A. Elleman, 32–53. Portland: Frank Cass Publishers, 2003. {{ISBN|0-7146-8468-6}}. {{oclc|464313205}}.
* Poggio, Guilherme. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20090412041258/http://naval.com.br/historia/SP_x_Copacabana/SP_x_Copacabana_p2.htm Um encouraçado contra o forte: 2ª Parte] [A Battleship against the Strong: Part 2]." n.d. Poder Naval Online. Last modified 12 April 2009.
* Ribeiro, Paulo de Oliveira. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20080608045038/http://www.naval.com.br/historia/dreadnought/dreadnought-port1.htm Os Dreadnoughts da Marinha do Brasil: Minas Geraes e São Paulo] [The Dreadnoughts of the Brazilian Navy]." Poder Naval Online. Last modified 8 June 2008.
* "[https://web.archive.org/web/20150214061320/http://www.sistemas.dphdm.mar.mil.br/navios/Index.asp?codNavio=403 São Paulo I]." ''Serviço de Documentação da Marinha&nbsp;– Histórico de Navios''. Diretoria do Patrimônio Histórico e Documentação da Marinha, Departamento de História Marítima. Accessed 27 January 2015.
* Scheina, Robert L. "Brazil." In Gardiner and Gray, ''Conway's'', 403–407.
* ———. ''Latin America: A Naval History 1810–1987''. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 1987. {{ISBN|0-87021-295-8}}. {{oclc|15696006}}.
* ———. ''Latin America's Wars''. Washington, D.C.: Brassey's, 2003. {{ISBN|1-57488-452-2}}. {{oclc|49942250}}.
* Topliss, David. "The Brazilian Dreadnoughts, 1904–1914." ''Warship International'' 25, no. 3 (1988): 240–289. {{issn|0043-0374}}. {{oclc|1647131}}.
* [[United States Department of Commerce]]. ''Reports of the Department of Commerce''. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1921. {{oclc|1777213}}.
* Villiers, Alan. ''Posted Missing: The Story of Ships Lost Without a Trace in Recent Years''. New York, [[Charles Scribner%27s Sons]], 1956. Ch. 5: The Battleship Sao Paulo, p.&nbsp;79–100.
* Whitley, M.J. ''Battleships of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia''. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 1998. {{ISBN|1-55750-184-X}}. {{oclc|40834665}}.
{{refend}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite journal|last1=Topliss |first1=David|year=1988|title=The Brazilian Dreadnoughts, 1904–1914|journal=Warship International|volume=XXV|issue=3|pages=240–289|issn=0043-0374}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|São Paulo (ship, 1910)}}
* {{YouTube|KQlHAAtGjOo|Slideshow of the battleship}}
* [https://books.google.com/books?id=vG7mAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA21 The Brazilian Battleships] (Extensive engineering/technical details)

{{Minas Geraes battleships}}
{{South American dreadnoughts}}
{{1951 shipwrecks}}

{{Featured article}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sao Paulo}}
[[Category:1909 ships]]
[[Category:Ships built in Barrow-in-Furness]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 1951]]
[[Category:Minas Geraes-class battleships]]
[[Category:Missing ships]]
[[Category:Shipwrecks in the Atlantic Ocean]]
[[Category:Vickers]]
[[Category:Warships lost with all hands]]