BNS Javary (Mon-1914)

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Brazil had defaulted on the final payments required for these three ships as the price of rubber had fallen (a major export of Brazil) and the Navies coffers were empty. World War One broke out and the ships were taken over by the Royal Navy. (Close enough to history for me.) Two of the ships were sent out to the Rufiji Delta where the German cruiser Konigsberg was holed up out of range of the Royal Navy ships blockading it. Entering the delta the two ships got within range of their 6" guns, and with the very first aircraft spotting assistance, pounded the Konigsberg into a wreck.



The rest of the war for the three ships was spent off the coast of Belgium acting as monitors pounding German positions, inland, to the maximum range of their guns.



The end of World War One saw the Royal Navy placing these ships on the disposal list as they could see no further use for river monitors. The Brazilian Navy inquired about re-acquiring the three ships. A price, which was pretty much scrap value, was worked out and the three ships returned to Brazilian Naval service. The three ships were based at Belem, at the mouth of the Amazon River, where they acted as patrol vessels up and down the navigable reaches of the river. When the pirate situation on the river became too out of hand the three ships would receive help from the training fleet in the form of aircraft from the Amazonas which would scout out the pirates and call down the guns of the Javary class to spoil the pirates day.



The Javary class received regular upgrades to the minor weaponry, but kept the main armament of three 6" in the twin turret forward and single gun aft.
 

Javary with extra single 6" aft on Amazon Pirate patrol.

 

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