Wikipedia:Today's featured article/September 6, 2011



Almirante Latorre was a super-dreadnought battleship built for the Chilean Navy. She was the first of a planned two-ship class that would respond to earlier warship purchases by other South American countries. Construction began soon after the ship was ordered in November 1911, and was approaching completion when she was bought by the United Kingdom's Royal Navy for use in the First World War. Commissioned in September 1915, she served in the Grand Fleet as HMS Canada for the duration of the war and saw action during the Battle of Jutland. Canada was repurchased by Chile in 1920. She took back her original name of Almirante Latorre, and served as Chile's flagship and frequently as presidential transport. In September 1931, crewmen aboard Almirante Latorre instigated a mutiny, which the majority of the Chilean fleet quickly joined. After divisions developed between the mutineers, the rebellion fell apart and the ships were returned to government control. Almirante Latorre was put into reserve for a time in the 1930s due to a severe economic depression, but she was in good enough condition to receive interest from the United States after the attack on Pearl Harbor. This was declined and the ship spent most of the Second World War on patrol for Chile. She was scrapped in Japan beginning in 1959. (more...)

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