Minas Gerais
Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2008 3:22 pm
The Admiralty announced on December 14, 1956, that negotiations for the purchase of the aircraft carrier Vengeance by the Brazilian Government had been successfully completed, and that the ship after modernisation would be commissioned in the Brazilian Fleet under the name Minas Gerais. She is now shown on the 3.30 cm. stamp of the Admiral Tamandare commemoratives. Built by Swan, Hunter and Wigham Richardson, Ltd., at Wallsend-on-Tyne, she was laid down on November 16, 1942, launched on February 23, 1944, and completed on January 15, 1945.She has a displacement of 13,190 tons standard, and 18,040 tons fully loaded, on dimensions of 695 ft. x 112.6 ft. x 23'/2 ft., and capacity for 35 aircraft. H.M.S. Vengeance served in the Royal Navy from 1945. She was fitted out late in 1948 and early 1949 for an experimental cruise to the Arctic, and was lent to the Royal Australian Navy early in 1953, returning to the Royal Navy in August 1955. Her flight deck is reported to have been strengthened to take aircraft off over eight tons in weight, and to allow for passage through the Panama Canal sponsons can be dismantled to the extent of 31/2 ft. on either side. SG970