Almirante Latorre - class battleship The " Almirante Latorre " class consisted of two super - dreadnought battleship s designed by the British company Armstrong Whitworth for the Chilean Navy . Only one , , was finished as a battleship ; the other , , was converted to an aircraft carrier . They were purchased by the Royal Navy prior to completion for use in the First World War and renamed and . Under their Chilean names , they honored the Admirals ( " Almirante " s ) Juan José Latorre and Thomas Cochrane . They took their British names from the dominion and a 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 intense naval competition with its southern neighbor Argentina . When Argentina responded to Brazil ' s order for two dreadnought s with two of its own , Chile felt that it also needed to respond . Despite a strong push from the American government for the contracts , an order for two battleships was placed with the British , probably due to Chile ' s traditionally strong ties with the United Kingdom . " Almirante Latorre " , which was closer to completion than her sister , was commissioned into British service as " Canada " in October 1915 . She spent her wartime service with the Grand Fleet , seeing action in the Battle of Jutland . After the war , she was put into reserve before being sold back to Chile in 1920 as " Almirante Latorre " . The crew of the battleship instigated a naval mutiny in 1931 . After a major refit in 1937 , she patrolled Chile ' s coast during the Second World War . She was scrapped in 1959 . After " Almirante Cochrane " was purchased by the British , construction on the ship was halted until 1918 , when it was decided to convert her into an aircraft carrier . After numerous delays , she was commissioned into the Royal Navy in February 1924 . She 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 . 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 . Chile responded with the same , and war was only avoided by a hastily signed treaty . Both countries were distracted in the next few years by Argentina ' s 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 . Both sides began ordering warships from the United Kingdom . Chile added £3 , 129 , 500 in 1887 to the budget for its fleet , which was centered around two 1870s central battery ironclads , and , and a protected cruiser . The battleship , two protected cruisers , and two torpedo boat s were ordered , and their keels were laid in 1890 . Argentina responded soon after with an order for two battleships , and . 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 , , from Italy . Chile responded by ordering its own armored cruiser , , and six torpedo boats ; Argentina quickly ordered another cruiser from Italy and later bought two more . The race abated somewhat after a boundary dispute in the Puna de Atacama region was successfully mediated by the American ambassador to Argentina , William Paine Lord , in 1899 , but more ships were ordered by Argentina and Chile in 1901 . Argentina ordered two armored cruisers from Italy , and Chile replied with orders for two pre - dreadnought battleships . Argentina continued by signing letters of intent with Italian engineering company Ansaldo in May 1901 to buy two larger battleships . 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 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 demilitarized . Meanwhile , beginning in the late 1880s , Brazil ' s navy fell into obsolescence after an 1889 revolution , which deposed Emperor Dom Pedro II , and a 1893 civil war . By the turn of the 20th century it was lagging behind the Chilean and Argentine navies in quality and total tonnage , despite Brazil having nearly three times the population of Argentina and almost five times the population of Chile . Dreadnought arms race . 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 . Soaring demand for coffee and rubber brought an influx of tax revenue , used to begin a large naval building plan . The centerpiece of the new navy would be two dreadnought s built by the United Kingdom . The order for these powerful ships , designed to carry the heaviest armament in the world at the time , shocked Argentina and Chile , causing them to cancel the 1902 armament - limiting pact with immediate effect . Alarmed , the American ambassador to Brazil sent a cablegram to his Department of State , warning them of the destabilizing effects that would occur if the situation devolved into a full naval arms race . 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 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 drawn - out bidding process among fifteen shipyards from the United States , Great Britain , Germany , France , and Italy , Argentina ordered two 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 , Chile wanted to respond as early as February 1906 , but the country ' s naval plans were delayed by a financial depression in 1907 brought on by a drastic fall in the nitrate market and by a major earthquake in 1908 . Bidding , construction , and sale to the British . On 6 July 1910 , the National Congress of Chile passed a bill allocating £400 , 000 pounds sterling to the navy for six destroyer s , two submarine s , and two large battleship s , later named and . 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 . 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 minister to Chile in September 1910 . Fletcher had successfully implemented President William Howard Taft ' s " Dollar Diplomacy " policy in China . He met with resistance , which he attributed to lingering sentiment from the 1891 " 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 . " The US 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 . During this time , Germany announced plans to send the battlecruiser on a South American cruise . As the ship was " widely advertised as the fastest and most powerful warship then afloat , " the United States and United Kingdom felt her 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 on a ten - week excursion to Brazil and Chile , carrying the body of the recently deceased Chilean minister 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 — 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 . " As a further incentive the U . S . indicated its willingness to provide a $ 25 million loan to support the purchase of the ship . 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 , and with a loan from the Rothchilds , Chile awarded one battleship contract to the latter ' s Armstrong Whitworth on 25 July 1911 . The design was drawn up by J . R . Perret , who had also designed Brazil ' s . The United States still hoped that Chile would order American 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 . Six destroyers were ordered in 1911 from J . Samuel White to accompany the new dreadnoughts . Before construction began , the " Almirante Latorre " design was enlarged to mount sixteen 6 - inch ( 152 mm ) rather than twenty - two 4 . 7 - inch ( 119 mm ) guns . This increased the displacement by , to , the draft by , to , and made the ship a quarter - knot slower , to 22 . 75 knots . Officially ordered on 2 November 1911 and laid down less than a month later on 27 November , the first dreadnought became the largest ship that Armstrong had built . The other was ordered on 29 July 1912 and laid down on 22 January 1913 , delayed by " Rio de Janiero " occupying the slipway in which she would be built . The " New York Tribune " ( 2 November 1913 ) and " 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 , but despite a developing sentiment within Chile to sell one or both of the dreadnoughts , no deal was made . " Almirante Latorre " was launched first , on 27 November 1913 , 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 christened by the ambassador ' s wife , Olga Budge de Edwards , and weighed at the time . After the First World War broke out in Europe , work on " Almirante Latorre " was halted in August 1914 , and she was formally purchased on 9 September after the British recommended it four days earlier . " Almirante Latorre " was not forcibly seized like the Ottoman and ( ex - " Rio de Janeiro " ) , two other ships being built for a foreign navy , because of Chile ' s " friendly neutral " status with the United Kingdom . The former Chilean ship was completed on 30 September 1915 , and commissioned into the Royal Navy on 15 October . Work on the other ship , " Almirante Cochrane " , was halted after the outbreak of war . The British purchased her 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 quarrels with shipyard workers slowed completion of the ship . Service histories . " Almirante Latorre " was renamed HMS " Canada " and slightly modified for British service . The ship completed fitting - out on 20 September 1915 , and was commissioned into the Royal Navy on 15 October . She initially served with the 4th Battle Squadron of the Grand Fleet , and saw action in the Battle of Jutland on 31 May and 1 June 1916 . She fired 42 rounds from her 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 on 12 June 1916 , received further modifications in 1917 and 1918 , and was put into reserve in March 1919 . 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 " would destabilize the region and start another naval arms race . Chile asked for " Almirante Cochrane " in addition to " Canada " , but would not purchase the ship unless she 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 million , compared to a potential profit of £1 . 5 million from selling her — and a desire to test the aircraft carrier concept and especially the viability of island superstructures , the British kept and completed the ship , as . 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 . Planned replacements for " Almirante Cochrane " included the two remaining 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 . " Almirante Latorre " in Chilean service . " Canada " was renamed " Almirante Latorre " once again and formally handed over to the Chilean government on 27 November 1920 . She departed Plymouth the same day with two of the destroyers , 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 . The dreadnought was frequently used by Alessandri for various functions , including as transport to Vallenar after a 1922 earthquake , and to Talcahuano for the grand opening of a new naval drydock in 1924 . In 1925 , with the fall of the 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 , Prince of Wales , on board the battleship . " Almirante Latorre " was sent to the United Kingdom for a modernization at the Devonport Dockyard in 1929 . It lasted for quite some time ; she left for Valparaíso nearly two years later , on 5 March 1931 , and arrived on 12 April . Not long after she returned , crewmembers aboard " Almirante Latorre " instigated a major mutiny . The revolt was a result of 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 Bay of Tongoy with . With Chile still in the midst of the depression , " Almirante Latorre " was deactivated at Talcahuano in 1933 to lessen government expenditures , and only a caretaker crew was assigned to tend to the mothballed ship into the mid - 1930s . 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 . " Almirante Latorre " was used during the Second World War for Chilean neutrality patrols . She remained active until 1951 , when an accident in the ship ' s engine room killed three crewmen . Moored at Talcahuano , the battleship became a storage facility for fuel oil . She was decommissioned in October 1958 , and was sold in February 1959 to be broken up for scrap in Japan . The old dreadnought was taken under tow by the tug " Cambrian Salvos " on 29 May 1959 , and reached Yokohama , Japan , at the end of August , though the scrapping process did not begin immediately on arrival . " Almirante Cochrane " / " Eagle " in British service . " 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 . Her official sea trials were conducted in September 1923 , and she 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 show the flag on a South American cruise . Between her major refits in 1931 – 32 and 1936 , " Eagle " was sent to the China Station before rotating back to the Mediterranean . After 1936 , she 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 her 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 she protected convoys until May 1941 , when she was sent to Gibraltar . She spent the next several months in the South Atlantic , on guard against German raiders . In September , a major fire severely damaged " Eagle " , so she was sent back to the United Kingdom . The refit lasted from October 1941 to February 1942 , and she was quickly sent to reinforce Force H . She was employed to ferry fighters to Malta in attempts to keep the besieged island under British control . As part of this duty , she was used to cover a convoy in August 1942 ; during the voyage , " Eagle " was sunk in four minutes by four torpedo es from the German submarine . Specifications . " Almirante Latorre " closely resembled the British , 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 standard and at full load . At overall , she was longer than the " Iron Duke " class , and she had a beam of and a mean draft of . The ship ' s main battery was composed of ten 14 - inch / 45 caliber guns mounted in five dual turrets . The arrangement was the same as for the " Iron Duke " class , with two turrets 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 shell at a muzzle velocity of 1507 ft / s ( 764 m / s ) to a maximum range of . They were able to depress to and elevate to . 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 . The secondary battery was originally composed of sixteen 6 - inch Mark XI , two 3 - inch 20 cwt anti - aircraft guns , four 3 - pounders , and four submerged 21 - inch torpedo tubes . The two 6 - inch guns located farthest aft were removed in 1916 , as they were affected by blast damage from the amidships 14 - inch turret . During the 1929 refit in the United Kingdom , four additional anti - aircraft guns were placed in the aft superstructure . The guns built for " Almirante Cochrane " were kept for potential later use on " Almirante Latorre " . " Almirante Latorre " was powered by steam turbines manufactured by Brown – Curtis and Parsons , which put out 37 , 000 shaft horsepower , and 21 Yarrow boilers . Together , these turned four propellers which drove the ship through the water at a maximum speed of . of coal and of oil could be carried , giving the ship a maximum theoretical range of at . The battleship ' s armor was composed of a belt , bulkheads , barbette s , turret faces , a turret roof , a conning tower , and decks .