Benjamin Constant

Benjamin Constant was a training ship that belonged to the Benjamin Constant-class of the Brazilian Navy. It was the first ship in the Navy to be named after Brazilian military officer Benjamin Constant and the first to be designed as a purpose-built training ship. Built in 1891 and launched in 1892, it had a 32-year long career, making dozens of instruction trips, and also securing Brazilian possession of Trindade Island. It had the nicknames "Garça Branca" (White Heron) and "Beijoca" (Smack). The ship was discharged from service on 22 February 1926. Its hull was destroyed by a fire in 1938. It was dismantled in 1949. General characteristics The ship was named after Brazilian military officer and professor Benjamin Constant, who was one of the main leaders of the 1889 republican coup d'état. It displaced 2,311 tons when empty and 2,750 tons when full. It had a length of , beam of , a draught of , and a depth of . The ship's propulsion consisted of a triple-expansion engine that generated , which allowed it to reach . It was nicknamed "Garça Branca" and "Beijoca" by its sailors. Its armament consisted of four 150-millimeter Armstrong guns placed on two barbettes (one on the forecastle and one on the bridge), eight 120-millimeter Armstrong guns, four 57-millimeter Nordenfelt guns (two at the stern and two on the bow), six 25-millimeter machine guns, four 17-millimeter machine guns, and four torpedo launcher tubes. The ship's deck was protected by thirty to fifty-millimeter-thick plates while its gangway was protected by eighty-millimeter-thick plates. The hull was made of wood covered with copper and steel plates.