picture 176729

The Brooklyn-class light cruiser ARA General Belgrano (C-4) was probably one of most famous warships of the Argentine Navy in the 1950s–1980s period. Originally constructed as USS Phoenix, and a survivor of the Pearl Harbour attack in 1941, it was sold to Argentina in 1951 and became ARA 17 de Octubre: the name was changed after the Revolucion Libertadora of 1955. The ship displaced 12,403 tons on maximum load and had a crew of 975–1,100. It was armed with 16 160mm guns, 8 130mm guns, and eight 13mm machine guns – most of these were still on board as of 1962–1963, as shown here. (Artwork by Ivan Zajac)