Revolta da Armada

On 13 September, the fortresses in Rio de Janeiro, held by the Army, began to be bombarded.[6] The rebel forces' fleet consisted of navy vessels and civilian vessels of Brazilian and foreign companies.

The rebels were the majority in the Navy, but faced strong opposition in the Army, where thousands of young soldiers joined the battalions that supported president Floriano Peixoto. State elites, especially in São Paulo, were also in favor of Floriano.

At the same time, in southern Brazil, the Federalist Revolution against the government was taking place, a dispute between the federalists (nicknamed maragatos) and republicans (nicknamed pica-paus), the latter supported by president Floriano. The city of Desterro, as the capital of Santa Catarina state was then called, was dominated by the rebels. At dawn on 1 December, admiral Custódio de Melo, in the Aquidabã, followed by the República and auxiliary cruisers, went south to join forces with the federalists.[7]

Rare photo: Artillery fire exchange between the Rebel Battleship Aquidabã and the Army Fortress Villegaignon during the Battle of Guanabara Bay.

On 7 December, rear admiral Luis Filipe Saldanha da Gama, then director of the Naval School, joined the movement, taking over the rebels in Rio de Janeiro, beginning the second phase of the Navy Revolt. By this time, the rebels had little ammunition and no food. The São José Fortress, on Cobras Island, was practically destroyed by the loyalist troops. On 9 February 1894, the rebels, under the command of Saldanha da Gama, landed at Ponta da Armação, in the city of Niterói, but were defeated. They were also defeated in Governador Island.[8]

Niterói, which was the capital of the state of Rio de Janeiro, had its seven forts bombed. On 20 February 1894, the seat of government was then moved to Petrópolis, a mountain town beyond the reach of the Navy guns. Niterói would not return to host the capital in 1903.

The federal government had acquired warships, which were dubbed the "paper fleet". The command of this squadron was given to admiral Jerônimo Gonçalves, a veteran of the Paraguayan War. In March 1894, with the support of the Army and the Paulista Republican Party (PRP), the Navy Revolt was stifled.[9] The rebels took refuge in the Portuguese ships Mindelo and Afonso de Albuquerque, ending the second phase of the revolt.

The Federalist Revolution continued in the south, where Saldanha da Gama and his men were still leading troops against the government. Custódio de Melo had taken the port of Paranaguá and was united with the federalist leader Gumercindo Saraiva. They took the city of Lapa and the government troops moved south. On 16 April 1894, the rebel battleship Aquidabã was torpedoed in Santa Catarina by the torpedo-boat destroyer Gustavo Sampaio, which was commanded by lieutenant Altino Flávio de Miranda Correia.[10]

In the República cruiser, Custódio de Melo, commanding four merchant ships and two thousand men, unsuccessfully tried to land in the city of Rio Grande. He was defeated by troops loyal to the state governor Júlio de Castilhos. The navy rebels were defeated. Custódio took refuge in Argentina, where he delivered the ships.[11] According to historian Helio Silva, the end of the third and final phase of the Armada Revolt happened with the death of Saldanha da Gama, on 25 June 1895, in the Battle of Campo Osório, in Rio Grande do Sul.[12][13]

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  Rebel battleship Aquidaban bombarding the forts of Rio de Janeiro (drawing of Fouqueray, according to a photography, published in Le Monde Illustré, nº 1.916, 1893.).
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  Fort Villegaignon, in possession of the rebel forces: the sinking vessel is the monitorJavary.
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  Fortress of Villegaignon after bombing of the loyalists Squad in Battle of Guanabara Bay.
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  Image of prisoners taken during the Revolta da Armada (Navy Revolt) in Brazil (1893 - 1894).
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  Army infantry and artillery troops defending the port area of Rio de Janeiro.
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  Fortress of Laje after being bombed by the revolting ships.

Severe torpedo damage to Aquidabã's bow

Post-conflict recovery of the Aquidabã in 1897.

• Battleship Aquidabã - Seriously damaged (disabled until the end of the conflict) by torpedo attack in combat against destroyer Gustavo de Sampaio in the Battle of Anhatomirim.
• Armored frigate Sete de Setembro - Sunk and burned during the Battle of Guanabara Bay.
• Protected cruiser Tamandaré
• Protected cruiser República
• Cruiser Trajano
• Gunboat Marajó - Sunk after fire during the Battle of Guanabara Bay.
• Monitor Alagoas
• Monitor Javary - Sunk by coastal artillery (Fortress São João) during the Battle of Guanabara Bay.
• Torpedoboat Marcílio Dias
• Torpedoboat Iguatemi
• Torpedoboat Araguari
• Auxiliary cruiser Pereira da Cunha - Sunk by coastal artillery (Fort Gragoatá) after explosion of its ammunition stockpile, killing all crew, Battle of Ponta da Armação (Niterói).
• Transport Ship Madeira - Sunk by coastal artillery (Fort Gragoatá) during the Battle of Ponta da Armação (Niterói).
• Transport Ship Palas - Sunk after collision with a rock in Battle of Anhatomirim.

• Cruiser Tiradentes
• Cruiser Parnaiba
• Destroyer Gustavo Sampaio
• Monitor Solimões
• Gunboat Cananéia - Sunk by rebel Cruiser República in combat, southern Brazil.
• Gunboat Piratini - Sunk in combat against Rebel Squad in Salvador, Bahia.
• Auxiliary cruiser Nichteroy
• Torpedoboat Pedro Ivo
• Torpedoboat Pedro Affonso
• Torpedoboat Silvado
• Torpedoboat Bento Gonçalves - Seriously damaged in combat against the rebel battleship Aquidabã in Battle of Anhatomirim.
• Torpedoboat Sabino Vieira
• Torpedoboat Tamborim
• Transport ship Itaipu