Форум "ВТОРАЯ МИРОВАЯ ВОЙНА 1939-1945 гг."

stilet пишет:

цитата:

Долгожитель, однако, хоть и деревянный

Да уж... и в огне не горит, и в грязи не тонет...

цитата:

The frigate 'D. Fernando II e Gloria' was built of teak in the shipyard of the old Portugese colony Damao (near Bombay, India) as the last locally built big ship for the Portugese navy. After launching in 1843 she was towed to Goa where she was fitted out as a full-rigged sailing ship. Her maiden voyage, from Goa to Lisbon, took place in 1845 and during the next 33 years 'D. Fernando' made numerous voyages from Portugal to the colonies in India, Mozambique and Angola. She was the last warship on the so called 'India run', the regular military route that linked Portugal to the Asian colonies for over three centuries. In 1865 she substituted the sailing ship 'Vasco da Gama' as the navy's artillery school ship.
In the training role for ensigns 'D. Fernando' made her last voyage in 1878 to the Azores, being the last frigate under sail to serve in the Portugese Navy. It was during this last voyage, that she was able to rescue the crew of the American barque 'Lawrence Boston' that had caught fire off the archipelago. The former frigate continued to serve as the Naval Artillery School until 1938, having been substantially remodelled for this role in 1889. Then she was transferred to the 'Frigate D. Fernando Welfare Institution' to serve stationary in the Tagus for general and nautical education purposes to the benefit of boys from poor families. She was partially destroyed by fire in 1963 and, healed over to port, got stuck in the mud-bottom of the river.
The spectacular rebirth of 'D. Fernando II e Gloria' started with the signing in October 1990 of a protocol between the Portugese Navy and The National Commission for the Commemoration of the Portugese Discoveries. The ship was placed under the care of the Navy (Arsenal do Alfeite) again and the restoration and rebuilding was granted to the shipyard 'Ria-Marine' in Aveiro. In January 1992 the remains of 'D. Fernando' were raised from the mud where she had rested for almost thirty years. With financial contributions from government, companies and foundations, the reconstruction work of the hull was carried out in the next five years. The ship returned to Lisbon in 1997 to complete the restoration. 'D Fernando', again a commissioned warship in the Portugese navy, served as an important attraction of the World Expo in 1998.