Ferrol Naval Base facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ferrol Naval Base |
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|---|---|
| Arsenal de Ferrol | |
 |
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| Type | Military base |
| Site information | |
| Owner |  Spain |
| Controlled by |  Spanish Navy |
| Site history | |
| Built | 16th century 1740-1790 |
| In use | 1726 –present |
| Garrison information | |
| Current commander |
Vice admiral Antonio Duelo Menor |
| Occupants | See Ships |
Ferrol Naval Base, also known as the Arsenal of Ferrol, is a very important military base and shipyard for the Spanish Navy. It is located in Ferrol, Spain. This base is the main place where Spanish navy ships on the Atlantic are kept, repaired, and sometimes even built.
Contents
History of the Base
The first warships arrived in the Ría de Ferrol (a type of bay) way back in the 1500s. This was during the time when kings from the House of Austria ruled Spain. However, it wasn't until 1724 that King Felipe V decided Ferrol would be the main port on the Atlantic Ocean.
Building the Shipyards
Big plans to develop and expand the shipyards and arsenal started in the 1740s and 1750s. The first ideas came from the Minister of the Navy, José Patiño. His successor, Zenón de Somodevilla y Bengoechea, who became Minister in 1743, put these plans into action.
The very first ship built here, the San Fernando, was launched in 1751. By then, the base could build twelve ships at the same time! King Charles III was very interested in the navy. By 1790, during his reign, the arsenal at Ferrol was mostly finished. It had 5,440 workers and could take care of 70 ships.
Modernizing the Base
New inventions during the Industrial Revolution changed how things were made. Because of this, the School of Machinists and the School of Naval Engineers were started in 1850. This happened when Queen Isabel II was ruling. A workshop for steam engines was also built.
At the beginning of the 1900s, the first Spanish battleships, called the España class, were built in Ferrol. Around 1912, the shipyards in Ferrol mainly built battleships and cruisers. Smaller ships like destroyers and submarines were built in Cartagena.
The Ferrol naval base got many new and improved parts during the 1900s. New barracks (buildings for soldiers) were built for the Navy Marine Corps. Also, workshops for electricity and electronics were added, along with new storage buildings. The docks were expanded, and ships can now be tied up all around the basin. In 2003, dock 5 was made bigger to fit the Álvaro de Bazán-class frigates. In 2013, a special library for navy records, called the Naval Archive of Ferrol, was opened.
The Ferrol Naval Base is home to many important ships of the Spanish Navy. These include:
- Álvaro de Bazán-class frigates: These are modern warships designed for defense and attack.
- Álvaro de Bazán
- Almirante Juan de Borbón
- Blas de Lezo
- Méndez Núñez
- Cristóbal Colón
- Serviola-class patrol boats: These smaller ships are used for patrolling and guarding the waters.
- Serviola
- Centinela
- Vigía
- Atalaya
- Replenishment oilers: These ships carry fuel and supplies to other navy ships at sea.
- Patiño
- Cantabria
- Patrol ships:
- Cabo Fradera
See also
In Spanish: Arsenal de Ferrol para niños
- List of ships built at Ferrol shipyards 1750 – 1881
- Rota Naval Base
- Las Palmas Naval Base
- Cartagena Naval Base
