Tuesday, February 12, 2013

the corvette ARA 'Uruguay', 1874, used for Antarctic rescue in 1903


ARA stands for Armada de la República Argentina. Built as a gunship and used as a training ship, this corvette was rebuilt in 1903 as an Antarctic rescue ship and was used as such that year when she supported and then later rescued the Swedish Antarctic Expedition led by Otto Nordenskiöld, their ship, the Antarctic, having been destroyed by ice.  This stamp was issued in 2003 to mark the centenary.

In 1967 the ship was decommissioned and turned into a museum ship, now moored at Puerto Madero in Buenos Aires

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