The Peruvian Navy is the branch of the Peruvian Armed Forces tasked with surveillance, patrol and defense on lakes, rivers and the Pacific Ocean up to 200 nautical miles from the Peruvian littoral. Additional missions include assistance in safeguarding internal security, conducting disaster relief operations and participating in international peacekeeping operations.
HMS Newfoundland was a Fiji-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy. Named after the Dominion of Newfoundland, she participated in the Second World War and was later sold to the Peruvian Navy and renamed BAP Almirante Grau.
BAP Capitán Quiñones (CL-83) was a Fiji-class cruiser in service with the Peruvian Navy. It was completed for the Royal Navy in 1942 as HMS Newfoundland and, after being withdrawn from service, commissioned by the Marina de Guerra del Perú on December 30, 1959. Renamed BAP Almirante Grau (CL-81), in honor of the Peruvian Admiral Miguel Grau, it arrived to its new homeport of Callao on 31 January 1960.
The De Zeven Provinciën class was a class of light cruisers. They were built by Rotterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij (RDM) and Wilton-Fijenoord for the Royal Netherlands Navy. The name De Zeven Provinciën refers to the seven provinces which formed the Dutch Republic in 1581.
Miguel María Grau Seminario was a Peruvian Navy officer and politician best known for his actions during the War of the Pacific. He was nicknamed "Gentleman of the Seas" for his kind and chivalrous treatment of defeated enemies and is held in high esteem by both Peruvians and Chileans. Grau is an iconic figure for the Peruvian navy, and one of the most famous naval officers from the Americas.
The Lupo class is a class of frigates built by Cantieri Navali Riuniti (CNR) for the Italian Navy. Designed as multipurpose warships with an emphasis on anti-surface warfare (ASuW), they have enjoyed some success in the export market, being acquired by the navies of Peru and Venezuela. A small run of a slightly updated version is known as the Soldati class.
BAPAlmirante Grau(CLM-81) was a De Zeven Provinciën-class light cruiser that served in the Dutch and Peruvian navies. Completed for the Dutch in 1953 as HNLMS De Ruyter (C801), she was acquired by Peru in 1973 and served as fleet flagship.
BAP Almirante Grau is the third out of four Carvajal-class frigates ordered by the Peruvian Navy in 1973 and originally named Montero. It was built by SIMA at Callao under license from the Italian shipbuilder Cantieri Navali Riuniti. As such, it was the first modern warship built in Peru. In late 2007 its flight deck was extended to allow ASH-3D Sea King helicopters to land and refuel, although they cannot be housed in the ship's hangar.
BAP Aguirre (CH-84) was a De Zeven Provinciën-class cruiser in service with the Peruvian Navy. It was completed for the Royal Netherlands Navy in 1953 as HNLMS De Zeven Provinciën. After two decades in service, it was decommissioned in August 1976 and sold to Peru. Before being transferred to the Pacific Ocean, it underwent a major rebuild program by Rotterdamse Droogdok Maatschappij (RDM) at its shipyard in Rotterdam. Modifications included the removal of its RIM-2 Terrier SAM system and the installation of a fixed hangar and a flight deck. The upgrade was finished on October 31, 1977 and the ship was commissioned on February 24, 1978 at the Dutch naval base of Den Helder. Renamed Aguirre, in honor of the Peruvian Commander Elías Aguirre, it arrived to its new homeport of Callao on May 17, 1978.
BAP Coronel Bolognesi (CL-82) was a Fiji-class light cruiser in service with the Peruvian Navy. It was completed for the Royal Navy in 1943 as HMS Ceylon and, after being withdrawn from service, commissioned by the Marina de Guerra del Perú on February 9, 1960. Renamed BAP Coronel Bolognesi (CL-82), in honor of the Peruvian Colonel Francisco Bolognesi, it arrived to its new homeport of Callao on 19 March 1960.
Four ships of the Peruvian Navy have been named BAP Coronel Bolognesi after Peruvian Army hero Francisco Bolognesi:
BAP Apurímac was the second steam frigate of the Peruvian Navy, built in England in 1855 along with the steam schooners Loa and Tumbes as a part of a major build-up of the Navy during the government of President José Rufino Echenique. A veteran of two wars and many internal conflicts, due to her age, she served as training ship in Callao port from 1873 until January 17, 1881, when she was scuttled along with the rest of the Peruvian Navy to prevent capture by Chilean troops who had occupied the port after the defeat of the Peruvian Army in the battles of San Juan and Miraflores.
In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the South American nations of Argentina and Chile engaged in an expensive naval arms race to ensure the other would not gain supremacy in the Southern Cone.
The Almirante Grau class was a class of two scout cruisers built for the Peruvian Navy between 1905 and 1907. Both ships remained in service until 1958.
BAP Coronel Bolognesi was a scout cruiser of the Peruvian Navy, the lead ship of its class. Along with its sister ship Almirante Grau, Coronel Bolognesi was one of Peru's two most powerful warships for the first half of the twentieth century. The ship was named for Francisco Bolognesi, a hero of the country for his service in the War of the Pacific.
BAP Unión was a corvette of the Peruvian Navy, originally ordered by the government of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. Built in France it was bought by the Peruvian Navy and during its service participated in the Chincha Islands War and in the War of the Pacific in which it was scuttled following the Blockade of Callao to prevent it falling into Chilean hands.
Carlos Ferreyros y Senra was a Peruvian Navy officer and politician. He was the commander of the gunboat Pilcomayo during the War of the Pacific, commanding it before its capture. He was also a Senator of the Department of Huánuco from July 28, 1907, to February 6, 1910, where he died in office.
The Rupture of the Blockade of Arica was a naval battle of the War of the Pacific during the Blockade of Arica. The rupture was carried out by Manuel Villavicencio who commanded the BAP Unión of the Peruvian Navy. The Unión broke the Chilean blockade of the port twice in less than 8 hours on March 17, 1880.
Lima was the lead ship of what was to be a two-ship class of cruisers for the Peruvian Navy, but ended up being the sole member of the class. Originally to be named Socrates and constructed as a merchant ship in Germany, the ship was purchased by Peru during the War of the Pacific and converted to a warship in England. The sale was complex, involving subterfuge to get around embargoes on the purchase of armed vessels by belligerent countries, and was only completed after the war's conclusion. Armed with two 6 in (152 mm) gun, on commissioning, the cruiser was the flagship and largest vessel in the Peruvian fleet. In 1901, the armament was upgraded. The ship was mobilised in 1910 in response to the threat of war with Ecuador. In 1920, the ship was refitted in Panama and subsequently operated as a transport and submarine depot. The vessel briefly saw service in the Colombia–Peru War in 1933 as a floating battery and was discarded in 1937.
Peru