NRP Douro (D332)

Last updated
Contra-torpedeiro "Douro" (o 3o) (1935) (D332).jpg
History
Flag of Portugal.svgPortugal
NameDouro
Namesake Douro River
BuilderLisbon Dockyard
Launched16 August 1935
Commissioned11 February 1936
FateStricken, December 1959
General characteristics (as built)
Type Douro-class destroyer
Displacement
Length323 ft (98.5 m)
Beam31 ft (9.4 m)
Draught11 ft (3.4 m)
Installed power
Propulsion2 shafts; 2 × geared steam turbines
Speed36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph)
Range5,400  nmi (10,000 km; 6,200 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement147
Armament

NRP Douro was one of five Douro-class destroyer built for the Portuguese Navy during the 1930s. She remained in service until 1959.

Contents

Design and description

The Douro-class ships were designed by the British shipbuilder Yarrows and were based on Ambuscade, a prototype destroyer built for the Royal Navy in 1926 by Yarrow. [1] They were 323 feet (98.45 m) long overall, with a beam of 31 feet (9.45 m) and a draught of 11 feet (3.35 m). The ships displaced 1,219 long tons (1,239  t ) at standard load and 1,563 long tons (1,588 t) at full load. [2]

The Douros were powered by two Parsons-Curtis geared steam turbines, each driving one propeller shaft using steam provided by three Yarrow boilers. The turbines, rated at 33,000 shaft horsepower (25,000  kW ), were intended to give a maximum speed of 36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph). The destroyers carried enough fuel oil to give them a range of 5,400 nautical miles (10,000 km; 6,200 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph). [2] [3]

Armament was similar to contemporary Royal Navy destroyers, with a gun armament of four 4.7 in (120 mm) Vickers-Armstrong Mk G guns, and three 2-pounder (40 mm (1.6 in)) Mk VIII anti-aircraft guns. Two quadruple banks of 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes were carried, while two depth charge throwers and 12 depth charges constituted the ships' anti-submarine armament. Up to 20 mines could be carried. The ships' complement consisted of 147 officers and men. [2]

Construction and career

The five destroyers carried out patrols to defend Portugal's neutrality during the Second World War. Their anti-aircraft armament was revised during 1942–1943, with the 40 mm guns and one of the banks of torpedo tubes replaced by six 20 mm cannon. [4] [1] The ships were refitted by Yarrow from 1946 to 1949, with the machinery refurbished, anti-aircraft armament again revised to three Bofors 40 mm gun in powered mounts and three 20 mm cannon. Sonar and British Type 285 and Type 291 radars were fitted. Douro reached a speed of 34.05 knots (63.06 km/h; 39.18 mph) at 28,085 shp (20,943 kW) during her post-refit trials. [5] [6]

Citations

  1. 1 2 Roberts 1980, p. 397.
  2. 1 2 3 Whitley 1988, pp. 221–222.
  3. "Portuguese Navy: Keels of Two Destroyers Laid". The Straits Times . 15 July 1932. p. 3.
  4. Whitley 1988, p. 222.
  5. Lyon & Chumbley 1995, p. 317.
  6. "Refitting of the Portuguese Destroyer "Duoro"" (PDF). The Engineer . Vol. 185. 30 January 1948. p. 121.

Sources

Related Research Articles

C-class destroyer (1943) 1943 class of destroyers of the Royal Navy

The C class was a class of 32 destroyers of the Royal Navy that were launched from 1943 to 1945. The class was built in four flotillas of 8 vessels, the "Ca", "Ch", "Co" and "Cr" groups or sub-classes, ordered as the 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th Emergency Flotillas respectively. The sub-class names are derived from the initial 2 letters of the member ships' names, although the "Ca" class were originally ordered with a heterogeneous mix of traditional destroyer names. A fifth flotilla, the "Ce" or 15th Emergency Flotilla, was planned but were cancelled in favour of the Weapon-class destroyers after only the first two ships had been ordered. The pennant numbers were all altered from "R" superior to "D" superior at the close of World War II; this involved some renumbering to avoid duplications.

HMS <i>Ambuscade</i> (D38) Destroyer of the Royal Navy

HMS Ambuscade was a British Royal Navy destroyer which served in the Second World War. She and her Thornycroft competitor, HMS Amazon, were prototypes designed to exploit advances in construction and machinery since World War I and formed the basis of Royal Navy destroyer evolution up to the Tribal of 1936.

Soldati-class destroyer

The Soldati class were a group of destroyers built for the Regia Marina during World War II. The ships were named after military professions. There were two batches; twelve ships were built in 1938–1939, and a second batch of seven ships were ordered in 1940, although only five were completed.

<i>Mendoza</i>-class destroyer

The Mendoza class were a series of three destroyers built in the United Kingdom for the Argentine Navy in the 1920s. They were the first part of the Argentine re-armament programme of the 1920s. Construction began in 1927 and all three were commissioned in 1929. All three destroyers were converted to anti-aircraft escorts in 1958 and remained in service until 1962 when they were discarded.

HMS <i>Milne</i> (G14) British and Turkish M-class destroyer

HMS Milne was a M-class destroyer of the Royal Navy which served during World War II. She was equipped as a flotilla leader.

<i>Dealey</i>-class destroyer escort Class of American destroyer escorts

The Dealey-class destroyer escorts were the first post-World War II escort ships built for the United States Navy.

German destroyer <i>ZH1</i> Watercraft

ZH1 was the lead ship of her class of four destroyers built for the Royal Netherlands Navy in the late 1930s. Originally named Gerard Callenburgh, the ship was scuttled while still incomplete by the Dutch during the German invasion of the Netherlands in May 1940, but she was salvaged by the Germans a few months later and commissioned in the Kriegsmarine in 1942 as ZH1.

HMS <i>Carron</i> (R30) C-class destroyer

HMS Carron was one of thirty-two C-class destroyers built for the Royal Navy during the Second World War, a member of the eight-ship Ca sub-class. Commissioned in late 1944, she was assigned to the Home Fleet and escorted the fleet's larger ships during operations off German-occupied Norway. Carron was sold for scrap in 1967.

HMS <i>Cavendish</i> (R15) C-class destroyer

HMS Cavendish was one of eight C-class destroyers built for the Royal Navy during the Second World War. Commissioned in late 1944, she was built as a flotilla leader with additional accommodation for staff officers. The ship was assigned to the Home Fleet in 1945 after working up where she escorted capital ships of the fleet. Cavendish was sold for scrap in 1967.

ARC Antioquia was the name ship of her class of two destroyers built during the 1930s for the Armada Nacional República de Colombia. Originally ordered by the Portuguese Navy, they were purchased by Colombia while still under construction. Antioquia was discarded in 1960 and subsequently scrapped.

<i>Antioquia</i>-class destroyer

The Antioquia class of destroyers consisted of two ships, ARC Antioquia and ARC Caldas, used by the navy of Colombia, the Armada Nacional República de Colombia, between 1934 and 1961. Initially constructed at the Lisbon Naval Arsenal as part of the Portuguese Navy's Douro class, they were acquired by Colombia before completion in response to the Peruvian purchase of two destroyers during the war with Peru. They arrived too late to see service in the conflict and saw little action during their service lives. They underwent a major refit in the mid-1950s which saw their armament completely redone. Following their removal from service in 1961, they were broken up for scrap.

HMS <i>Comet</i> (R26) C-class destroyer

HMS Comet was one of thirty-two C-class destroyers built for the Royal Navy during the Second World War, a member of the eight-ship Co sub-class.

<i>Guadiana</i>-class destroyer

The Guadiana class was a class of four destroyers employed by the Portuguese Navy between 1913 and 1942. This class is often alternatively referred as the Douro class.

<i>Douro</i>-class destroyer

The Douro class destroyers consisted of five ships used by the Portuguese Navy and two used by the Colombian Navy, all built during the 1930s. Note, that, in Portugal, this class of destroyers is usually referred to as the Vouga class, with the term Douro class being usually employed to designate the previous class of Portuguese destroyers also known as Guadiana class.

NRP <i>Dão</i> Douro-class destroyer of the Portuguese Navy, in service from 1935 to 1960

NRP Dão was one of five Douro-class destroyer built for the Portuguese Navy during the 1930s. She remained in service until 1960, being refitted and re-armed several times and taking place in a coup attempt in 1936.

HMS <i>Cottesmore</i> (L78) Hunt-class destroyer of the British Royal Navy

HMS Cottesmore was a Hunt-class destroyer of the British Royal Navy. The ship was built by the Scottish shipbuilder Yarrow at their Scotstoun, Glasgow shipyard in 1939–1940, being launched on 5 September 1940 and commissioning on 29 December that year.

NRP <i>Lima</i> (D333) Douro-class destroyer of the Portuguese Navy, in service from 1935 to 1959

NRP Lima was one of five Douro-class destroyer built for the Portuguese Navy during the 1930s. She remained in service until the early 1960s.

NRP <i>Vouga</i> (D334) Douro-class destroyer of the Portuguese Navy, in service from 1935 to the early 1960s

NRP Vouga was one of five Douro-class destroyer built for the Portuguese Navy during the 1930s. She remained in service until the early 1960s.

NRP <i>Tejo</i> (D335) Douro-class destroyer of the Portuguese Navy, in service from 1935 to 1965

NRP Tejo was one of five Douro-class destroyer built for the Portuguese Navy during the 1930s. She remained in service until 1965.

ARC <i>Caldas</i> (1933) Douro-class destroyer of the Portuguese Navy, in service from 1935 to 1959

ARC Caldas was one of two Antioquia-class destroyers built for the Colombian Navy during the 1930s. Originally ordered for the Portuguese Navy, the two ships were purchased by Colombia while still under construction. She was discarded in 1960 and subsequently scrapped.