Nueva Esparta-class destroyer

Last updated

Nueva Esparta Class Destroyer.jpg
Aragua
Class overview
NameNueva Esparta class
Builders Vickers Armstrongs Shipyards, Barrow-in-Furness
OperatorsFlag of the Bolivarian Navy of Venezuela.svg  Bolivarian Navy of Venezuela
Built1951-1956
In commission1953-1978
Planned3
Completed3
Retired3
General characteristics
Type Destroyer
Displacement
  • Standard: 2,600 tons
  • Full load: 3,670 tons
Length402 ft (123 m)
Beam43 ft (13 m)
Draught19 ft (5.8 m)
Installed power
  • 2 Foster Wheeler boilers (650 psi, 850 °F)
  • 50,000  shp (37,000 kW)
PropulsionParsons steam turbines
Speed34 knots (63 km/h; 39 mph)
Range10,000 nmi (19,000 km; 12,000 mi) at 10 kn (19 km/h; 12 mph)
Complement18 officers and 236 crew members
Sensors and
processing systems
  • Radar Type 293Q target indication
  • Radar Type 291 air warning
  • Radar Type 274 navigation
  • Radar Type 275 fire control on director Mk.VI
  • Radar Type 262 fire control on director CRBF and STAAG Mk.II
Armament

The Nueva Esparta-class destroyers were a class of destroyers used by the navy of Venezuela. The lead ship was named after Nueva Esparta (Spanish for "New Sparta"), one of the states of Venezuela.

Contents

These ships were ordered in 1950, and were built by the Vickers-Armstrongs shipyards in Barrow-in-Furness between 1951 and 1954.

History

The ships were designed by Vickers-Armstrong shipyards in the 1950s for the Venezuela naval forces. The design has been identified as a derivative of the Batch 3 Battle-class destroyers built for the United Kingdom and Australia, according to information released by the International Naval Research Organization and several independent researchers in 2006. They were to form part of a fleet that included a 25,000 ton aircraft carrier and a Tiger-class cruiser.

The fleet arrangement for 30/04/1949 covers:

The names assigned to these ships were associated with states in Venezuela.

Ships

Two Nueva Esparta-class destroyers during the UNITAS X exercise in 1969. Venezuelan destroyer ARV Zulia (D-21) underway in 1969.jpg
Two Nueva Esparta-class destroyers during the UNITAS X exercise in 1969.
CodeNameShipyard ID.Keel dateLaunch dateCommissionedRepairWeapons refitMajor maintStatusDecommissionedLife cycle
D11 Nueva Esparta 100924/07/195119/11/195208/12/1953195919601968/69Sunk197825,08
D21 Zulia 101024/07/195129/06/195314/02/195619591960N/AFloating museum - sunk198329,32
D31 Aragua 103629/06/195327/01/195514/02/19561959N/AN/ASunk197519,89

Sensors and EW

ModelMax rangeAbilitiesNotes
FH-4500Surface and aerial search, bearing, and classification dataPassive RWR/ESM/SIGINT
Tipo 1621Search, bearing, and range dataActive sonar
Type 1703Search, bearing & range dataActive sonar
Type 1773Search, bearing & range dataActive/passive radar
Type 275 fc16Surface & aerial search in surface, bearing and classification, range & altitude dataRadar
Type 29345Surface & aerial search in surface, bearing and range data, IFFRadar
Type 97425Surface & aerial search in surface, bearing and range dataRadar

Armament

MountRate of FireCapacityWeapons per mount
8 x twin mounting 40mm L/60 Bofors 12080016 x 40mm/60 twin double Bofors (max 16)
2 x Mark 4 Squid 18033 x MK4 Squid (max 3)
3 x 4.5 inch (113 mm) L/45 Vickers Mark V in BD Mark IV twin mounting 189003 x 114mm/45 Vickers MK IV Twin (max 6)

Magazines

MagazinesRate of FireArmorCapacityStores
4.5 in (114 mm)18Light900900
MK4 Squid15None2020
40mm120None800800
NameTypeRangeChannelsDescription
HFRadio30010HF secure
VHFRadio10010VHF secure
UHFRadio10010UHF secure
HFRadio30010HF plain
VHFRadio10010VHF plain
UHFRadio10010UHF plain

Sensor signatures

Signature TypeFrontSideRear
Passive sonar959697
Active sonar162717
Visual110151110
IR—126718
Radar7114071

Service

One ship was assigned to each destroyer division along with two Almirante Clemente-class destroyers; Nueva Esparta went to the first division, Zulia to the second and Aragua to the third.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philadelphia Naval Shipyard</span> Naval shipyard of the United States

The Philadelphia Naval Shipyard was the first United States Navy shipyard and was historically important for nearly two centuries.

HMS <i>Kandahar</i> Destroyer of the Royal Navy

HMS Kandahar (F28) was a K-class destroyer built for the Royal Navy during the 1930s, named after the Afghan city of Kandahar.

<i>Arethusa</i>-class cruiser (1913) Class of Royal Navy light cruisers

The Arethusa-class cruisers were a class of eight oil-fired light cruisers of the Royal Navy all ordered in September 1912, primarily for service in the North Sea. They had three funnels with the middle one somewhat larger in diameter than the others. All served in the First World War. They were found to be very cramped internally.

Japanese battleship <i>Katori</i> Japanese lead ship of Katori-class

Katori was the lead ship of the two Katori-class pre-dreadnought battleships built in the first decade of the 20th century, the last to be built by British shipyards for the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN). Ordered just before the start of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–1905, the ship was completed a year after its end. She saw no combat during World War I, although the ship was present when Japan joined the Siberian Intervention in 1918. Katori was disarmed and scrapped in 1923–1925 in accordance with the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922.

Italian auxiliary cruiser <i>Ramb III</i>

The Italian auxiliary cruiser Ramb III was built at Genoa by Ansaldo in 1938.

<i>Almirante Clemente</i>-class destroyer Class of ships

The Almirante Clemente class of destroyer escorts is a class of warships built for several countries. The class was designed by Ansaldo for the Venezuelan Naval Forces, currently Venezuelan Navy, in the 1950s to complement its Nueva Esparta-class destroyer.

<i>Katori</i>-class battleship Imperial Japanese Navys Katori-class of pre-dreadnought battleships

The Katori class was a two-ship class of pre-dreadnought battleships built for the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) in the early 1900s. As Japan lacked the industrial capacity to build such warships itself, they were designed and built in the UK. They were the last pre-dreadnought battleships to be built for Japan at overseas shipyards, and the last to be equipped with a ram. The ships were delivered after the end of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–1905. They saw no action during World War I, although both were present when Japan joined the Siberian Intervention in 1918. They were disarmed and scrapped in 1923–1925 in accordance with the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922.

Chinese cruiser <i>Ning Hai</i> Chinese light cruiser

Ning Hai was a light cruiser in the Republic of China Navy (ROCN) before World War II and the lead ship of her class. She was sunk in the early days of the Second Sino-Japanese War by aircraft from the Imperial Japanese Navy, and her wreck was raised and repaired by the Japanese, re-entering service with the Japanese Navy in the Pacific War as the escort vessel Ioshima (五百島). She was sunk again in September 1944 by a USN submarine.

Dutch 1913 battleship proposal Dutch proposal to build new battleships

A Dutch proposal to build new battleships was originally tendered in 1912, after years of concern over the expansion of the Imperial Japanese Navy and the withdrawal of allied British warships from the China Station. Only four coastal defense ships were planned, but naval experts and the Tweede Kamer believed that acquiring dreadnoughts would provide a stronger defense for the Nederlands-Indië, so a Royal Commission was formed in June 1912.

The Reina Victoria Eugenia class was a class of three battleships of the Spanish Navy authorized as the Plan de la Segunda Escuadra under the Navy Law of 1913. The class, as well as the lead ship, were named for King Alfonso XIII's English queen consort, Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg. The other two ships were classified as "B" and "C". It was supposed to be designed by Vickers-Armstrongs, and built by John Brown. The ships were never built due to Britain's involvement in World War I, which halted all foreign projects being constructed in British yards.

Russian merchant cruiser <i>Ural</i>

Ural was an auxiliary cruiser of the Imperial Russian Navy during the Russo-Japanese War. She was originally a Rivers-class ocean liner for Norddeutscher Lloyd, launched in 1890 under the name Spree. She was renamed Kaiserin Maria Theresia in 1899, before being sold to the Russians in 1904.

ARV <i>Zulia</i> (D-21)

Zulia was one of three Nueva Esparta-class destroyers of the Venezuelan Navy. Named for the Venezuelan state of Zulia, it was built by the British shipyard Vickers Armstrong in the 1950s. It served as the leader of the 2nd Destroyer Division, and remained in service until 1978.

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>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.

NRP <i>Douro</i> (D332) Douro-class destroyer of the Portuguese Navy, in service from 1935 to 1959

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

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.

References

    Bibliography