Chilean destroyer Aldea (1928)

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Career

Ordered:	1928
Laid down:	8 March 1928
Launched:	28 November 1928
Commissioned:	26 July 1929
Decommissioned:	21 June 1957
Fate:	Scrapped
General characteristics
Displacement:	1,450 tonnes
Length:	91.44 mts (300 ft.)
Beam:	8.84 mts
Draught:	3.86 mts (12 ft. 8 in.)
Propulsion:	2 shaft geared steam turbines 3 boilers, 28,000 hp
Speed:	35.9 knots
Range:
Complement:	130
Armament:	3 x 4.7 inch (45 calibers) guns in single mountings firing a 49 lb shell at a rate of 12 rounds per minute 1 x 3 inch anti aircraft gun 6 x 6 21 inch torpedo tubes equipped with minesweeping capability
Motto:

The third Aldea was a Serrano class destroyer of the Chilean Navy which served during World War II. It was laid down in 1928 by Thornycroft, at Woolston, Hampshire, England. She was launched by Mrs Berta Castro de Merino (mother of future admiral José Toribio Merino) in November 1928, and commissioned on July 1929.

The Aldea was one of six vessels in its class to serve Chile. The class was ordered from the United Kingdom and delivered in 1928 and 1929. Like its sister ships Riquelme and Videla it was also equipped for duties as a minesweeper. The vessels had a displacement of 1450 tons and were armed with three 4.7" and one 3" DP guns as well as six 21" torpedo tubes. The ships could make 35 knots, but their light built proved unsuitable for the harsh southern waters off Chile's coast.