Almirante Clemente class destroyer


Almirante Clemente and General Moran
Class overview
Name: Almirante Clemente
Builders: Cantieri Navale Ansaldo
Operators: Venezuelan Navy
Preceded by: Captain class
Completed: 6
Active: 0
Retired: 6
Preserved: 1
General characteristics
Type: Destroyer
Displacement: Standard: 1,300 tons, Full load: 1,500 tons
Length: 99,1 m
Beam: 10.8 m
Draught: 3.7 m
Propulsion: 2 Foster Wheeler boilers 650 psi (4.5 MPa), 850 °F (454 °C)), Parsons steam turbines, 2 shafts, 24,000 horsepower (18 MW)
Speed: 32 knots (59 km/h)
Range: 3,500 nmi (6,500 km) at 10 knots (19 km/h)
Complement: 162
Sensors and
processing systems:
see table attached
Electronic warfare
and decoys:
see table attached
Armament: see table attached
Armour: Light & Medium
Aircraft carried: None

The Almirante Clemente class of destroyer escorts is a class of warships built for several countries. The class was designed by Luigi Ansaldo Ficantieri for the Venezuelan Naval Forces, currently Venezuelan Navy, in the 50's to complement its Nueva Esparta class destroyer.

The Venezuelan Navy has 2 out of 6 ships originally ordered, and Portugal, Algeria, and Indonesia each have 2 ships of this design. In the Portuguese navy, these ships are referred as patrol boats. In the '50s Venezuelan Navy, the ships were classified as DLV (Destroyer Light Vessel) or light destroyers, in the '80s were reclassified as ASW frigate, and are currently classified as coast guard vessels.

Contents

Technical specifications

These ships include among their specs these characteristics:

Those ships are one of the first prototypes of a hydrofoil's in destroyers, because Displacement-Length ratio is near to 50, means it can reach speeds near 32 knots (59 km/h), with 24.000 shp (17.897 kW). On the other hand, there is no way to reach higher speeds with its power plant, but those ships were equipped with large fin stabilizers and these help it to lift up to 4° over waterline, in this condition Length is less than 150 feet (46 m) then speed is near 45 knots (83 km/h).

The usage of these kind of device is a weapons systems support device, this can be tracked to HMS Bittern, the most of the Hunt destroyers after refit have it, but the very first Battle destroyers the HMS Finisterre and the HMS Camperdown have it, even ships as HMS Amethyst have it, but don't use form higher consumption of power, according several conversations lines in the Maritime History forum MARHST in the US navy ships as USS Gyatt (DD-712) have it.

Log file

Code Name Shipyard ID Keel date Launch date Commissioned AA & ASW Refit Weapons Refit Coast Guard Major maint. Status Decommissioned Life Cycle
D12 Almirante Clemente 1491 05/05/1954 12/12/1954 04/12/1956 N/A 1968/75 1984/85 1986 In service N/A >51,22
D13 General Flores 1493 05/05/1954 12/12/1954 1956 N/A 1968/75 N/A N/A Sunk 1978 22
D22 General Moran 1492 05/05/1954 12/12/1954 10/01/1957 N/A 1968/75 1984/85 1986 In service N/A >51,12
D23 Almirante Brión 1496 12/12/1954 04/09/1955 1957 1962 N/A N/A N/A Sunk 1978 22
D32 General Austria 1497 12/12/1954 04/09/1956 1957 1962 N/A N/A N/A Sunk 1976 20
D33 Almirante García 1498 12/12/1954 12/10/1956 1957 1962 N/A N/A N/A Sunk 1977 21

Sensors & EW

Model Max Range Abilities Notes
AN/SPG-34 30 Aerial and surface search, bearing and classification Radar
AN/SPS-10 20 Aerial and surface search, bearing and classification Radar
AN/SPS-6 110 Aerial and surface search, bearing and classification Radar
AN/SQS-4 2 Search, range and bearing Active/Passive Sonar
ESM Level 1 500 Aerial and surface search, bearing and classification Passive RWR/ESM/SIGINT

Weapons & Abilities

Mount Rate of Fire Armor Sensors onboard Capacity Weapons per mount
4 x 20mm/80 Twin Oerlikon 1 None None 15 15 x 20mm/80 Twin Oerlikon (máx 15)
21' Mk IX Triple torpedo tube 1 Light None 3 3 x 21' Mk IX Triple torpedo tube (máx 3)
2 x Mk XI Hedgehog 5 Light None 1 1 x Mk XI Hedgehog (máx 1)
2 x Mk IX Deep Charge Mortar 5 None None 12 12 x Mk IX Deep Charge Mortar (máx 12)
2 x 102mm/45 Vickers MK XVI Twin 3 Light None 20 20 x 102mm/45 Vickers MK XVI Twin (máx 20)
2 x MK VI Deep charge mortar 2 None None 10 10 x MK VI Deep charge Mortar (máx 10)
2 x 40 mm/56 MKI Twin Bofors 1 Light None 40 40 x 40 mm/56 MKI Twin Bofors (máx 40)

Magazines per Weapon

Magazine Rate of Fire Armor Capacity Stores
102 mm/45 Vickers MKXVI (x2) 1 Medium 500 500 x 102 mm/45 Vickers MKXVI (Máx 500)
20 mm/80 Twin Oerlikon (x4) 4 None 400 400 x 20 mm/80 Twin Oerlikon (Máx 400)
40 mm/56 Twin Bofors (x2) 7 None 410 410 x 40 mm/56 Twin Bofors (Máx 410)
Deep Charge MK VI 90 None 30 30 x Deep Charge Mortar (Máx 30)
Deep Charge MK IX 90 None 36 36 x Deep Charge MK IX (Máx 36)
Hedgehog MK XI 1 Light 40 40 x Hedgehog MK XI (Máx 40)

Communications & Datalinks

Name Type range Channels Description
HF Radio 300 10 HF Safe
2 x VHF Radio 100 10 VHF Safe
2 x UHF Radio 100 10 UHF Safe

Sensors Signatures

Signature Type Front Side Rear
Passive Sonar 100 101 102
Active Sonar 14 25 15
Visual 98 136 98
IR —28 46 2
Radar 59 125 59

Venezuelan Navy

Ships

The construction contracts for these destroyers were awarded on 25/01/1954, and their names were an homage to Venezuelan war of independence heroes who lie at Panteón Nacional:

Fleet Arrangement

External references

References