BAP Ferré (DM-74)
 BAP Ferré (DM-74) in 1974 | |
| Career (United Kingdom) |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | Decoy |
| Builder: | Yarrow and Co. Ltd, Glasgow |
| Laid down: | September 22, 1946 |
| Launched: | March 29, 1949 |
| Commissioned: | April 28, 1953 |
| Fate: | Sold to Peruvian Navy in 1969 |
| Career (Peru) | .svg.png){kind=small} |
| Name: | Ferré |
| Acquired: | 1969 |
| Commissioned: | April, 1973 |
| Decommissioned: | July 13, 2007 |
| Homeport: | Callao |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Daring class destroyer |
| Displacement: | 2,819 tonnes standard 3,592 tonnes full load |
| Length: | 121.6 m (399 ft) |
| Beam: | 13.1 m (43 ft) |
| Draught: | 5.5 m (18 ft) |
| Draft: | 4.6 m (15 ft) |
| Propulsion: | 2 Babcock & Wilcox boilers 2 English Electric geared steam turbines 2 shafts; 54,800 shp (40,900 kW) |
| Speed: | 32 knots (59 km/h) |
| Range: | 3,500 nautical miles (6,500 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h) |
| Complement: | 186 (18 officers) |
| Sensors and processing systems: | 1 × Plessey AWS-1 early warning 1 × Thomson-CSF Triton surface search 1 × RTN-10X fire control 1 × Decca 1226 navigation |
| Electronic warfare and decoys: | F0417-501 intercept |
| Armament: | 8 × Exocet MM-38 SSM 3 × Vickers 114 mm/45 Mk V twin guns 2 × OTO Melara Twin 40L70 DARDO compact guns (installed 1978) 1 × Squid mortar (removed 1976) |
| Aviation facilities: | Landing deck for 1 medium helicopter |
BAP Ferré (DM-74) was a Daring class destroyer in service with the Peruvian Navy from 1973 to 2007. She was built by Yarrow Shipbuilders and completed for the Royal Navy in 1953 as HMS Decoy (D106).
Royal Navy service
Within weeks of being first commissioned Decoy took part in the Fleet Review at Spithead to celebrate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.[1] In 1956 she formed part of the Royal Navy's force used during the Suez Operation. During 1961 and 1962 she undertook trials for the Royal Navy's new Sea Cat missile system, being fitted with a single quadruple launcher on the port rear side, which was removed at the end of the trials.
Following a refit at Devonport Dockyard, HMS Decoy recommissioned on 9 April 1963 and joined the 21st Escort Squadron with HM Ships Berwick, Dido, Corunna and Cavendish.[2]
By 1966 she was in reserve and completed a long refit in Portsmouth Dockyard and recommissioned again on 15 August 1967 for a general service commission, which included the West Indies and the Far East. Before sailing she attended Portsmouth Navy Days in that year.[3] In 1968 she escorted a Hong Kong ship to Gibraltar at Masters request after unrest.[4]
Commanding officers (Royal Navy)
| From | To | Captain |
|---|---|---|
| 1953 | 1953 | Captain R H Maurice DSO DSC RN |
| 1956 | 1957 | Captain Peter Hill-Norton RN |
| 1957 | 1957 | Captain F P Baker DSC RN |
| 1960 | 1960 | Captain E F Hamilton-Meikle MBE RN |
| 1963 | 1963 | Commander J K Stevens RN |
| 1966 | 1966 | In reserve |
| 1967 | 1967 | Commander J R Symonds-Tayler RN |
| 1967 | 1969 | Commander J J Black RN |
Peruvian Navy service
After being decommissioned she was sold to Peru in 1969 together with her sistership Diana. She was renamed after Diego Ferré, a war hero who died at the Battle of Angamos during the War of the Pacific.
Prior to entering service with the Peruvian Navy she underwent a major refit by Cammell Laird at Birkenhead between 1970 and 1973. Work done during this refit included the following:
- Rebuilding of the foremast for installation of the Plessey AWS-1 air-search radar
- Installation of eight Exocet MM-38 SSMs in place of the Close Range Blind Fire Director forward of X turret
After the rebuild was done, Ferré was commissioned into the Peruvian Navy on April 1973. Further work was done on the ship by SIMA dockyards in Callao as follows:
- In 1975-76 the Squid ASW mortar was removed and a helicopter landing deck fitted
- In 1977-1978 two OTO Melara Twin 40L70 DARDO compact gun mountings were installed as was the AESN NA-10 gun fire-control system and an AESN RTN-10X fire-control radar
The Ferre tested her Exocet system against the BAP Villar (ex-USS Benham (DD-796) after the Villar had been decommissioned from Peruvian service.[5]
After serving in two navies for 54 years, Ferré was decommissioned on July 13, 2007.[6]
Notes
- ↑ Souvenir Programme, Coronation Review of the Fleet, Spithead, 15th June 1953, HMSO, Gale and Polden
- ↑ Leaflet, 1963. HMS Decoy, 21st Escort Squadron, HMSO
- ↑ Programme, Navy Days Portsmouth, 26th-28th August 1967, HMSO, p19.
- ↑ http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Ops-Events1961-70.htm
- ↑ http://www.oocities.org/ussbenham.geo/
- ↑ Supreme Decree No. 014-2007-DE/MGP PDF (1.33 MiB). July 13, 2007.
References
- Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8. OCLC 67375475.
- McCart, Neil, Daring Class Destroyers. Fan Publications, 2008. ISBN 978-1-904459-33-0
- Marriott, Leo, Royal Navy Destroyers Since 1945. Ian Allen Ltd, 1989. ISBN 0 7110 1817 0
- Baker III, Arthur D., The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World 2002-2003. Naval Institute Press, 2002.
- Sharpe, Richard (ed.), Jane's Fighting Ships 1990 - 91. Jane's Information Group, 1990.
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