BAP Almirante Grau (CLM-81)

BAP Almirante Grau (CLM-81) leaves the harbor of Curaçao, June 1973.
History
Netherlands
Name: De Ruyter
Builder: Wilton-Fijenoord, Schiedam
Laid down: 5 September 1939
Launched: 19 December 1941
Commissioned: 18 November 1953
Out of service: Sold to Peruvian Navy in March 1973
Peru
Name: Almirante Grau
Namesake: Admiral Miguel Grau Seminario
Acquired: 7 March 1973
Commissioned: 23 May 1973
Homeport: Callao
Motto: Poder y Gloria (Power and Glory)
Status: Active
General characteristics
Class and type: De Zeven Provinciën-class cruiser
Displacement:
  • 9,681 tons standard
  • 12,165 tons full load
Length: 187.32 m (614.6 ft)
Beam: 17.25 m (56.6 ft)
Draught: 6.72 m (22.0 ft)
Draft: 11.65 m (38.2 ft)
Propulsion:
  • 4 Werkspoor-Yarrow three-drum boilers
  • 2 De Schelde Parsons geared steam turbines
  • 2 shafts; 85,000 shp (63,000 kW)
Speed: 32 kn (59 km/h; 37 mph)
Range: 6,900 nmi (12,800 km; 7,900 mi) at 12 kn (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Complement: 47 officers, 606 enlisted
Sensors and
processing systems:
Electronic warfare
& decoys:
Armament:
Armor:
  • 50-76 mm belt
  • 50-125 mm turrets
  • 50-125 mm conning tower

BAP Almirante Grau (CLM-81) is a De Zeven Provinciën-class cruiser in service with the Peruvian Navy. Completed for the Royal Netherlands Navy in 1953 as HNLMS De Ruyter (C801), she was acquired by Peru in 1973. Since then, she has served as the fleet flagship of the Peruvian Navy. Almirante Grau underwent a major modernization program between 1985 and 1988 during which she was fitted with new weapons and electronics. She is currently the last gun cruiser in service in any navy.

Acquisition

Almirante Grau was completed for the Royal Netherlands Navy in 1953 as HNLMS De Ruyter. After two decades in service, she was decommissioned in 1973, and in the same year the Peruvian Navy bought the ship as a counter to the acquisition of the Swedish cruiser Göta Lejon by the Chilean Navy. Renamed Almirante Grau, in honor of the Peruvian Admiral Miguel Grau, she arrived at its new homeport of Callao on 11 July 1973. Almirante Grau became fleet flagship replacing a former cruiser of the same name (the ex-HMS Newfoundland) which was renamed Capitán Quiñones.

Modernization

From 1985 until 1988, she underwent a major modernization program by Amsterdam Naval Services (ANS) at its shipyard in Amsterdam, period during which she was denominated Proyecto de Modernización 01 (Modernization Project 01) or PM-01. Her role as flagship was assumed by her sistership Aguirre as Almirante Grau. Both ships regained their former names when the ex-De Ruyter reached Callao on 15 February 1988.

The upgrade program carried out in the Netherlands included the following:

Further work was carried out by SIMA dockyards in Callao as follows:

The LW-08 radar was later replaced by an AN/SPS-6, the former being installed in the frigate BAP Carvajal (FM-51) in 2003.[1]

Currently, Almirante Grau is the last gun cruiser in service in any navy, although it has the capabilities of firing Otomat guided missiles, plus its main armament.

Sources

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Janes Fighting Ships 2011-12; ISBN 978-0710629593
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