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BAP Palacios (DM-73)
Encyclopedia
BAP Palacios (DM-73) was a Daring class
destroyer
in service with the Peruvian Navy
. She was completed for the Royal Navy
in 1954 as HMS Diana
. After being decommissioned
she was sold to Peru
in 1969 together with her sistership HMS Decoy. She was renamed after Enrique Palacios, a war hero who fought 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:
After its rebuild, Palacios was commissioned
into the Peruvian Navy on April 1973. Further work was done on the ship by SIMA dockyards in Callao
as follows:
After serving in two navies for 39 years, Palacios was decommissioned
in 1993.
Daring class destroyer (1949)
The Daring class was a class of eleven destroyers built for the Royal Navy and Royal Australian Navy . Constructed after World War II, and entering service during the 1950s, eight ships were constructed for the RN, and three ships for the RAN. Two of the RN destroyers were subsequently sold to and...
destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
in service with the Peruvian Navy
Peruvian Navy
The Peruvian Navy is the branch of the Peruvian Armed Forces tasked with surveillance, patrol and defense on lakes, rivers and the Pacific Ocean up to 200 nautical miles from the Peruvian littoral...
. She was completed for the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
in 1954 as HMS Diana
HMS Diana (D126)
HMS Diana was one of the Daring Class of destroyers planned during the Second World War by the Royal Navy. The design therefore reflected developments of the Pacific campaign, including long range and the ability to efficiently Replenish At Sea .-Size:...
. After being decommissioned
Ship decommissioning
To decommission a ship is to terminate her career in service in the armed forces of her nation. A somber occasion, it has little of the elaborate ceremony of ship commissioning, but carries significant tradition....
she was sold to Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
in 1969 together with her sistership HMS Decoy. She was renamed after Enrique Palacios, a war hero who fought at the Battle of Angamos during the War of the Pacific
War of the Pacific
The War of the Pacific took place in western South America from 1879 through 1883. Chile fought against Bolivia and Peru. Despite cooperation among the three nations in the war against Spain, disputes soon arose over the mineral-rich Peruvian provinces of Tarapaca, Tacna, and Arica, and the...
.
Prior to entering service with the Peruvian Navy she underwent a major refit by Cammell Laird
Cammell Laird
Cammell Laird, one of the most famous names in British shipbuilding during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, came about following the merger of Laird, Son & Co. of Birkenhead and Johnson Cammell & Co. of Sheffield at the turn of the twentieth century.- Founding of the business :The Company...
at Birkenhead
Birkenhead
Birkenhead is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside, England. It is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the west bank of the River Mersey, opposite the city of Liverpool...
between 1970 and 1973. Work done during this refit included the following:
- Rebuilding of the foremast for installation of the PlesseyPlesseyThe Plessey Company plc was a British-based international electronics, defence and telecommunications company. It originated in 1917, growing and diversifying into electronics. It expanded after the second world war by acquisition of companies and formed overseas companies...
AWS-1 air-search radar - Installation of eight Exocet MM-38ExocetThe Exocet is a French-built anti-ship missile whose various versions can be launched from surface vessels, submarines, helicopters and fixed wing aircraft. Hundreds were fired in combat during the 1980s.-Etymology:...
SSMsSurface-to-surface missileA surface-to-surface missile is a guided projectile launched from a hand-held, vehicle mounted, trailer mounted or fixed installation or from a ship. They are often powered by a rocket motor or sometimes fired by an explosive charge, since the launching platform is typically stationary or moving...
in place of the Close Range Blind Fire Director forward of X turret
After its rebuild, Palacios was commissioned
Ship commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
into the Peruvian Navy on April 1973. Further work was done on the ship by SIMA dockyards in Callao
Callao
Callao is the largest and most important port in Peru. The city is coterminous with the Constitutional Province of Callao, the only province of the Callao Region. Callao is located west of Lima, the country's capital, and is part of the Lima Metropolitan Area, a large metropolis that holds almost...
as follows:
- In 1975-76 the Squid ASWAnti-submarine weaponAn anti-submarine weapon is any one of a range of devices that are intended to act against a submarine, and its crew, to destroy the vessel or to destroy or reduce its capability as a weapon of war...
mortarMortar (weapon)A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
was removed and a helicopter landing deck fitted. - In 1977-1978 two OTO MelaraOto MelaraOto Melara is an Italian defence company with factories in Brescia and La Spezia. It was founded in 1905 as a joint venture of Vickers and Terni. During World War I, Vickers Terni produced many weapons with calibre 40 mm and upwards. In 1929 the company was renamed Odero Terni Orlando with the...
Twin 40L70 DARDODARDODARDO is a Close-in weapon system built by the Italian companies Breda and Oto Melara. It is composed of two Breda-built Bofors 40 mm firing high explosive shells, a fire-control radar and a fire-control system...
compact gun mountings were installed as was an AESN NA-10 gun fire-control systemFire-control systemA fire-control system is a number of components working together, usually a gun data computer, a director, and radar, which is designed to assist a weapon system in hitting its target. It performs the same task as a human gunner firing a weapon, but attempts to do so faster and more...
and an AESN RTN-10X fire-control radarFire-control radarA fire-control radar is a radar which is designed specifically to provide information to a fire-control system in order to calculate a firing solution...
. The aft 114 mm turret was replaced with a telescopic hangarHangarA hangar is a closed structure to hold aircraft or spacecraft in protective storage. Most hangars are built of metal, but other materials such as wood and concrete are also sometimes used...
.
After serving in two navies for 39 years, Palacios was decommissioned
Ship decommissioning
To decommission a ship is to terminate her career in service in the armed forces of her nation. A somber occasion, it has little of the elaborate ceremony of ship commissioning, but carries significant tradition....
in 1993.
Sources
- Baker III, Arthur D., The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World 2002-2003. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 2002.
- Couhat, Jean. Combat Fleets of the World 1982/83. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 1982.