Churruca class destroyer
Encyclopedia
Churruca was a Spanish
destroyer
class built for the Spanish Navy
based on a British design
. Eighteen ships were built, two sold to Argentina
.
The ships were authorized on 17 February 1915 by Navy Minister Augusto Miranda y Godoy. The program planned for four light cruiser
s, six destroyers, 28 submarine
s, three gunboat
s, and 18 coast guard vessels; of these, five light cruisers, three Alsedo- and fourteen Churruca-class destroyers, 16 submarines, and the three gunboats were actually completed.
Some of the later ships of the class were completed without the central gun due to an arms embargo during the Spanish Civil War
.
on 7 February 1926. The Argentine Navy
was interested in purchasing Alsedo, and the Spanish government on 25 May 1927 provided credit to buy ships in Spain. Argentina eventually purchased Churruca and Alcalá Galiano, renaming them Cervantes and Juan de Garay.
Between 1928 and 1933, Churruca and Alcalá Galiano were launched, along with four other vessels, followed by seven more between 1935 and 1937.
, the class served on the government side, and blockaded the Gibraltar Strait. Class members saw some action. Almirante Ferrándiz and Gravina took part in the Battle of Cape Espartel
, where Almirante Ferrándiz was sunk by the Spanish cruiser
Canarias
. Lepanto, Almirante Valdes, Almirante Antequera, Gravina, Jorge Juan, and Escaño participated in the Battle of Cape Cherchell
. Lepanto, Sánchez Barcaiztegui, Almirante Miranda and Grafina were engaged in the Battle of Cape Palos
, where Lepanto sank the Spanish cruiser Baleares
with torpedo
es. Ciscar was sunk by aircraft in Gijon
harbour, refloated by the rebels, and used by them in the final phases of the war.
One the class, due to her strong resemblance to a British destroyer, was used in an attempt to break the blockade of the Gibraltar Strait and return to the Mediterranean Sea
after the fall of the Republican government in the north of Spain in 1938. José Luis Díez, painted with the pennant number
of HMS Grenville
, was intercepted by Canarias and other ships, and beached herself in Gibraltar.
When the Spanish Civil War ended, the class was turned over to the Nationalists.
The last two ships were commissioned in 1951.
while under construction. They were named ARA Cervantes (E1) and ARA Juan de Garay (named after Juan de Garay
) respectively. The ships were commissioned on 3rd September 1927 and modernised after World War II. The modernisation involved removing the midships 120mm gun and the 3 inch gun and replacing these weapons with 40mm Bofors guns. The ships were decommissioned in 1961 and 1960 respectively.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
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...
class built for the Spanish Navy
Spanish Navy
The Spanish Navy is the maritime branch of the Spanish Armed Forces, one of the oldest active naval forces in the world. The Armada is responsible for notable achievements in world history such as the discovery of Americas, the first world circumnavigation, and the discovery of a maritime path...
based on a British design
HMS Scott (1917)
HMS Scott was the first of a new destroyer leader class built to be flotilla leaders for the V- and W-class destroyers. She was ordered during the First World War in 1916, and the class would unofficially be named after her...
. Eighteen ships were built, two sold to Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
.
The ships were authorized on 17 February 1915 by Navy Minister Augusto Miranda y Godoy. The program planned for four light cruiser
Cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. The term has been in use for several hundreds of years, and has had different meanings throughout this period...
s, six destroyers, 28 submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
s, three gunboat
Gunboat
A gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies.-History:...
s, and 18 coast guard vessels; of these, five light cruisers, three Alsedo- and fourteen Churruca-class destroyers, 16 submarines, and the three gunboats were actually completed.
Some of the later ships of the class were completed without the central gun due to an arms embargo during the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
.
History
The three first ships (Churruca, Alcalá Galiano, and Sánchez Barcáiztegui) were launched between May 1925 and June 1926. When Plus Ultra went to Argentina, she was accompanied by Méndez Núñez and Alsedo. These vessels arrived in Buenos AiresBuenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
on 7 February 1926. The Argentine Navy
Argentine Navy
The Navy of the Argentine Republic or Armada of the Argentine Republic is the navy of Argentina. It is one of the three branches of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic, together with the Army and the Air Force....
was interested in purchasing Alsedo, and the Spanish government on 25 May 1927 provided credit to buy ships in Spain. Argentina eventually purchased Churruca and Alcalá Galiano, renaming them Cervantes and Juan de Garay.
Between 1928 and 1933, Churruca and Alcalá Galiano were launched, along with four other vessels, followed by seven more between 1935 and 1937.
Spanish Civil War
At the start of the Spanish Civil WarSpanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
, the class served on the government side, and blockaded the Gibraltar Strait. Class members saw some action. Almirante Ferrándiz and Gravina took part in the Battle of Cape Espartel
Battle of Cape Espartel
The Battle of Cape Espartel was a naval battle of the Spanish Civil War that broke the Republican blockade of the Strait of Gibraltar, securing the naval supply route to Spanish Morocco for the Nationalists early in the war...
, where Almirante Ferrándiz was sunk by the Spanish cruiser
Cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. The term has been in use for several hundreds of years, and has had different meanings throughout this period...
Canarias
Spanish cruiser Canarias
The Canarias was a heavy cruiser of the Spanish Navy. She was designed in the United Kingdom and was a modified version of the Royal Navy's County class cruiser. She was built in Spain by the Vickers-Armstrongs subsidiary Sociedad Española de Construcción Naval...
. Lepanto, Almirante Valdes, Almirante Antequera, Gravina, Jorge Juan, and Escaño participated in the Battle of Cape Cherchell
Battle of Cape Cherchell
The Battle of Cape Cherchell was a naval battle between the Nationalist heavy cruiser Baleares and the Republican light cruisers Libertad and Méndez Núñez in the Spanish Civil War, several miles north of the Algerian city of Cherchell...
. Lepanto, Sánchez Barcaiztegui, Almirante Miranda and Grafina were engaged in the Battle of Cape Palos
Battle of Cape Palos
The Battle of Cape Palos, also known as the Second Battle of Cape Palos, was the biggest naval battle of the Spanish Civil War, fought on the night of March 5–6, 1938, east of Cape Palos near Cartagena, Spain.-Leadup to the battle:...
, where Lepanto sank the Spanish cruiser Baleares
Spanish cruiser Baleares
Baleares was a Canarias-class heavy cruiser of the Spanish Navy. She was designed in Great Britain and was a modified version of the Royal Navy′s County-class cruiser...
with torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
es. Ciscar was sunk by aircraft in Gijon
Gijón
Gijón , officially Gijón / Xixón, is a coastal industrial city and a municipality in the autonomous community of Asturias in Spain. Early mediaeval texts mention it as "Gigia". It was an important regional Roman city, although the area has been settled since earliest history...
harbour, refloated by the rebels, and used by them in the final phases of the war.
One the class, due to her strong resemblance to a British destroyer, was used in an attempt to break the blockade of the Gibraltar Strait and return to the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
after the fall of the Republican government in the north of Spain in 1938. José Luis Díez, painted with the pennant number
Pennant number
In the modern Royal Navy, and other navies of Europe and the Commonwealth, ships are identified by pennant numbers...
of HMS Grenville
HMS Grenville (H03)
HMS Grenville was the flotilla leader for the G-class destroyers, built for the Royal Navy in the mid-1930s. She spent most of the pre-war period as part of the Mediterranean Fleet. The ship was transferred to the British Isles to escort shipping in local waters shortly after the beginning of...
, was intercepted by Canarias and other ships, and beached herself in Gibraltar.
When the Spanish Civil War ended, the class was turned over to the Nationalists.
The last two ships were commissioned in 1951.
Ships
Name |
Launched |
Decommissioned |
Cause |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Churruca |
1927 | 1927 | Sold | to Argentina, renamed ARA Cervantes Decommissioned 1961 |
Alcalá Galiano |
1927 | 1927 | Sold | to Argentina, renamed ARA Juan de GarayDecommissioned 1960 |
Sánchez Barcáiztegui Spanish destroyer Sánchez Barcáiztegui Sánchez Barcáiztegui was a Churruca-class destroyer of the Spanish Navy. She took part in the Spanish Civil War on the government side.... |
1928 | 1964 | Obsolete | Scrapped |
José Luis Díez Spanish destroyer José Luis Díez José Luis Díez was a Churruca-class destroyer in the Spanish Navy. She took part in the Spanish Civil War on the government side.She was named after Teniente de Navío José Luis Díez y Pérez Muñoz.-Civil War:... |
1929 | 1965 | Obsolete | Scrapped |
Almirante Ferrándiz Spanish destroyer Almirante Ferrándiz Almirante Ferrándiz was a Churruca-class destroyer in the Spanish Navy. She took part in the Spanish Civil War on the government side.She was named in honor of José Ferrándiz y Niño, a Spanish Admiral and former Navy Minister.-History:... |
1929 | 1936 | Sunk | By the cruiser Canarias |
Lepanto |
1930 | 1957 | Obsolete | Scrapped |
Churruca |
1931 | 1957 | Obsolete | Scrapped |
Alcalá Galiano |
1931 | 1963 | Obsolete | Scrapped |
Almirante Valdés |
1933 | 1957 | Obsolete | Scrapped |
Almirante Antequera |
1935 | 1965 | Obsolete | Scrapped |
Almirante Miranda |
1936 | 1970 | Obsolete | Scrapped |
Císcar |
1936 | 1957 | Ran aground | |
Escaño |
1936 | 1963 | Obsolete | Scrapped |
Gravina |
1936 | 1963 | Obsolete | Scrapped |
Jorge Juan |
1937 | 1959 | Obsolete | Scrapped |
Ulloa |
1937 | 1963 | Obsolete | Scrapped |
Liniers |
1946 | 1982 | Obsolete | Scrapped |
Alava |
1947 | 1978 | Obsolete | Scrapped |
Argentinian Navy Service
The Curruca and The Alcalá Galiano were sold to the Argentine NavyArgentine Navy
The Navy of the Argentine Republic or Armada of the Argentine Republic is the navy of Argentina. It is one of the three branches of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic, together with the Army and the Air Force....
while under construction. They were named ARA Cervantes (E1) and ARA Juan de Garay (named after Juan de Garay
Juan de Garay
Juan de Garay was a Spanish conquistador.Garay was born in Orduña, Spain. He served under the Spanish crown, in the Viceroyalty of Peru...
) respectively. The ships were commissioned on 3rd September 1927 and modernised after World War II. The modernisation involved removing the midships 120mm gun and the 3 inch gun and replacing these weapons with 40mm Bofors guns. The ships were decommissioned in 1961 and 1960 respectively.
External links
- First serie of Churruca Class in spanish
- Second serie of Churruca Class in spanish
- Destroyers in Spanish civil war (in Spanish), with pictures
- ARA Cervantes in Histamar