Azopardo-class frigate
{{more citations needed|date=December 2016}}
| {{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image |Ship image=Azopardo (P-35).jpg |Ship caption=ARA Azopardo, date unknown }} {{Infobox ship class overview |Name= Azopardo class frigate |Builders= AFNE Rio Santiago, Argentina |Operators={{navy|ARG}} |Class before= |Class after= |Subclasses= |Cost= |Built range=1950-1958 |In service range=1956-1972 |In commission range=1956–1972 |Total ships building= |Total ships planned=2 |Total ships completed=2 |Total ships cancelled= |Total ships active= |Total ships laid up= |Total ships lost= |Total ships retired=2 |Total ships preserved= }} {{Infobox ship characteristics |Hide header= |Header caption= |Ship type= Azopardo class frigate |Ship displacement=1220 (standard) to 1400 (full load) tons |Ship length= {{convert|92.72|m|ft|abbr=on|1}} |Ship beam={{convert|9.6|m|ft|abbr=on|1}} |Ship height= |Ship draught= |Ship draft={{convert|4|m|ft|abbr=on}} |Ship propulsion=2-shaft, 2 × Parsons Steam turbines, 2 x Water-tube boilers, {{convert|5000|ihp|abbr=on}}, 340 tons oil |Ship speed={{convert|20|kn|mph km/h}} |Ship range= 2300 nautical miles @ ?kn |Ship complement=170 |Ship sensors= |Ship EW= |Ship armament=*4 × {{convert|105|mm|in|adj=on|0}} L45 Bofors DP guns
|Ship armour=none |Ship aircraft= |Ship aircraft facilities= |Ship notes=Specifications from “Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947-1995” and “Histarmar” website. }} |
The Azopardo-class frigates were a class of two post-World War II warships, designed and built in Argentina in 1940-1959, originally as part of a class of four large minelayers (see Murature-class ships). They were in service with the Argentine Navy from the mid-1950s to 1972. The class was named after Juan Bautista Azopardo, an Argentine naval officer in the Independence and Cisplatine wars.{{citation needed|date=December 2016}}
Design
The class was as part of a program to build four mine warfare ships during the Second World War, of which two (Murature and King) were completed as patrol ships in the 1940s and the others (Piedrabuena and Azopardo) as antisubmarine frigates in the 1950s.
The Azopardo class frigates had a metal hull with a single mast and funnel. They were powered by two Parsons steam turbines fed by two water-tube boilers, driving two propellers.{{cite web|url= http://www.histarmar.com.ar/Armada%20Argentina/Buques1900a1970/FRagAzopardo-1956.htm |title= Fragata "Azopardo" P-35 |trans-title=Frigate “Azopardo” |website=Histarmar - Historia y Arqueología Marítima |publisher=Fundación Histarmar |language=es |location=Argentina |access-date=2016-12-25}}{{cite web|url= http://www.histarmar.com.ar/Armada%20Argentina/Buques1900a1970/Canioneras/CRosario.htm |title= Fragata "Piedra Buena" (36) |trans-title= Frigate “Piedra Buena” |website=Histarmar - Historia y Arqueología Marítima |publisher=Fundación Histarmar |language=es |location=Argentina |access-date=2016-12-25}}
The main battery was composed of four {{convert|105|mm|in|adj=on|0}} Bofors DP guns, with a secondary battery of four {{convert|40|mm|in|adj=on|0}} Bofors Anti-Aircraft guns in single mountings. It also carried four anti-submarine mortars.
Service history
The Azopardo class was designed in the early 1940s; however due to shortages during World War II the ships were laid down in the early 1950s and completed in 1956-58. They were commissioned by the Argentine Navy in 1956-59 and remained in service until the early 1970s.
Azopardo and Piedra Buena were incorporated in the High Seas Fleet ({{in lang|es}} Flota de Mar), and frequently used to patrol the Argentine Sea and in training exercises, including the multinational “UNITAS”.
Both ships were sold for scrap after being decommissioned in 1972, and were broken up in the 1970s.{{citation needed|date=December 2016}}.
Ships in class
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!width="16%" align="left" |Ship Name !width="16%" align="center" |Pennant Number !width="16%" align="center" |Other names !width="16%" align="center" |Builder !width="16%" align="center" |Laid down !width="16%" align="center" |Launched !width="16%" align="center" |Service entry !width="16%" align="center" |Decommissioning |
| align="center" |ARA Azopardo
|align="center" |P-35 |align="center" |none |align="center" |AFNE Rio Santiago |align="center" |1940 |align="center" |1953 |align="center" |1956 |align="center" |1972Sold for scrapping to AYASA in December 1972. |
| align="center" |ARA Piedra Buena
|align="center" |P-36 |align="center" |none |align="center" |AFNE Rio Santiago |align="center" | |align="center" |1954 |align="center" |1958 |align="center" |1972Sold for scrapping to AYASA in December 1972. |
See also
Footnotes
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References
= Notes =
{{Reflist}}
= Bibliography =
- {{cite book|last1=Gardiner|first1=Robert|title= Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1947-1995 |year=1996|publisher= Naval Institute Press |location= Annapolis, Maryland, USA |isbn=978-155-75013-25|pages=675}}
- {{cite book|last=Arguindeguy|first=Pablo|title=Apuntes sobre los buques de la Armada Argentina (1810-1970)|year=1972|publisher=Comando en Jefe de la Armada|location=Buenos Aires, Argentina|language=es}}
Further reading
- {{cite book|last=Burzio| first =Humberto|title =Armada Nacional| publisher= Secretaria de Estado de Marina |language=es |year =1960 |author-link=Humberto Francisco Burzio}}
External links
{{Commons category|Azopardo class frigate}}
- [http://www.histarmar.com.ar/Armada%20Argentina/Buques1900a1970/FRagAzopardo-1956.htm Frigate ARA “Azopardo” - Histarmar website (Historia y Arqueología Marítima – Fragata "Azopardo" P-35)] (accessed 2016-12-25)
- [http://www.histarmar.com.ar/Armada%20Argentina/Buques1900a1970/FragataPiedraBuena-1959.htm Frigate ARA “Piedra Buena” - Histarmar website (Historia y Arqueología Marítima – Fragata "Piedra Buena" P-36)] (accessed 2016-12-25)
{{Azopardo-class frigates}}
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Category:Frigates of Argentina