ARC 20 de JULIO-CLASS COLOMBIAN DESTROYERS
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History
The “20 de Julio” class destroyers were two Colombian Navy (ARC) destroyers that entered service in 1958. Based on the Swedish Navy’s Halland class for export, they were built to ARC specifications and focused on anti-surface warfare, becoming one of the most powerful warships in Latin America at the time.
They were two identical destroyers: the “ARC 20 de Julio D-05” and the “ARC 7 de Agosto D-06”. This suggestion focuses on the former, but I will use photos of both due to their similarity and the lack of available photographic material.
The “20 de Julio” was built at Eriksbergs Mekaniska Verkstad (Gothenburg) and was launched on 1952 and delivered to the ARC on 15 June 1956.
After assuming the presidency, General G. Rojas Pinilla decided to modernize the Colombian Armed Forces. Regarding the Colombian Navy (ARC), it was made clear that second-hand vessels would not be used after analyzing the American and British offers with their destroyers (Fletcher and Daring respectively), so the Stockholm proposal was analyzed and selected. Therefore, on June 12, 1954, in Bogotá, a contract was signed with Sweden for the construction of two modified Halland-class destroyers. These powerful destroyers of the ARC served for 26 years without seeing any major operations other than international exercises with the US Navy. After an opportunity for modernization was rejected, they were decommissioned and then scrapped in 1986.
ARC 20 DE JULIO - THE POWERFUL GUARDIAN OF THE COLOMBIAN SEAS
The following are the characteristics of the ARC 20 de Julio (D-05) which is known in the sources as the Modified Halland
Differences between the Swedish and Colombian Halland Class
General Characteristics
Class and Type: 20 de Julio-class (Destroyer)
Builder: Eriksbergs Mekaniska Verkstad AB
Laid Down: 1955
Launched: 1956
Comissioned: 1958
Identification: D-05
Length: 121 m
Beam: 12.4 m
Draft: 4.7 m
Displacement: 2650 ton (standard) - 3300 ton (full load)
Propulsion: 2x Laval shaft geared turbines, 2x Penhoët M boilers (55.000 hp)
Speed: 59 Km/h (37 mph)
Crew: 248
Radar: Scanter 009
Systems: Thomson-CSF Saturn - HSA M22
Retractable Sonar
Armament:
3x Torrets: 2x Bofors M/55 120 mm Automatic Gun L/46 caliber
4x AAA: Single 40mm M/48E
1x TT M/30: 4x Torpedo M/61 533mm
1x Anti-submarine mortar: 4x M/50 bombs 37.5cm = 100kg.
Armor:
Superstructure: Corrugated Galvanized Iron
Internal Splinter Protection
Hull designed with forecastle armored.
ARC 7 de Agosto
Photos:
Spoiler
Main Cannons Bofors 120mm 1950
Antisubmarine Mortar (Halland)
Sources
Spoiler
Armada Nacional de Colombia web site:
(https://www.armada.mil.co/es/content/armada-nacional-187-años-protegiendo-los-mares-costas-y-ríos-de-la-patria)
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pr5VG0GZY3Q)
Cyber-Corredera:
Los Destructores que Armaron a Colombia
PDF: (https://www.cyber-corredera.de/correderas/185.pdf)
Books:
(Scheina, Robert L. & Smigielski, Adam (1995). “Columbia”. In Chumbley, Stephen (ed.). Conway’s All the World’s Fighting Ships, 1947–1995 (revised ed.). Naval Institute Press. pp. 68–70. ISBN 1-55750-132-7)