BAP Almirante Grau (CLM-81)

Construction

De Ruyter was laid down by the Royal Netherlands Navy on 5 September 1939 as the cruiser HNLMS De Zeven Provinciën at the Wilton-Fijenoord shipyard at Schiedam. She and her sister-ship, later **, were intended to replace the two s in the Dutch East Indies. She was named after Dutch naval hero Michiel de Ruyter.

At the German invasion of the Netherlands in May 1940 little had been constructed. The Kriegsmarine intended to complete her as the training cruiser KH 1 but construction was slow and she was not launched until 24 December 1944, with the intent by then to use her as a blockship in the Nieuwe Waterweg, the approaches to Rotterdam.

After the liberation of the Netherlands, the Navy completed De Zeven Provinciën with modifications.

She was commissioned as HNLMS De Ruyter (C801) on 18 November 1953, in the presence of Her Majesty Queen Juliana of the Netherlands. The first captain of the new cruiser was W. J. Kruys.

Royal Netherlands Navy service

In Dutch service both ships participated in several NATO exercises, and were frequently used as flagships for different naval task forces.

Between 1962 and 1964, De Zeven Provinciën underwent a refit which included the removal of the two aft turrets and the installation of a RIM-2 Terrier SAM system, but lack of funds precluded the same modifications from being carried out in De Ruyter.

In 1968 it was reported that the completion of the Tromp-class frigates would mean that the De Ruyter would be taken out of service.

After two decades in service, she was decommissioned on 16 October 1972.

Peruvian Navy service

The Peruvian Navy bought De Ruyter on 7 March 1973 as a counter to the acquisition of the Swedish cruiser by the Chilean Navy. Commissioned on 23 May 1973 as Almirante Grau, in honor of the Peruvian Admiral Miguel Grau, the ship arrived at her new homeport of Callao on 11 July 1973.

She was designated fleet flagship in succession to another cruiser of the same name (the former ), which was renamed .

Modernization

From 1985 until 1988, she underwent a major modernization program by Amsterdam Naval Services (ANS) at its shipyard in Amsterdam, during which she was denominated Proyecto de Modernización 01 (Modernization Project 01) or PM-01.

Her role as flagship was assumed by her sistership as Almirante Grau. Both ships regained their former names when the former De Ruyter returned to Callao on 15 February 1988.

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

• Fitting of the Signaal SEWACO Foresee PE combat management system
• Fitting of a Signaal DA-08 surface-search radar
• Fitting of a Signaal LW-08 air-search radar
• Fitting of a Decca 1226 navigation radar
• Fitting of a Signaal STIR-24 fire-control radar
• Fitting of a Signaal WM-25 fire-control radar
• Fitting of two Signaal LIROD-8 optronic directors
• Fitting of the Signaal Rapids ESM system
• Fitting of the CME Scimitar ECM system
• Fitting of two Matra Défense Dagaie decoy launchers
• Fitting of one Matra Défense Sagaie decoy launcher
• Fitting of a Link Y data link
• Fitting (towers) of two Bofors signal amplifiers, including aiming and firing limitation
• Removal of four twin Bofors 57/60 mm gun mountings
• Removal of the CWE-610 hull sonar

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

• Eight Otomat Mk 2 SSMs were fitted in 1993
• Two OTO Melara Twin 40L70 DARDO compact gun mountings were fitted in 1996, replacing four single Bofors 40/70 mm gun mountings

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

Decommissioning

Almirante Grau was decommissioned on 26 September 2017. She was the last gun cruiser in service in any navy, although its main armament was supplemented with Otomat anti-ship missiles. She was replaced by the BAP Montero, now known as BAP Almirante Grau.

On 9 August 2019, the Peruvian Navy announced that she would be preserved as a museum ship in Lima, though in February 2022, the ship was placed on sale. In July 2022 it was reported that she was to be scrapped.

Gallery

File:Marine Beneluxdagen in Amsterdamse Haven, aankomst Hr Ms Kruiser De Ruyter, Bestanddeelnr 914-3312.jpg|HNLMS De Ruyter 1962 Image:US Navy 040703-N-1464F-001 The Peruvian cruiser Almirante Grau CLM-81 fires one of its 15.2 cm caliber cannons.jpg|Almirante Grau firing her guns File:BAP Almirante Grau 2007.jpg|A stern view of BAP Almirante Grau from Image:PERU-CM-81-2.JPG|BAP Almirante Grau 1993 File:Kruiser Hr.Ms. De Ruyter (C801) (2097 097 041973).jpg|De Ruyter at sea with guns elevated. File:Kruiser Hr.Ms. De Ruyter (C801) (2097 097 041977).jpg|De Ruyter; view from the stern.

References

Sources

• Baker III, Arthur D., The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World 2002-2003. Naval Institute Press, 2002.
• Rodríguez Asti, John, Cruceros. Buques de la Marina de Guerra del Perú desde 1884. Dirección de Intereses Marítimos, 2000.
• Jane's Fighting Ships 2011-2012.
• Unexpected end: old cruiser De Ruyter on its way to scrap https://marineschepen.nl/nieuws/Voormalige-kruiser-De-Ruyter-vertrokken-naar-de-sloop-080722.html from MarineSchepen

References

1. Karremann, Jaime. "Toch onverwachts: oude kruiser De Ruyter op weg naar sloop".
2. "Eendracht-class cruisers".
3. . (13 October 1972). ["Hr. Ms. kruiser De Ruyter gaat vandaag buiten dienst: Marine verliest stuk traditie"](https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=KBPERS01:002879011:mpeg21:p00003). *Algemeen Dagblad*.
4. [https://marineschepen.nl/schepen/kruisers-de-ruyter-de-zeven-provincien.html Kruisers De Ruyter en De Zeven Provinciën (1953)]. Marineschepen.nl (in Dutch).
5. . (21 June 1968). ["Diensttijd niet verder verkort"](https://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=ddd:011015307:mpeg21:a0171). *Nieuwsblad van het Noorden*.
6. (26 September 2017). "Peruvian Navy designates new flagship". IHS.
7. "Perú convertirá en museo de sitio al crucero ligero BAP Almirante Grau – Máquina de Combate".
8. Infodefensa.com, Revista Defensa. "La Marina del Perú pone a la venta el ex crucero ligero BAP Almirante Grau".
9. (2022-07-08). "Onverwachts einde: oude kruiser De Ruyter op weg naar sloop".