The Brown-class destroyer is a class of destroyers of the Argentine Navy. Five ships of the Fletcher class were lent by the United States Navy and were in commission from 1961 until 1982.

ARA Almirante Brown
Class overview
NameBrown class
Builders
Operators Argentine Navy
Preceded byBuenos Aires class
Succeeded bySeguí class
SubclassesAlmirante Domecq Garcia class
Built1942-1943
In commission1961-1982
Planned5
Completed5
Retired5
General characteristics
TypeDestroyer
Displacement2,050 long tons (2,083 t)
Length376 ft 6 in (114.76 m)
Beam39 ft 8 in (12.09 m)
Draft13 ft 9 in (4.19 m)
Propulsion
  • 60,000 shp (45,000 kW)
  • 2 × propellers
Speed35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph)
Range6,500 nmi (12,000 km; 7,500 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement300
Sensors and
processing systems
Armament

Development

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ARA Brown was commissioned as USS Heermann on 6 July 1943, ARA Espora was commissioned as USS Dortch on 7 August 1943, ARA Rosales was commissioned as USS Stembel on 16 July 1943, ARA Almirante Domecq Garcia was commissioned as USS Braine on 11 May 1943 and ARA Almirante Storni was commissioned as USS Cowell on 23 August 1943.[1][2]

After World War II, they were in a mothball state, but In August 1961, they were handed over to Argentina based on the Argentina-US Ship Loan Agreement. All ships were decommissioned by the time of the Falklands War, to save resources for the war. ARA Almirante Storni fired warning shots and then live shots in the bow of the British oceanic research vessel Shackleton on 2 April 1976.[3]

Ships in the class

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Almirante Brown class
Hull no. Name Builder Laid down Launched Acquired Decommissioned Fate
D-20 Brown Bethlehem Steel 8 May 1942 5 December 1942 14 August 1961 1979 Scrapped, 1982
D-21 Espora Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company 2 March 1943 20 June 1943 16 August 1961 1979 Scrapped, 1979
D-22 Rosales Bethlehem Steel 21 December 1942 8 May 1943 7 August 1961 1981 Scrapped, 1981
Almirante Domecq Garcia class
D-23 Almirante Domecq Garcia Bath Iron Works 12 October 1942 7 March 1943 17 August 1971 1982 Sunk as target, 1983
D-24 Almirante Storni Bethlehem Steel 7 September 1942 18 March 1943 17 August 1971 1981 Scrapped, 1982

References

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  1. ^ Gardiner, Chumbley & Budzbon 1995, p. 7.
  2. ^ DANFS.
  3. ^ Mr. Edward Rowlands, Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (5 February 1976). "Falkland Islands (RSS Shackleton)". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). House of Commons. col. 1414–1417.

Bibliography

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