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Almirante Clemente Class Destroyer
According several cross referenced data and based on Id hull number at shipyards, there are at least 10 ships:
Argelian Navy with 2 ships.
Indonesia navy with 2 ships.
Portugal Navy with 2 ships. [*]
Venezuelan Navy with 6 ships.
In Portuguese navy are referred as patrol boat Almirante clemente class altair type there is no further reference about, although according to naval-modellers asociation of bologne Venezuelan ships are DLV Almirante Clemente Type Captain [*].
This ships was designed by Luigi Ansaldo Ficantieri for Venezuelan Naval Forces, currently Venezuelan Navy, in the 50`s as Destroyer Escort ships for its Nueva Esparta Class Destroyer.
In the '50s was classified as DLV Destroyer Light Vessel or light destroyers, in the '80s were reclassified as ASW frigate, currently as classified as coast guard vessel.
Almirante Clemente Class history
En 2006 the Venezuelan web page Fav-Club [*] referred a research at the British Public Records Office at London addressed by Norman Friedman with documents related with fleet plans of Venezuelan government in the 1950s.
Those plans covers a huge contract with Vickers Armstrong shipyards Ltd for an 25.000 ton aircraft carrier and a 8,000 ton Tiger class derivative Cruiser, all was unveiled in May 2006 in an detailed article written by naval researcher Dave Baker published by The International Naval Research Organization INRO-, showing four cruiser design with the same hull and power plant, but with several weapons arrangements the most complex have a twin cannon of 8", another have three cannon 6" towers other includes Seacat missile batteries.
The fleet arrangement for 30/04/1949 covers:
1 (25000 ton) Aircraft carrier (Conceptual Engineering)
1 (8000 ton) Cruiser (Detailed Engineering)
3 Nueva Esparta Class Destroyers (Built)
6 Almirante Clemente Class Destroyers (Built)
4 Submarines (1 used from of US Navy)
12 patrol boat (Detailed Engineering)
2 Mine sweepers (Basic Engineering)
1 Marine Assault ships (Built)
Ships names origin
The construction of these Escort Ships were contract at 25/01/1954 and their names were used as homage to Venezuelan war of independence heroes who lied at Panteon Nacional:
D-12 Admiral Lino de Clemente (23/09/1767 17/07/1834): Served in Spanish armada amons 1786 to 1800 as Lieutenant, in 19/04/1810 was sindico procurador general del cabildo of Caracas, in 24/04 signed as War and navy secretary as Frigate Captain, Was member of the first congreso constituyente and signed the Independence act of Venezuela. He served under Francisco de Miranda's command in several administrative offices and military, reach a Vice-admiral degree.
D-13 General Juan Jose Flores (19/07/1800 1/10/1864): Was a child-soldier fighting in western campaign, was the second man of Field Marshall Antonio Jose de Sucre in his south campaign, was the first president of Ecuador.
D-22 General Jose Trinidad Moran (26/09/1796 3/12/1854): Participo junto a Bolivar en la campana admirable, fue uno de los dirigentes de la inmigracion a oriente, luego de la caida de la primera Republica, participo junto con el Mariscal Antonio Jose de Sucre en la campana del sur con destacadisima actuacion.
D-23 Admiral Luis Brion (6/07/1782 27/09/1821): Nativo de Curazao, combatio a los ingleses cuando invadieron Holanda, curso estudios navales en los Estados Unidos, lucho de nuevo contra los Ingleses en Curazao y busco refugio en Islas Virgenes, se unio a Bolivar en la expedicion de los Cayos, se le nombro Almirante por las derrotas que infligio a la flota espanola desde el caribe hasta el Orinoco.
D-32 General Jose de Austria (1791-1863): he joined to the patriot cause before 1810, fought in the beginning under Francisco de Miranda's command, reach a degree of General of Division, He wrote several books about war of independence, military history and about Simon Bolivar and his campaigns.
D-33 Admiral Jose Maria Garcia (13/11/1789 7/11/1860): Fought under command of Juan Bautista Arismendi, was a notable officer in patriot fleet in the western side of the country, after his participation as peacemaker in the western side aster federal war, he was retired by personal request.
Fleet Arrangement
First Division
D11 Nueva Esparta (Nueva Esparta Class Destroyer)
D12 Almirante Clemente (Almirante Clemente Class Destroyer)
D13 General Flores (Almirante Clemente Class Destroyer)
Second Division
D21 Zulia (Nueva Esparta Class Destroyer)
D22 General Moran (Almirante Clemente Class Destroyer)
D23 Almirante Brion (Almirante Clemente Class Destroyer)
Third Division
D31 Aragua (Nueva Esparta Class Destroyer)
D32 General Austria (Almirante Clemente Class Destroyer)
D33 Almirante Garcia (Almirante Clemente Class Destroyer)
Technical Specifications
These ships include among their specs these characteristics:
Alumite superstructure.
Air Conditioned in all areas.
Retractable Denny-Brown fin stabilisers [*] [*].
Those ships are one of the first prototypes of a hydrofoil's in destroyers, because Displacement-Length ratio is near to 50, means it can reach speeds near , with . By other hand, there is no way for reach higher speeds with his power plant, but those ships were equipped with large fin stabilizers and these help it to lift until 4 over waterline, in this condition Length is less than then speed is near .
The usage of these kind of device is a weapons systems support device, this can be tracked to HMS Bittern, the most of the Hunt destroyers after refit have it, but the very first Battle destroyers the HMS Finisterre and the HMS Camperdown have it, even ships as HMS Amethyst have it, but don't use form higher consumption of power, according several conversations lines in the Maritime History forum MARHST in the US navy ships as USS Gyatt (DD-712) have it.
Log file
Sensors & EW
Weapons & Abilities
Magazines per Weapon
Communications & Datalinks
Sensors Signatures
External References
A web site from a Checolovaquian naval modeller [*]
Ships built at Livorno [*]
Ships made in Italy by Ansaldo [*]
Basic Spec of Clemente Class Ships [*]
A complete list of Venezuelan Navy ships [*]
References
Jane's fighting ships edition 1970-71
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This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Almirante Clemente Class Destroyer
