Almirante Williams (Destroyer)

[john sefton]

The Chilean destroyer ALMIRANTE WILLIAMS was built by Vickers Armstrong, Barrow-in-Furness. Her keel was laid 20 June 1956 and she was launched ,5 May 1958.

ALMIRANTE WILLIAMS was closely modelled on the British destroyers of the Daring class, but over the years the destroyer has been modernised to a large extent over the last 35 years, fitted with diesel engines in place of the steam plant in 1976. She was fitted with Seacat missiles in 1963. Exocets and computerised control systems were also fitted. Some of the work was undertaken by Swan Hunter.
The ALMIRANTE WILLIAMS takes its name from Juan Williams who was born in 1826 of Scottish decent. John Wilson Williams his father was a frigate captain and one of the officers who had accompanied Admiral Cochrane, who created the Chilean navy and won for Chile its independance from Spain in a series of decisive naval battles.

Juan Williams followed in his father footsteps, entering the Chilean navy in May 1844 and beginning his service in the frigate CHILE which he commanded seven years later.
He had a meteoric rise in rank, serving with distinction in the war with Spain (1866) and commanded the Pacific Fleet during the war with Peru (1879-84). In March 1890 he became commander in chief of the Navy and retired in 1891 to Santiago where he died in June 1910.
His chief contribution, however, was in naval education, impressing in successive generations of seamen the discipline training and traditions inherited from the Royal Navy.

Source: From an article in "Coin and Stamp monthly"
By Peter Bolton Log Book April 1996.
Chile 1995 SG1601.

[aukepalmhof]

Yard no 1055.
Tonnage: 2,730 ton standard, 3,300 full load, dim. 122.5 x 13.1 x 4.00m (draught).
Powered by two Parsons Pametrade geared steam turbines, 54,000hp, twin shafts, speed 34.5 knots.
Range by a speed of 16 knots, 6,000 mile.
Armament: 4 single × 4 in (102 mm) Vickers Mark Q guns (4 × 1).
5 × Bofors 40mm/70 (two were replaced by Seacat SAM launchers in 1964)
5 × 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes (replaced by 4 × Exocet missiles in 1975)
2 × Squid ASW mortars
6 × 324 mm (13 in) anti-submarine torpedo tubes (fitted in 1975).
Crew 266.
26 March 1960 commissioned.
1998 Stricken.

Chile 1995 sg 1601, Scott ?