Churruca Class

The Churruca Class was a destroyer model built by the Spanish Navy. Inspired by the Scott class of the Royal Navy, they were powerful ships of the type that the English called "Flotilla Leaders" or "Flotilla Head". With beautiful classic lines of the English destroyer from the period between the two world wars, excellent speed and powerful weapons, these Spanish destroyers had nothing to envy of the best in the world.

There were up to 16 units of this class in service in the Spanish Navy between 1927 and 1957 and two more in the Navy of the Argentine Republic (ARA) between 1928 and 1961. They had intense activity, although at the end of their operational life They were already completely overcome.

Sale of the first two units to Argentina

A total of 18 would be launched at the shipyards of the Spanish Naval Construction Society in Cartagena. The first three: Churruca, Alcalá Galiano and Sánchez Barcáiztegui, were launched between May 1925 and July 1926. On the occasion of the flight of the Dornier Wal Plus Ultra to Buenos Aires, the Spanish government sent the cruiser Méndez Núñez and the destroyer Alsedo on a goodwill visit to Buenos Aires. These ships arrived in the capital of Plata on February 7, 1926.

This visit coincided with the promulgation of plans to modernize the material of the Argentine Armed Forces. The Alsedo in particular aroused so much interest in the Navy of the Argentine Republic that he immediately dispatched a commission to Spain, to begin negotiations for the construction of a flotilla of similar units.

By Royal Decree of May 25, 1927, the Spanish government granted a loan of 100 million pesetas to Argentina. The ARA, for its part, ruled out the Alsedo, opting for units of the Churruca class. Therefore, the Churruca and the Alcalá Galiano were sold to the ARA, where they would be baptized ARA Cervantes and ARA Juan de Garay .

Replacement of sold units and new acquisitions

Between 1928 and 1933 the second Churruca and Alcalá Galiano were launched, along with 5 other ships, making up the first series of the Churruca. Between 1935 and 1937, the seven ships of the second series would be launched. This second series could be financed thanks to the savings obtained with the cancellation of what would have been the third unit of the Canary class, which was initially assigned the name Ferrol.

In 1936, the construction of two units of a third series of destroyers of the class was planned and began, but the beginning of the Spanish Civil War, the lack of funds and material caused its construction to be delayed. In 1943 it was decided to resume the works of this third series, since Argentina, which had already acquired two units of the first series, wanted to buy one of them and it was decided to take advantage of this situation to complete the other for the Spanish Navy. In 1944, the Argentine Government renounced buying theirs, finally deciding that both would join the Spanish Navy after completing their construction in 1951. This series, with notable differences with respect to the ships of the first two series, and a profound modernization, would make up the so-called Liniers class.

Civil War

When the Civil War began, all of them ended up on the Republican side, participating in the blockade of the strait from their base in Cartagena. It is worth highlighting the sinking of the destroyer Almirante Ferrándiz in the battle of Cape Espartel by the cruiser Canarias and the action of the Lepanto in the battle of Cape Palos, which launched the torpedoes that sank the cruiser Baleares.

Aesthetically they were very similar to the British, so some incidents occurred. It was even the case that the Republicans tried to break the blockade of the National Navy by camouflaging theJ. L. Díez (who during his stay in Euskadi was known as "Pepe from the port" because of how little he went out sailing) as if it were the HMS Greenville, to camouflage his return from France, although he was discovered, and after two frustrated attempts, he ended up taking refuge in the port of Gibraltar. She was returned to the National side by the British in March 1939, as were all those who survived the Civil War. The last unit in service was retired in 1970.

Once the war was over, the Lepanto became the protagonist of the boarding and sinking of the submarine C-4 during naval maneuvers.

Churruca class ships

Name	Shipyard	Year of launch	Series	End of service	Cause	Comments	Image
Churruca (1o)	SECN-Cartagena	1927	1. a	1927	Sold	to Argentina, ARA Cervantes
Alcalá Galiano (1o)	SECN-Cartagena	1927	1. a	1927	Sold	a Argentina, ARA Juan de Garay
Sánchez Barcáiztegui	SECN-Cartagena	1928	1. a	1964	Withdrawal	Disarmed
José Luis Díez	SECN-Cartagena	1929	1. a	1965	Withdrawal	Disarmed
Admiral Ferrandiz	SECN-Cartagena	1929	1. a	1936	Hundred	By the heavy cruise Canary Islands
Lepanto	SECN-Cartagena	1930	1. a	1957	Withdrawal	Disarmed
Churruca (2o)	SECN-Cartagena	1931	1. a	1957	Withdrawal	Disarmed
Alcalá Galiano (2o)	SECN-Cartagena	1931	1. a	1963	Withdrawal	Disarmed
Admiral Valdés	SECN-Cartagena	1933	1. a	1957	Withdrawal	Disarmed
Admiral Antequera	SECN-Cartagena	1935	2. a	1965	Withdrawal	Disarmed
Admiral Miranda	SECN-Cartagena	1936	2. a	1970	Withdrawal	Disarmed
Císcar	SECN-Cartagena	1936	2. a	1957	Varado
Escape	SECN-Cartagena	1936	2nd	1963	Withdrawal	Disarmed
Gravina	SECN-Cartagena	1936	2. a	1963	Withdrawal	Disarmed
Jorge Juan	SECN-Cartagena	1937	2. a	1959	Withdrawal	Disarmed
Ulloa	SECN-Cartagena	1937	2. a	1963	Withdrawal	Disarmed

External references

• Wikimedia Commons hosts a multimedia category Class Churruca.