ARA General San Martín

History
Argentina
Name	ARA General San Martín
Namesake	José de San Martín[1]
Owner	Argentine Navy
Ordered	1950
Builder	Germany Shipyard Seebeckwerft of Wese A.C., Bremerhaven
Launched	24 June 1954
In service	1954–1982
Out of service	1982
Identification	IMO number: 5128039
Fate	Scrapped
General characteristics (as built)
Type	Icebreaker
Displacement	4,854 tn (dry) 5,301 tn (standard)
Length	85 m (279 ft)
Beam	18.6 m (61 ft)
Draught	9.85 m (32.3 ft)
Installed power	7100 Steam horse
Propulsion	2 Diesel engine MAN SE
Speed	16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph) (max)
Range	35,000 miles at 10 knots
Crew	160
Aircraft carried	An airplane and a helicopter
Aviation facilities	Helipad and hangar

ARA General San Martín was the first icebreaker of the Argentine Navy. She participated in several Antarctic campaigns of Argentina between 1954 and 1982. She received the name of José de San Martín.

For twenty-five years she drew his sea routes in the southern seas, which enabled the summer and winter campaigns. She carried out numerous research and relief assistance missions to ships, navigators and expeditionaries; she facilitated the foundation of refuges and Antarctic bases, the replacement of the endowments, the exploration of the Weddell Sea and the accomplishment of oceanographic tasks, hydrographic and meteorological investigations in Argentine Antarctica.[1]

Historical record

The icebreaker General San Martín icebreaker was built at the Bremerhaven shipyard (Germany) by the Seebeckwerft company of Weser A.G., Bremerhaven.[2][3] The laying of the icebreaker's keel took place on 1 March 1954 and was launched on 24 June 1954. She arrived in Argentina same year under the leadership of the captain Luis Tristán de Villalobos.

She was the first icebreaker of the Argentine Navy. For twenty-five years she has traced maritime routes over the frozen Antarctic seas, making her way to carry out the summer and winter campaigns. For this, she has carried out numerous search and rescue missions to the boat, the navigators and the expeditions; she facilitated the founding of refuges and Antarctic bases, replenishing them, relaying their endowments, exploring the confines of the Weddell Sea and performing oceanographic, hydrographic and meteorological research tasks throughout the world of Argentine Antarctica.

References

(in Spanish) FLOTA DE LA ARMADA ARGENTINA Rompehielos A.R.A. "General San Martin" Q-4 Historia y Arqueologia Marítima.
SSW Shipyard
Photos of the boats built by SSW schichau-seebeck-shipyard Archived 2010-01-15 at the Wayback Machine (after merger between initially Seebeckwerft and AG Weser Werk Seebeck)

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[argentina-1] (in Spanish) FLOTA DE LA ARMADA ARGENTINA Rompehielos A.R.A. "General San Martin" Q-4 Historia y Arqueologia Marítima.

[2] SSW Shipyard

[3] Photos of the boats built by SSW schichau-seebeck-shipyard Archived 2010-01-15 at the Wayback Machine (after merger between initially Seebeckwerft and AG Weser Werk Seebeck)