Spanish destroyer Almirante Ferrándiz (1928)

Almirante Ferrándiz was a Churruca-class destroyer in the Spanish Republican Navy. She took part in the Spanish Civil War on the government side.

For other ships with the same name, see Spanish destroyer Almirante Ferrandiz.
Spanish destroyer Almirante Ferrándiz
History
Spain
Name Almirante Ferrandiz
NamesakeJosé Ferrándiz y Niño
BuilderSECN, Naval Dockyard, Cartagena, Spain
Launched21 May 1928
Completed1929
Commissioned1929
Decommissioned1936
FateSunk by the Spanish Nationalist cruiser Canarias, 1936
General characteristics
Class and typeChurruca-class destroyer
Displacement1,650 tons (normal); 2,067 tons (maximum)
Length101 m (331 ft 4 in)
Beam9.6 m (31 ft 6 in)
Draught3.3 m (10 ft 10 in)
Installed power
Propulsion2 Parsons turbines
Speed36 knots (67 km/h)
Range
  • 5,000 nautical miles (9,300 km) at 10 knots (19 km/h)
  • 3,100 nautical miles (5,700 km) at 14 knots (26 km/h)
Complement160
Armament

She was named in honor of José Ferrándiz y Niño, a Spanish Admiral and former Navy Minister.

History

Almirante Ferrándiz took part in the Gibraltar Strait blockade. When a Republican squadron penetrated the Cantabrian Sea to relieve Republican troops isolated in the north, she remained in the strait with Gravina to stop any movement of Nationalist troops between Africa and the Iberian peninsula.

In response, the Nationalist heavy cruiser Canarias (which Republicans believed had been damaged by an aerial bomb) and the light cruiser Almirante Cervera were sent to break the blockade.

On 29 September 1936, at the Battle of Cape Spartel, Canarias spotted Almirante Ferrándiz on patrol in the Alboran Sea, and opened fire from 16 kilometres (8.6 nmi), hitting the destroyer with her second salvo. The Republican destroyer continued sailing away from Canarias, but the heavy cruiser struck her again with a third salvo, at 20 km (11 nmi). The destroyer took a total of six hits from Canarias's 200 mm (8 in) main armament and sank 33 km (18 nmi) off Calaburras with most of her crew. Canarias stopped to rescue 31 sailors from Almirante Ferrándiz and authorized the French liner Koutubia to pick up another 26, including her commander, José Luis Barbastro Jiménez.[1]

Citations
  1. Sánchez Ruano, Francisco (2004). Islam y Guerra Civil Española: moros con Franco y con la República (in Spanish). Esfera de los Libros. p. 596. ISBN 8497342062.

References
  • Dionisio García Flórez. Buques de la Guerra Civil Española. Destructores" (Spanish Civil War Ships, destroyers) (in Spanish). Library. ISBN 84-932284-7-8.
  • Alejandro Ramírez (2003). La Batalla del Estrecho (The battle in the strait) (in Spanish). Grupo Publicaciones del Sur. ISBN 84-95813-09-2.
  • Hugh Thomas (2001). The Spanish Civil War. Modern Library. ISBN 0-375-75515-2.

36°14′47″N 4°38′30″W

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