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Friday 26 January 2018

Venezuela interested in purchasing a cruiser in the mid 1950s



In the 1950s Venezuela was interested in creating a navy of certain importance. This included the purchase of a cruiser despite lacking overall naval experience and even having the slightest idea of the technical specifications for such warships. British and Italian shipyards already sent plans including drawings and which were now studied to get an idea of what asked from such a ship operated in the own territorial waters and beyond. The apparently not complete positive experiences with British built destroyers would for Venezuela be reason not to give British shipyards an order for building a cruiser. The Italian Ansaldo yards had until now not built for Venezuela and so there was none preference for Ansaldo. In an report was reported that the American naval liaison officer told that Dutch shipyards had a reasonable chance to get such an order if they gave also plans and drawings dealing with the armament in advance. Although supplying this material would not guarantee in getting the order it would again show the Dutch naval know how.

The visit of the Dutch cruiser Hr.Ms. De Ruyter (1) in October 1955 and the visit of Venezuelan officers made clear what was possible. The Venezuelans were impressed when they saw the modern fire control and the latest electronic devices and equipment. The Venezuelan captain Gherysey Gomes even wanted to send some of his officers to the Dutch major naval base at Den Helder, Netherlands for training. The Dutch vice admiral De Booy strongly advices him to do this although via de official way. Via cocktail parties of the Venezuelan navy, the Dutch Embassy and the commanding officer was the Dutch cruiser promoted. In the meetings of Nevesbu was later this visit discussed.(1) Due to lacking documents it is yet not known why, nut there is never a cruiser built in the Netherlands for Venezuelan account.

Notes
1. Laid down by Wilton-Fijenoord, Schiedam, Netherlands on 5 September 1939, launched on 19 December 1941, commissioned on 18 November 1953, sold to Peru on 7 March 1973, commissioned as the Almirante Grau on 23 May 1973 and not earlier decommissioned as on 26 September 2017 as the last existing gun cruiser of the world! Displacement was 9.681 (standard)-12.165 (full load) tons and as dimensions 187,32 x 17,25 x 6,72 metres or 614.6 x 56.6 x 22.0 feet.

2. Nevesbu=N.V. Nederlandsche Scheepsbouw Bureaux at The Hague, an organisation in which the major Dutch shipyard participated: Rotterdamsche Droogdok Maatschappij (RDM) at Rotterdam, Kon.Mij. De Schelde (K.M.S.) at Vlissingen, Nederlandsche Dok en Scheepsbouw Maatschappij (N.D.S.M.) at Amsterdam, Wilton-Fijenoord at Schiedam and Werkspoor N.V. at Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Source
Archief Kon. Mij. De Schelde 1875-1970 (T214) inventory numbers 1681 and 1686.