.jpg) DestroyerLepanto | |
| History | |
|---|---|
   Spain | |
| Name | Lepanto |
| Namesake | Battle of Lepanto |
| Builder | SECN, Naval Dockyard,Cartagena,Spain |
| Launched | 7 November 1929 |
| Completed | 1930 |
| Commissioned | 1930 |
| Decommissioned | 24 May 1957 |
| Honours & awards |  Distintivo de Madrid 1938 |
| Fate | Scrapped in 1958 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Churruca-classdestroyer |
| Displacement | 1,650 tons (normal); 2,067 tons (maximum) |
| Length | 101 m (331 ft 4 in) |
| Beam | 9.6 m (31 ft 6 in) |
| Draught | 3.3 m (10 ft 10 in) |
| Installed power | 4Yarrow boilers, 42,000 hp (31,000 kW) |
| Propulsion | 2Parsons turbines |
| Speed | 36 knots (67 km/h) |
| Range |
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| Complement | 160 |
| Armament |
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Lepanto was aChurruca-classdestroyer of theSpanish Republican Navy. She took part in theSpanish Civil War on the side of the government of theSecond Spanish Republic. She was named after theBattle of Lepanto.
Lepanto saw a lot of action during the Spanish Civil War. At the start of the hostilities she was involved in the blockade of theGibraltar Strait to prevent therebel transport of troops fromSpanish Morocco to southern Spain. In the course of these operations she was damaged by rebel aircraft on 5 August 1936, a couple of hours before the convoy known asConvoy de la victoria successfully broke the Republican blockade.[1] In September she joined thesquadron which sailed to theBay of Biscay in support of Republican forces isolated on the northern front. For most of 1937 the destroyer was onconvoy duty. While involved in one of these missions,Lepanto took part of theBattle of Cape Cherchell.
At theBattle of Cape Palos,Lepanto together withSánchez Barcáiztegui andAlmirante Antequera, broke away from escorting thecruiserLibertad and fired threetorpedoes at the Nationalistheavy cruiserBaleares. SinceLepanto was likely responsible for the fatal hit in the forwardmagazine that sank the enemy cruiser, she was awarded theDistintivo de Madrid along with other loyalist vessels.[2]
On 5 March 1939, their crews hoping to avoid execution,Lepanto fledCartagena with the Republican squadron bound forBizerte,Tunisia, arriving on 11 March. The next day, Commander of the FleetMiguel Buiza asked for political asylum and the ships were requisitioned by the French authorities and left in the custody by a few crewmen, the rest being held in aprison camp atMeheri Zabbens. Later the rebel transportsMallorca andMarqués de Comillas arrived 31 March 1939 with new crews to take over the ships.
On 2 April 1939, just 24 hours after official end of the Civil War,Lepanto and hersister ships which had fought for the Republic sailed back to Spain with new Nationalist crews. They arrived inCadiz on 5 April.
Participating in anantisubmarine warfare exercise on 27 July 1940,Lepanto operated in company with destroyersAlcalá Galiano andChurruca againstsubmarinesC2,C4, andGeneral Mola. 24 kilometres (13 nmi) offMorro de la Vaca,Lepanto was running at 14knots (26 km/h) whenC4 broached a few metres off her bow. Unable to change course in time, she ran down the submarine, hitting her broadside between herconning tower and deck gun, cuttingC4 in two.C4, commanded at the time byCapitan de Corbeta (Lieutenant Commander)Francisco Reina Carvajal, went down in 300 metres (980 ft) of water. All 44 of her crew were lost with her.
Lepanto was decommissioned 24 May 1957 and scrapped in 1958.
 Spanish Navy | |
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 Argentine Navy |
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Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in July 1940 | |
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| Shipwrecks |
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| Other incidents |
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