Almirante Clemente-class destroyer

The Almirante Clemente class of destroyer escorts is a class of warships built for several countries. The class was designed by Luigi Ansaldo Ficantieri for the Venezuelan Naval Forces, currently Venezuelan Navy, in the 50's to complement its Nueva Esparta class destroyer.

The Venezuelan Navy has 2 out of 6 ships originally ordered, and Portugal, Algeria, and Indonesia each have 2 ships of this design. In the Portuguese navy, these ships are referred as patrol boats. In the '50s Venezuelan Navy, the ships were classified as DLV (Destroyer Light Vessel) or light destroyers, in the '80s were reclassified as ASW frigate, and are currently classified as coast guard vessels.

Technical specifications
These ships include among their specs these characteristics:
 * Alumite superstructure.
 * Air Conditioned in all areas.
 * Retractable Denny-Brown fin stabilisers

Those ships are one of the first prototypes of a hydrofoil's in destroyers, because Displacement-Length ratio is near to 50, means it can reach speeds near 32 knot, with 24.000 SHP. On the other hand, there is no way to reach higher speeds with its power plant, but those ships were equipped with large fin stabilizers and these help it to lift up to 4° over waterline, in this condition Length is less than 150 ft then speed is near 45 knot.

The usage of these kind of device is a weapons systems support device, this can be tracked to HMS Bittern, the most of the Hunt destroyers after refit have it, but the very first Battle destroyers the HMS Finisterre and the HMS Camperdown have it, even ships as HMS Amethyst have it, but don't use form higher consumption of power, according several conversations lines in the Maritime History forum MARHST in the US navy ships as USS Gyatt (DD-712) have it.

Ships
The construction contracts for these destroyers were awarded on 25/01/1954, and their names were an homage to Venezuelan war of independence heroes who lie at Panteón Nacional:


 * D-12 Almirante Clemente, named after Lino de Clemente, an officer of the Spanish and Venezuelan navies and prominent politician in early Venezuela. Sunk in 2009.
 * D-13 General Flores, named after Juan José Flores, Venezuelan soldier, as well as the first president of Ecuador. Sunk in 1978.
 * D-22 General Moran, named after José Trinidad Moran, a soldier who fought with Simón Bolívar's independence movement. transferred to Coast Guard. Ship has been removed from service and partially been dismantled as of 2011.
 * D-23 Almirante Brion, named after Luis Brión, an admiral in Bolivar's navy. Sunk in 1978.
 * D-32 General Austria, named after José de Austria, a general under Francisco de Miranda's command. Sunk in 1976.
 * D-33 Almirante Garcia, named after José María García, a naval officer under Juan Bautista Arismendi. Sunk in 1977.

Fleet Arrangement

 * First Division
 * D11 Nueva Esparta (Nueva Esparta Class Destroyer)
 * D12 Almirante Clemente (Almirante Clemente class)
 * D13 General Flores (Almirante Clemente class)


 * Second Division
 * D21 Zulia (Nueva Esparta class)
 * D22 General Moran (Almirante Clemente class)
 * D23 Almirante Brion (Almirante Clemente class)


 * Third Division
 * D31 Aragua (Nueva Esparta class)
 * D32 General Austria (Almirante Clemente class)
 * D33 Almirante Garcia (Almirante Clemente class)

External references

 * web site from a Checolovaquian naval modeller
 * Ships built at Livorno
 * Miramar Ship Index: Ships made in Italy by Ansaldo
 * Basic Spec of Clemente Class Ships
 * A complete list of Venezuelan Navy ships
 * exAlmirante Clemente half-sunken in 2011 Puerto Cabello, Venezuela
 * Partially dismantled exGeneral Jose Trinidad Moran in 2011 in Puerto Cabello, Venezuel