BAP Ferré (DM-74)

BAP Ferré (DM-74) was a Daring class destroyer in service with the Peruvian Navy. She was built by Yarrow Shipbuilders and completed for the Royal Navy in 1953 as HMS Decoy (D106).

Royal Navy service
Within weeks of being first commissioned Decoy took part in the Fleet Review at Spithead to celebrate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. In 1956 she formed part of the Royal Navy's force used during the Suez Operation. During 1961 and 1962 she undertook trials for the Royal Navy's new Sea Cat missile system, being fitted with a single quadruple launcher on the port rear side, which was removed at the end of the trials.

Following a refit at Devonport Dockyard, HMS Decoy recommissioned on 9 April 1963 and joined the 21st Escort Squadron with HM Ships Berwick, Dido, Corunna and Cavendish.

She completed a long refit in Portsmouth Dockyard and recommissioned again on 15 August 1967 for a General service commission, which included the West Indies and the Far East. Before sailing she attended Portsmouth Navy Days in that year.

Peruvian Navy service
After being decommissioned she was sold to Peru in 1969 together with her sistership Diana. She was renamed after Diego Ferré, a war hero who died at the Battle of Angamos during the War of the Pacific.

Prior to entering service with the Peruvian Navy she underwent a major refit by Cammell Laird at Birkenhead between 1970 and 1973. Work done during this refit included the following:
 * Rebuilding of the foremast for installation of the Plessey AWS-1 air-search radar
 * Installation of eight Exocet MM-38 SSMs in place of the Close Range Blind Fire Director forward of X turret

After the rebuild was done, Ferré was commissioned into the Peruvian Navy on April 1973. Further work was done on the ship by SIMA dockyards in Callao as follows:
 * In 1975-76 the Squid ASW mortar was removed and a helicopter landing deck fitted
 * In 1977-1978 two OTO Melara Twin 40L70 DARDO compact gun mountings were installed as was the AESN NA-10 gun fire-control system and an AESN RTN-10X fire-control radar

After serving in two navies for 54 years, Ferré was decommissioned on July 13, 2007.