Victor Schœlcher (F 725) was a of French Navy. She was later transferred to National Navy of Uruguay in 1988 and given the name General Artigas. The ship was scrapped in 2005.
Development and design
The main gun armament of the Commandant Rivière class consisted of three of the new French guns, with a single turret located forward and two turrets aft.Gardiner and Chumbley 1995, p. 117.Blackman 1962, p. 88. These water-cooled automatic dual-purpose guns could fire a shell at an effective range of against surface targets and against aircraft at a rate of 60 rounds per minute.Friedman 1997, pp. 432–433. A quadruple anti-submarine mortar was fitted in 'B' position, aft of the forward gun and in front of the ship's superstructure, capable of firing a depth charge to or in the shore bombardment role, a projectile to .Grove 1990, p. 55. Two triple torpedo tubes were fitted for anti-submarine torpedoes, while the ship's armament was completed by two Hotchkiss HS-30 cannon. The ship had accommodation for an 80-man commando detachment with two fast landing boats, each capable of landing 25 personnel.Gardiner and Chumbley 1995, p. 118.
Construction and career Victor Schœlcher was laid down in October 1957 and launched on 11 October 1958 at Arsenal de Lorient in Lorient. The vessel was commissioned on 4 December 1962.
Victor Schœlcher operated among other places with the Indian Navy and collaborated in the evacuation of the Diego Suarez base in the independence of Madagascar. She helped in Cyclone Andry in 1983 by rescuing refugees in the Pacific.
The frigate was sold to Uruguay in 1988 and given the new name General Artigas. The ship remained in service until 27 April 2005.
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