List of ships of the Peruvian Navy comprising almost every Peruvian warship commissioned after 1840.
Vessels acquired in the 1840s and 1850s
President Castilla sought to expand and the Peruvian Navy and equip it well. His naval policy was to construct two ships for each one Chile built, and he went on to turn the Peruvian Navy into the most powerful in South America. He acquired the frigates Mercedes, Guisse, Gamarra, Amazonas, and Apurimac and the schooners Tumbes and Loa. He also built the naval ports of Paita and Bellavista. Castilla also acquired the first steam-powered warship of any South American country and named her Rimac. To better educate the officers of these new ships, he sent them to study with the various navies of European nations. For the defense of the Amazon, Castilla began to develop an Amazonian fleet with the purchase of the ships Morona, Pastaza, Napo, and Putumayo.
Major warships
Rimac (1847/8), sidewwheel paddle steamer with brigantine rig, 683 tons. Sank 1855 after a collision at Punta San Juan, Ica, Peru.More old Peruvian ships, page 3, the first war steamer and a brigantine Mercedes (1840s-1850s) sailing frigate, wrecked at Casma in 1854 Amazonas (1851) screw frigate, 1,743 tons BOM, 33 guns, . Beached and lost on Abtao Island, 15 January 1866.Spanish wikipedia
Ucayali (1842) sidewheel paddle steamer with brigantine rig, ex-, 860 tons. Purchased in 1853. (1855) 44-gun screw frigate, 1,666 tons – took part on the rebel side in the Peruvian Civil War of 1856–1858; she was renamed on 22 April 1858, and took part in the blockade of the Ecuadorian port of Guayaquil; in December she was in a floating dock that capsized and sank, killing 100 people and injuring 88; she was raised on the second attempt in 1863, and then rebuilt and reverted to her original name; she took part in the Peruvian Civil War of 1865, and the Battle of Abtao against the Spanish Navy screw frigates and in 1866. From 1873 she served as a training ship, and in the War of the Pacific (1879–1884) served as an armed pontoon at Callao until scuttled to prevent capture in 1881.More old Peruvian ships, page 4, two of the best ships of the 1850s This sources mentions Apurimac both under her original name, and under the name Callao without appreciating that they were the same ship. See also the Spanish Wikipedia article on BAP Apurimac.
Minor warships Almirante Guise (1845) 415-ton sailing brigantine. Gamarra (1845) 415-ton sailing brigantine. Loa (1854) 648 ton BOM screw schooner: , armament 4 × 32-pdr. Took part on the rebel side in Peruvian Civil War of 1856–1858. Between April and November 1864, she was converted into an ironclad floating battery similar to he Confederate States Navy′s .Spanish wikipedia – see under ironclads Tumbes (1854) 250-ton BOM screw schooner: armament 2 × 68-pdr. Took part in Peruvian Civil War of 1856–1858 and the Peruvian Civil War of 1865. Stricken 1866 and used as a pontoon at Callao. Sunk by the Chilean Navy 29 May 1880.Spanish wikipedia
Transport vessels
(1853) screw steamer, ex-Peytona, 480 tons. Purchased in 1857, named Lambayaque and renamed General Lerzundi. Sold to the Chilean Navy 1865 and renamed Lautaro..
Gunboats Morona (1862), 500-ton steam river gunboat – part of the Amazonian fleet that arrived at Iquitos in 1864 Pastaza (1862), 500-ton steam river gunboat – part of the Amazonian fleet that arrived at Iquitos in 1864 Napo (1862), steam river gunboat – part of the Amazonian fleet that arrived at Iquitos in 1864 Putumayo (1862), steam river gunboat – part of the Amazonian fleet that arrived at Iquitos in 1864
Vessels acquired from 1860 to 1884
Ironclads
Huáscar (1865) turret ship, 2030 tons, captured by Chile at the Battle of Angamos 1879.More Peruvian ships, British state of the art ironclad, Captain Cowper Coles best ship www.armada.cl Monitor Huáscar (English) (Spanish) Chesneau, Roger and Kolesnik, Eugene (Ed.) Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905. Conway Maritime Press, 1979. Independencia (1865), broadside ironclad 3,500 tons, shipwrecked in Punta Gruesa sunk aftermath the Battle of Iquique 1879.
Coast defence ironclads
Loa (1854) 648 ton BOM steam schooner that took part on the rebel side in 1856–58 Peruvian civil war. From April to November 1864, Loa was converted into an ironclad similar to the . The conversion was by George S. Backus, and cost 364,823 soles de plata, equivalent to £70,000 Sterling. In 1877 the armour was removed and the Loa became a training ship. She was scuttled at Callao in January 1881 to prevent capture.Historia naval del Perú. Tomo IV, Valdizán Gamio, José.See also Spanish Wikipedia article on Loa. Victoria (1866) a locally-built small monitor armed with a single 68-pdr Vavasseur smoothbore gun.Historia naval del Perú. Tomo IV, Valdizán Gamio, José
ex-US Canonicus-class monitors 2,100 tons. Atahualpa (1864). ex-USS Catawba; Atahualpa and Manco Cápac were purchased by Peru in 1868 for $400,000 US, and left New Orleans in January 1869, arriving in Peru in June 1870. Atahualpa was scuttled at Callao to avoid capture 1881.NavSource Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships More old Peruvian ships, page 1, American and French made ships Manco Cápac (1864) ex-USS Oneota purchased by Peru in 1868, and arriving with Atahualpa in June 1870, scuttled at Arica to avoid capture 1880. Wreck was located in 2007, 2.5 miles off shore at depth of 100 feet.NavSource More old Peruvian ships, page 2, a monitor and a corvette
Steam corvettes
Unión (1864) ex-CSS Georgia, screw corvette 2017 tons [1,150 tons BOM].Page 77, Clowes, William Laird, Four Modern Naval Campaigns, pub Unit Library, 1902, reprinted Cormarket Press, Sold to Peru after the French government stopped to sale to the Confederacy. Scuttled January 1881 to avoid capture.More old Peruvian ships, page 1, American and French made ships See also Spanish Wikipedia article on BAP Union. America (1864) ex-CSS Texas, screw corvette and sister-ship of BAP Union. Sold to Peru after the French government stopped to sale to the Confederacy. Lost during the Arica tsunami on 13 August 1868. Pilcomayo (1874) gun vessel 600 tons BOM.More old Peruvian ships, page 2, a monitor and a corvette Chanchamayo (1874) gun vessel 600 tons BOM. shipwrecked in Falsa Punta Aguja in the north of Peru, 1876.
Cruisers Lima class cruisers, 1,700 tons. (1880), build in Kiel as a merchant ship Socrates to mislead the Chileans. Converted in an armoured gunboat in England and but embargoed by the Government of Great Britain in 1881, alleging the principle of neutrality. Arrived to Peru 1889. Refitted in Panama and rearmed 1920 as cruiser, then used as a submarine base ship, discarded 1935. Diogenes (1881), build in Kiel as a merchant ship to mislead the Chileans, but embargoed by the Government of Great Britain in 1881, alleging the principle of neutrality. She was never armed or delivered to Peru (and hence kept its original merchant ship name), purchased by Japan 1895, but not delivered, acquired by US Navy in 1898 and renamed USS Topeka.
Torpedo boatsRepublica class Herreshoff spar torpedo boats. Republica (No. 1) (1881) blown up by her crew to avoid falling into enemy hands on January 3, 1881. Alianza (No. 2) (1880) blown up by her crew to avoid falling into enemy hands on June 8, 1880. Allay (No. 3) captured by Chile in December 1879 on her delivery voyage to Callao and renamed Guacolda. No. 4, never completed.
Submarines Toro Submarino (1880), local design by Federico Blume displacing 7.5 tons, scuttled to avoid capture at Callao 1881.www.amutayam.org.il The first submarine.
Gunboats Iquitos (1875) Converted merchant vessel, 50 tons. Rebuilt 1896, stricken 1967. Santa Rosa (1883) 420 tons, 2 × 6 in guns. Still in service 1905.Jane, Fred T. Jane's Fighting Ships 1905-6, pub Sampson Low Marston, 1905, pub David & Charles Reprints, 1970, Coronel Portillo (1???) ex-San Pablo. Converted merchant vessel, 49 tons. <---It has been assumed that this vessel was of similar date to Iquitos because it looks similar in the photos in Janes---> (Conways' 1947-95 says launched 1902, extant 1947)Yavari and Yapura cargo-passenger gunboats, 500 GRT. Both vessels were built in parts in England in 1862 and assembled in Puno on Lake Titicaca. Yavari (1861) Commissioned 1871. Lengthened by 12m in the 19th century. Converted to diesel engine 1914. Paid off 1990 after 119 years service. Now open as a museum moored near the Sonesta Posada Hotel del Inca.Rachowiecki, Rob and Beech, Charlotte Peru: A Travel Survival Kit, pub Lonely Planet, , page 150.Yavari Project – The Ship History Yapura (1861) Commissioned 1873. Probably converted to diesel in 1914. Still in service in 2012 under the name as a hospital ship stationed on Lake Titicaca.
Transport vessels
Talismán (1876) transport steamer 1,310 tons BOM. Chalaco (1864) transport steamer 1,000 tons BOM, armed with two 40-pr and machineguns. Limeña (1865) paddle transport 1,163 tons BOM, armed with two 40-pr and machineguns. BAP Oroya (1873) paddle transport 1,597 tons BOM. Rímac (1872) transport steamer 1,805 tons captured to the Chilean Navy in 1879.
Vessels acquired from 1900 onwards
Cruisers
Almirante Grau class 3200 tonsJane's Fighting Ships 1940 BAP Almirante Grau (1906) Completed 1907. Refitted at Balboa, boilers re-tubed and modified for oil burning 1923–25, re-boilered by Yarrow 1934–35 after which was good for 23.5 knots. Served as depot ships in the 1950s and used for administrative and training purposes. Stricken 24 December 1958.Gardiner, Robert (Ed.). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. Conway Maritime Press, 1985. BAP Coronel Bolognesi (1906) Completed 1907. Refitted at Balboa, boilers re-tubed and modified for oil burning 1923–25, re-boilered by Yarrow 1934–35 after which was good for 23.5 knots. Served as depot ships in the 1950s and used for administrative and training purposes. Stricken 24 December 1958.
Crown Colony class, 11,090–11,110 tons full load. BAP Coronel Bolognesi (1942) CL-82 ex-HMS Ceylon Transferred to the Peruvian Navy 9 February 1960. Unlike her sister, Bolognesi had a lattice foremast and had an aft tripod mast, and radar fire control for its 4-in (102mm) AA guns. Discarded May 1982. BAP Almirante Grau (1941) CL-81 ex- Incorporated into the Peruvian Navy 19 December 1959, and formally transferred 30 December 1959. Unlike her sister, Grau had two lattice masts. Renamed Capitán Quiñones 1973, and probably given pennant number CL-83 at the same time. Discarded 1979.
De Ruyter class BAP Almirante Grau (1944) CLM-81 ex-HNLMS De Ruyter, purchased 7 March 1973, commissioned 23 May 1973. modernised at Amersterdam March 1985 – January 1988, work completed in Callao later in 1988.Saunders, Cdre Stephen Jane's Fighting Ships 2008–2009, pub Jane's Information Group, 2008, BAP Aguirre (CH-84) ex-HNLMS De Zeven Provinciën (1978–1999)
Destroyers
French 490 tonsChesneau, Roger and Gardiner, Robert (Ed.) Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946. Conway Maritime Press, 1980. Rodriguez (1909) ex-Actee. Arrived in Peru in 1914; stricken 1939, hulked.
ex-Russian ex-Estonian Guise (1915) ex-Estonian Lennuk, ex-Russian Avtroil 1,350 tons. Completed for the Russian Navy 1917, captured by the Royal Navy in the Baltic December 1918 and transferred to Estonia. Purchased from the Estonian Navy 1933. Served in the Amazon flotilla. Discarded c. 1947.
ex-Russian ex-Estonian Almirante Villar (1915) ex-Estonian Wambola, ex-Russian Spartak, ex-Kapitan 1-go ranga Miklukho-Maklai, ex-Kapitan Kinsbergen, 1,150 tons. Completed for the Russian Navy 1918, captured by the Royal Navy in the Baltic December 1918 and transferred to Estonia. Purchased from the Estonian Navy 1933. Served in the Amazon flotilla. Discarded c. 1954.
ex-US class BAP Villar (DD-71) ex-USS Benham (1960–1980) BAP Almirante Guise (DD-72) ex-USS Isherwood (1961–1981)
ex-British Daring class, 3,600 tons full load.