Name Decoy Commissioned 28 April 1953 Name Ferré Launched 29 March 1949 Draft 5.5 m | Laid down 22 September 1946 Identification D106 Construction started 22 September 1946 Length 122 m | |
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Fate Sold to Peruvian Navy in 1969 | ||
BAP Ferré (DM-74) was a Daring-class destroyer in service with the Peruvian Navy from 1973 to 2007. She was built by Yarrow Shipbuilders and completed for the Royal Navy in 1953 as HMS Decoy (D106).
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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. On 4 September 1957, she was run aground at Portland Harbour, Dorset, due to failure of her steering gear.
During 1961 and 1962 the destroyer 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, Decoy recommissioned on 9 April 1963 and joined the 21st Escort Squadron with Berwick, Dido, Corunna and Cavendish.
By 1966 she was in reserve and 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. In 1968 she escorted a Hong Kong ship to Gibraltar at Masters request after unrest.
Peruvian Navy service
After being decommissioned she was sold to Peru in 1969 together with her sister ship 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:
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:
Ferré tested her Exocet system against BAP Villar (ex-USS Benham) after Villar had been decommissioned from Peruvian service.
After serving in two navies for 54 years, Ferré was decommissioned on 13 July 2007.