ARC Caldas (1933)

ARC Caldas was one of two Antioquia-class destroyers built for the Colombian Navy during the 1930s. Originally ordered for the Portuguese Navy, the two ships were purchased by Colombia while still under construction. She was discarded in 1960 and subsequently scrapped.

Design and description
The Antioquia-class ships were designed by the British shipbuilder Yarrow and were based on HMS Ambuscade (D38), a prototype destroyer built for the Royal Navy in 1926 by Yarrow. They were 323 ft long overall and 307 ft between perpendiculars, with a beam of 31 ft and a draught of 11 ft. The ship displaced 1219 LT at standard load and 1563 LT at full load. The Antioquias were powered by two Parsons-Curtis geared steam turbines, each driving one propeller shaft using steam provided by three Yarrow boilers. The turbines, rated at 33000 shp, were intended to give a maximum speed of 36 kn. The destroyers carried enough fuel oil to give them a range of 5400 nmi at 15 kn.

Armament was similar to contemporary Royal Navy destroyers, with a gun armament of four 4.7 in (120 mm) Vickers-Armstrong Mk G guns, and three 2-pounder (40 mm) Mk VIII anti-aircraft guns. Two quadruple banks of 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes were carried, while two depth charge throwers and 12 depth charges constituted the ships' anti-submarine armament. Up to 20 mines could be carried. The ships' complement consisted of 147 officers and men.