The Almirante Lynch class performed well for the British throughout WW1 with just the loss of HMS Broke at Jutland. The remaining three ships returned to Chile (to rejoin the two ships already completed for Chile) as part of the reparations package for the ships retained by the Royal Navy. Magnificent destroyers for their time they were 50 feet bigger than other destroyers being built.
Little was done with the ship through the 1920's and early 30's. 1935 and twenty years old, the ships are asked the question - keep or discard. The answer had to be keep as the 'M' class destroyers were still to be kept in commission and these were their leaders. So a basic upgrade package was worked out that could be carried out in a Commonwealth refit yard cheaply. A twin 4" HA/LA mounting was to be fitted fore and aft while a single HA/LA 4" mounting was mounted next to the fore funnel. That was the main armament. Minor weaponry was four single 2pd AA guns.
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No extra gunnery directors were fitted for the new HA/LA 4" and the old simple 'follow me' director was kept. These changes were only to last 5 years till the new Almirante Riveros class ships would come into service. Just that much and no more were to be spent on these ships. That the war started did not change the Chilean thinking. These ships were 'old'. All five had been discarded by the end of the war.
