BAV Yaracuy (CL-1936)

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2023 - I do like the look of these ships. The parts need updating, and the rebuild could do with a redraw, but the underlying drawings are the best of the early Venezuelan ones I have found so far. The main criticism I have for myself is the dates for the ships. Completion in 1926 is way to early - 1935 would be more appropriate for the type of multi-gun cruiser, and 1941 would be better for the refit.


The Yaracuy was the first of the new breed of Venezuelan designed ships using the ex-White Russian immigrant design staff. The ships were an improved Svetlana design (see Aragua) with the introduction and return to the 6" gun as main armament and the first triple turret for light cruisers. It followed the mid-1930's designs of the Royal Navy and Italy with multi gun light cruisers rather than the large 8" gunned heavy cruisers.

The design had long low sleek hulls for maximum speed, and with 80,000shp on trials the ships made 33.8 knots. Standard speeds were 75,000shp for 32.5 knots. The ships weakest point was its smaller weaponry where only 4 x 75mm AA weapons were fitted. 4 smaller auto cannons firing one pound shells completed the gun armament. Two sets of triple torpedo tubes were fitted either side of the aft most funnel.

In 1941 the two ships went into US hands for refitting of the electronics and fire control systems. When they returned to Venezuela the the two ships went in for a complete overhaul of the secondary and tertiary armaments. Finally the ships got a decent secondary armament with eight of the single 5.1" Dual Purpose turrets replacing the old 3" AA. The new 40mm and 20mm cannon weaponry was available and these weapons were fitted where possible.

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