Chilean destroyer Ministro Portales (DD-17)

Destroyer "Ministro Portales" ready to combat the Argentinians in 1978.
Career (United States)
Namesake:	Douglas H. Fox
Builder:	Todd Pacific Shipyards, Seattle
Laid down:	31 January 1944
Launched:	30 September 1944
Commissioned:	26 December 1944
Decommissioned:	15 December 1973
Struck:	December 15, 1973
Fate:	To Chile 8 January 1974
Career (Chile)
Name:	CNS Ministro Portales (DD-17)
Acquired:	8 January 1974
Fate:	Intentionally sunk off Cape Horn on 11 November 1998
General characteristics
Class and type:	Allen M. Sumner class destroyer
Displacement:	2,200 tons
Length:	376 ft 6 in (114.8 m)
Beam:	40 ft (12.2 m)
Draft:	15 ft 8 in (4.8 m)
Propulsion:	60,000 shp (45 MW); 2 propellers
Speed:	34 knots (63 km/h)
Range:	6,500 nmi (12,000 km) @ 15 knots (28 km/h)
Complement:	336
Armament:	6 × 5 in./38 guns (12 cm), 12 × 40mm AA guns, 11 × 20mm AA guns, 10 × 21 in. torpedo tubes, 6 × depth charge projectors, 2 × depth charge tracks

The Ministro Portales was purchased by Chile in 1974 from the United States. Built and commissioned as the USS Douglas H. Fox (DD-779) in 1944, the ship was officially a member of the Allen M. Sumner FRAM II class of destroyers. Between 1975 and 1976, it was refited with an extension on the flight deck for Alouette-III Helicopters.

The Portales participated in the counteractive measures to the Operation Soberanía during the Beagle conflict in 1978. In this period, all the Chilean navy ships were camouflaged.

The vessel served the navy of Chile until it was taken off active duty and towed from Talcahuano to Port Williams, arriving at the wharf on September 18, 1991.

There, it was a static support vessel for the local torpedo boat fleet until their replacement by missile boats.

On November 11 1998, the Ministro Portales was intentionally sunk during a target practice exercise.

See also

USS Douglas H. Fox (DD-779)

External links

• navsource.org: USS Douglas H. Fox
• armada.cl: Destructor Ministro Portales (In Spanish)