The ARA Santisima Trinidad was one of a number of US Tacoma class patrol frigates

Tacoma class frigate

The Tacoma class of patrol frigates served in the US Navy during World War II. Named for Tacoma, Washington, the Tacoma class design was based on the British River class frigates, primarily distinguished by the pole foremast and lighter main guns...

, operated by the Argentine Navy

Argentine Navy

The Navy of the Argentine Republic or Armada of the Argentine Republic is the navy of Argentina. It is one of the three branches of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic, together with the Army and the Air Force....

 (Armada de la Republica Argentina) during the Cold War

Cold War

The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...

 period. These ships were named after Argentine frigates which saw prominent action during the War of Independence

Argentine War of Independence

The Argentine War of Independence was fought from 1810 to 1818 by Argentine patriotic forces under Manuel Belgrano, Juan José Castelli and José de San Martín against royalist forces loyal to the Spanish crown...

.

Description

Santisima Trinidad was a US Tacoma class patrol frigate

Tacoma class frigate

The Tacoma class of patrol frigates served in the US Navy during World War II. Named for Tacoma, Washington, the Tacoma class design was based on the British River class frigates, primarily distinguished by the pole foremast and lighter main guns...

 (type S2-S2-AQ1, hull number 1659) built by the Walsh-Kaiser Yard

Walsh-Kaiser Co., Inc.

Walsh-Kaiser Co., Inc. was a shipyard in both Cranston and Providence, Rhode Island. It was built during World War II and financed by the Maritime Commission as part of the country's Emergency Shipbuilding Program. It was originally operated by Rheem Manufacturing, a company with no previous...

, Providence, Rhode Island

Providence, Rhode Island

Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...

, USA, and transferred to Britain under the lease-lend program

Lend-Lease

Lend-Lease was the program under which the United States of America supplied the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, China, Free France, and other Allied nations with materiel between 1941 and 1945. It was signed into law on March 11, 1941, a year and a half after the outbreak of war in Europe in...

. The design was itself an adaptation of the Royal Navy

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

 River class frigate

River class frigate

The River class frigate was a class of 151 frigates launched between 1941 and 1944 for use as anti-submarine convoy escorts in the North Atlantic....

, with modifications made mainly to use materials and parts more readily available in the United States. She was laid down as USS Hannam (PF77); but launched as HMS Caicos (K505) on 6 September 1943; and delivered on 31 December 1943. She was commissioned by the Royal Navy

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

 as HMS Caicos (K505) on 2 January 1944; it is claimed that this frigate was partially funded by the Turks & Caicos Islands.

WW2 service

Caicos, was assigned as an aircraft detection frigate, stationed in the North Sea

North Sea

In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...

 to detect V-1 flying bomb

V-1 flying bomb

The V-1 flying bomb, also known as the Buzz Bomb or Doodlebug, was an early pulse-jet-powered predecessor of the cruise missile....

s, targeted at Britain. Two of her crew died on war service.

Caicos was returned to US on 12 December 1945.. The US Maritime Commission sold Caicos for scrapping in June 1946 to N. B. Walcott, New York. However the plans to scrap her were cancelled and she was resold to Argentina in July 1947.

Post-war service as a frigate

She was incorporated into the Argentine Navy under decree Nº 24,121 of 4 August 1947 (OG 224 47), and assigned the name Trinidad, in memory for the previous Santísima Trinidad. Commander(S) D. Rodolfo A. Muzzio initiated a campaign to assign the full name Santísima Trinidad to her. She therefore became the ARA Santísima Trinidad under decree Nº 20.896 of 3 October 1950 (BNP 124,950).

Santisima Trinidad (P-34) served as part of the Frigate Force of the Sea Fleet from 1948 until 1960. During this time she operated actively in the waters of the South Atlantic, participating in annual fleet exercises; especially anti-submarine warfare exercises since this was what she was designed for. In 1948-49 she participated in the 11th Antarctic Campaign. In 1959, she participated in Operation Neptune II, and received a battle honour from Vicario General Castrense and Cardenal D. Antonio Caggiano on 8 December 1960. She then went into reserve in 1961-62.

According to Janes Fighting Ships, her armament in Argentine service as Santísima Trinidad consisted of: 2 x 105 mm (4.1 inch) guns, 8 x 40 mm AA guns, 1 Hedgehog, and 6 x depth charge throwers. Conways states that she had 4 x 47 mm AA guns instead of 8 x 40 mm AA guns.

Post-war service as a survey ship

Starting in 1962, Bío Santiago Shipyard (AFNE) converted the Santísima Trinidad to a survey ship. The conversion included, disarming her, installing eight specialised cabinets, nine probe basins, and a helicopter landing platform, as well as a general refit. She was reclassified as a survey vessel (Spanish: Buque de Investigacion) and renamed Comodoro Augusto Lasserre (Q-9), There was a spelling error in the original decree (Nº 811/63 - BNP Nº 37/63), which called her "Laserre" instead of "Lasserre"; this was corrected in 1964 in decree N° 7136/64 - BNP N° 211/964. She was recommissioned as a survey ship on 27 January 1964. She undertook surveys each year from 1964 to 1968. In 1968 she ran aground near Lion Island (Isla Leones) in the Palmer Archipelago

Palmer Archipelago

Palmer Archipelago, also known as Antarctic Archipelago, Archipiélago Palmer, Antarktiske Arkipel or Palmer Inseln, is a group of islands off the northwestern coast of the Antarctic Peninsula....

during a storm. After she was refloated, she was inspected at BNPB, and it was recommended that she be taken out of service. She was struck from the navy list by a resolution of 20 February 1969. Her decommissioning ceremony was in March 1969. She was sold for scrap in 1971. under decree Nº 811963.

Captains during service in the Argentine Navy

As the frigate ARA Santisima Trinidad (P-34)

1948-49: Commander D. Raúl V. Franzini.

1949-50: Commander D. Fernando V. Muro de Nadal.

1950-51: Commander D. Helvio Guozden.

1951-52: Commander D. Manuel A. Martínez.

1952-53: Commander D. José M. Guzmán.

1953: Commander D. Orlando Argento.

1954: Commander D. Carlos García Favre.

1955: Commander D. Alfredo Sánchez Pupulo.

1956: Commander D. Jorge Aguirre Urreta.

1957: Lieutenant Commander D. Roberto Ulloa.

1958: Commander D. Raúl Francos.

1959: Commander D. Alberto J. Oliver.

1960: Commander D. Jorge Sciurano.

1961-62: In reserve.

As the survey ship ARA Comodoro Lasserre (Q-9)

1962-64 (refit): Lieutenant Commander D. Horacio Gómez Beret.

1964: Lieutenant Commander D. Benjamín O. Cosentino.

1965: Commander D. Marcos Oliva Day.

1966: Commander D. Julio A. Gómez Dávila.

1967: Commander D. Carlos E. Arnold.

1968-69: Commander D. Roberto M. Ornstein.

Note capitán de fragata is the Spanish translation of commander, whilst capitán de corbeta is the Spanish translation of lieutenant commander.

External links

• A photo of Comodoro Augusto Lasserre (Q-9) taken in 1965; it shows that she had been disarmed. Photographer: Robert Hirst.
• Outboard Profiles of Maritime Commission Vessels Design: S2-S2-AQ1
• Technical Specifications Maritime Commission Design S2-S2-AQ1
• Maritime Commission Design S2-S2-AQ1, General Description
• NavSource Online: Frigate Photo Archive - HMS Caicos (K 505), ex-Hannam (PF 77), ex-PG-185 Has photos of her as Caicos, as Santísima Trinidad and disarmed as Comodoro Augusto Lasere.