The mine sweeper A.R.A. FOURNIER (M-5) was built by the shipyard of Sánchez & Co. in Buenos Aires Province for the Argentinean Navy.
05 August 1939 launched.
Tonnage 554 tons, dim. 59 x 7.30 x 3.50m, main draught 2.27m.
Powered by 2 M.A.N. diesels, 2.000 hp. Max. speed 16 knots, economic speed 12 knots. Bunker capacity 50 tons oil, range 3.000 miles at 10 knots.
Armament when built, 2 - 101mm guns, 2 - 20mm mg A.A. and 2 - 7.65mm mg A.A. equipped with mine cutting equipment (paravanes and trails.)
Crew 70.
13 October 1940 commissioned
After commission based at Puerto Belgrano Naval Base as a unit of the minesweeping squadron. Her first commander was Lieutenant Commander Ernesto del Marmol.
She was used in the Antarctic Campaign between 1942-43 which founded the Argentine Antarctic Base on Deception Island.
Operated mostly together with the Argentinean High Fleet.
Thereafter station ship at Ushuaia. Rescued during heavy storms the crew of the tug OLCO and the Chilean sail ship CONDOR.
June 1947 she arrived at the Argentinean Antarctic base Decepción. An again used in the Antarctic between March and May 1948.
1949 Under command of Captain Corbeta Carlos Negri used for patrolling the Tierra del Fuego channels and support vessel at the Naval base at Ushuaia, sometimes used for salvage work.
The same year sailed with two distinguished passengers through the Fuego channels, Dr Raúl Wernicke an physical and chemical researcher and at that time Dean of the faculty of Agronomy and Veterinary of the Buenos Aires University, and his son Julio, a medical student who went in search of exotic specimens of southern marine fauna. She arrived at 17 Sept. at the port of Rio Gallegos.
21 Sept. 1949 heaved in anchor at Ushuaia at 07.40 hour, steaming into the intricate Magellan Strait passing off Chilean territory then to return to Ushuaia. The same day at 16.30 hours she communicated by radiotelegraphy that she were passing the lighthouse of Punta Delgada situated in the 'first narrows' of Magellan Strait. During the night when she passed the lighthouse of San Isidro, the weather forecast was not good, wind from the northwest 8/9, with snow squalls and cloudy. Visibility from 2 till 4 km. With a temperature below 0 degree Celsius.
During the first hours of 22 Sept. contact was lost between the Naval base at Ushuaia and the FOURNIER. The next morning a ground and air search began, hindered by bad weather and fog.
The following vessels took part in the search, the transport SAN JULIÁN, the minesweeper SPIRO, the tugs CHIRIGUANO and SANAVIRON and the hydrographical vessel BAHIA BLANCA and the frigate SANTISIMA TRINIDAD.
Noting of the vessel of crew was found the first days and on 4 October the newspapers of Argentina announced on the front page that the FOURNIER was lost in a position 54 10 S and 71 W off Punta Cono on Dawson Island. Channels which have a depth of 450 till 530 meters surround the island. Dawson Island lies in the entrance of San Gabriel channel 60 miles to the south of Punta Arenas in Chile.
Most probably the FOURNIER sank after running against a rock which position was not indicated on the chart, which teared her hull open, after which the compartments flooded, or that she during the storm was hit by a wave which did capsized the vessel. At that time the FOURNIER carried 77 men. Not any surveyed and the vessel was lost. Some bodies were recovered from the water and transported to Buenos Aires by the frigate HEROINE.
A memorial service held by the Navy and the Argentinean Government for the recovered victims of the disaster was homage to all the crew and passengers lost in this tragic and mysterious accident. The loss of the FOURNIER was a national day of mourning.
Flowers and flower wreaths were offered in the River Plate, in the hope they would arrive at the distance Fueguinos channels.
79 Trees were planted which form the name FOURNIER, alongside the highway that goes to the airport of Ezeiza.
Argentine 1999 75c sg?, scott?
Source: From a web-site translated for my by Mr. Mario F.Rosner. Lost the URL.