It was decided by the Uruguayan Government to order three Coast Guard patrol craft in Italy for safekeeping the Uruguay coastal waters.
Built as a large patrol craft under yard No 143 by Cantiere Navale ed Officine Meccaniche di Ancona, Italy.
11 August 1935 launched as the SALTO (14) two sisters.
Displacement 150 tons standard, 180 tons loaded. Dim. 42.0 x 5.8 x 1.6m. (draught)
Powered by two General Motors diesels, twin shafts, 1.000 bhp., speed 17 knots.
Range by a speed of 10 knots, 4,000 miles.
Armament 2 – 70mm and 2 – 40mm guns.
Crew first 51, later reduced to 26.
01 October 1935 commissioned.
09 February 1936 under Uruguay flag and crew she arrived in Uruguay.
She was present during the final phase of the Battle of the River Plate and the scuttling of the German armoured cruiser ADMIRAL GRAF SPEE in December 1939.
1956 Pennant No A2
In the 1960s used as a training vessel by the navy and later employed as a hydrographic ship under pennant GS 24 from 1972 until the early 1980s.
December 1997 still in service and the last survivor of the class, her two sisters are already scrapped in the 1960s.
Her basis is now at Paysandu, and location about 380 km from Montevideo on the River Uruguay, she is still used as a river patrol boat on the River Uruguay which borders Argentina and Uruguay.
Despite growing upkeep cost, it is planned to operate the ship in the next millennium.
2010 Can not find any trace more of the ship.
Uruguay 1990 450p sg2046, scott1406b.
Source: Watercraft Philately Vol. 39 page 19. Jane’s.