Commandante Riviere Class.
Built at Arsenal de Lorient. Laid down Nov 1959. Launched March 1960. Completed Dec. 1962.
1750tn standard. 2250 full load. Length 323'pp. 338'oa. Beam 38'. Draught 14'.
Engined by four SEMT Pielstick diesels each 12-cyl. giving 16000bhp. driving 2 screws.
Range 4500 nautical miles at 15 knots.
She is armed with three 100mm. Two 30mm. guns. One 305mm ASW Mortar. Six torpedo tubes. Radar DRBV-22A. DRBV-50. DRBC-32A. Sonar DUBA3. SOS-17.
Complement 180 plus 80 Commandos.
The 3rd gun was replaced by a Helicopter deck in 1974.
Log Book July 1989
Wallis & Fortuna SG542
More information from Auke Palmhof:
Built as an escort frigate by Lorient Arsenal, Lorient for the French Navy.
04 November 1958 keel laid down.
12 March 1960 launched as the AMIRAL CHARNER (F727) one of the Riviere class.
Displacement 1,960 standard, 2,170 ton full load, dim. 102.70 x 11.80 x 4.35m. (draught)
Powered by 4 Pielstick diesels SEM, 16,000 hp., twin shafts, speed 26 knots.
Range by a speed of 16.5 knots, 7,500 miles.
Armament:, 2 – 100mm AA, 2 – 40mm AA guns and 1 - 305mm Mortar.
Crew 166.
14 December 1962 commissioned.
After commissioned joined the Pacific Squadron based at Papeete.
From 1963 until 1980 based at Papeete.
During a refit in 1974 her aft 100mm gun was replaced by a helicopter platform.
In 1975 her 100mm guns were replaced by 4 – Exocet missiles MM38.
08 December 1972 in collision with a Japanese coaster in the Tomogashima Strait, Japan she was damaged and the repair took four months in a shipyard of Kobe, Japan.
1980 Assigned to the French Navy Force in the Indian Ocean, with Djibouti as bases port.
She carried out operational missions in the Arabic Sea and showing the flag in ports on the East African coast.
October 1987 assigned again to the Pacific based at Noumea.
08 June 1990 she left Noumea and via Cape of Good Hope she sailed to France, arriving Lorient 27 August 1990 where she was decommissioned.
14 March 1990 was she already sold to Uruguay., after arrival in Lorient she was refurbished for about four months.
28 January 1991 the Frence flag was stricken and the Uruguay flag raised, renamed in MONTEVIDEO (3).
22 February 1991 she left France bound for Montevideo.
During 30 years under Frence flag she spent 3762 days at sea and she travelled over 970500 miles.
2005 Decommissioned .