BAP Almirante Grau (CLM-81)

De Ruyter was laid down by the Royal Netherlands Navy on 5 September 1939 as the cruiser HNLMS De Zeven Provinciën at the Wilton-Fijenoord shipyard at Schiedam. She and her sister-ship, later '''', were intended to replace the two s in the Dutch East Indies. At the German invasion of the Netherlands in May 1940 little had been constructed. The Kriegsmarine intended to complete her as the training cruiser KH 1 but construction was slow and she was not launched until 24 December 1944, with the intent by then to use her as a blockship in the Nieuwe Waterweg, the approaches to Rotterdam. == Royal Netherlands Navy service ==

In Dutch service both ships participated in several NATO exercises, and were frequently used as flagships for different naval task forces. Between 1962 and 1964, De Zeven Provinciën underwent a refit which included the removal of the two aft turrets and the installation of a RIM-2 Terrier SAM system, but lack of funds precluded the same modifications from being carried out in De Ruyter. In 1968 it was reported that the completion of the Tromp-class frigates would mean that the De Ruyter would be taken out of service. After two decades in service, she was decommissioned on 16 October 1972. == Peruvian Navy service ==

The Peruvian Navy bought De Ruyter on 7 March 1973 ==Decommissioning==

Almirante Grau was decommissioned on 26 September 2017. She was the last gun cruiser in service in any navy, although its main armament was supplemented with Otomat anti-ship missiles. though in February 2022, the ship was placed on sale. In July 2022 it was reported that she was to be scrapped. == Gallery ==

File:Marine Beneluxdagen in Amsterdamse Haven, aankomst Hr Ms Kruiser De Ruyter, Bestanddeelnr 914-3312.jpg|HNLMS De Ruyter 1962 Image:US Navy 040703-N-1464F-001 The Peruvian cruiser Almirante Grau CLM-81 fires one of its 15.2 cm caliber cannons.jpg|Almirante Grau firing her guns File:BAP Almirante Grau 2007.jpg|A stern view of BAP Almirante Grau from Image:PERU-CM-81-2.JPG|BAP Almirante Grau 1993 File:Kruiser Hr.Ms. De Ruyter (C801) (2097 097 041973).jpg|De Ruyter at sea with guns elevated. File:Kruiser Hr.Ms. De Ruyter (C801) (2097 097 041977).jpg|De Ruyter; view from the stern. ==References==