Landing Ship, Dock (LSD) ARA (Q-43)"Candido de Lasala" , By Martín Ignaci Otero, C.P.A. and Santiago L. Aversa. JD., LL.M. Courtesy of Fuerzas
Navales, Argentine Naval and History News. www.FuerzasNavales.com. As appeared on Fuerzas Navales Magazine.
The ARA (Q-43) Candido de Lasala began its career in the U.S. Navy in 1943,as the USS (LSD-5) Gunston Hall. This vessel belonged to the Ashland classof LSD's (landing ship, dock; [ BDD was the Acronym used by theARA ]).Under the American flag, she took part in World War II and the Korean and Vietnamese conflicts . Save for a brief period (1947/9), in which she was in reserve, the ship was in permanent active service, also participating in expeditions to the Arctic Circle and in the blockade under the O.A.S. flag during the the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962).
Aerial View of the Q-43(ARA via Jorge FN Padín)After some tours of duty in Southeast Asia in the mid-sixties, the ship
finally was transferred to the reserves in 1970. At the same time, the
Argentine Navy (ARA) needed a low cost replacement for her Amphibious Fleet, having retired most of his landing ships (mainly the LST-511 class vessels, which were mostly then assigned to the Naval Transports Services due to their unreliability for Amphibious Operations). Hence, the ARA decided to acquire to the ex- LSD-5, that would be eventually commisioned on 25 MAY
1970 as the ARA (Q-43) Candido de Lasala.
Throughout its operative race in the ARA, the ship - assigned to the
Logistic Support Sqn.- she acted as much as an amphibious assault as well
as an Antarctic ship, a transport of smaller surface units, etc. She was also
tested in riverine warfare, with higher than expected results.
The Q-43 gave approximately 10 years of valuable services to the ARA,including a voyage to Europe to ferry the TNC-45 Fast Attack Craft,acquired from the Federal German Republic. The working relationship between the Q-43 and these vessels continued, since they were transported in their dock several times, during deployments to the South of the country. The ship finally was decommissioned in 1981, being sold to a private contractor(Arsenio Llop) for its Scrapping apart in the port of Campana, prov. ofBuenos Aires.
Technical Data:
Weapons: Two quadruple Bofors mounts, 40mm/60; and two double mounts (samecaliber), controlled by FCS Mk 51. Ten Browning M2HB machine guns, Cal.12,7x99 mm NATO
Data of the Ship: Lenght:138,64 m; Width: 22,35 m; Draught: 5,39 ms;
Displacement: 9,375 tn.; Speed: 15 Kts; Operational range: 8000NM @ 8Kts.
Crew: 250 men plus marines
Dock Capacity: Two LCM3; Two LCM6 and eight LCIL
Detail of the deck and dock of the Q-43. (Andrés Nobile)
Candido of Lasala. Official of the Royal Spanish Navy, outstanding fighter during the English Invasions. He's considered as the forefather of theArgentine Marine Corps (DEHN).
Sources:
* Rear admiral (r) Horacio Rodriguez Ships of the Argentine Navy1970-1996
Its Commands and Operations.
* U.S. Navy, Dictionary of Naval American Fighting Ships
Dr. Santiago L. Aversa, Master of Laws
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