Los Andes at anchor, about 1905
History
Argentina
Name	ARA Los Andes
Namesake	Andes
Builder	Laird Brothers, Birkenhead
Launched	29 October 1874
Stricken	16 November 1927
Fate	Scrapped, 1929?
General characteristics (as built)
Type	El Plata-class monitor
Displacement	1,535–1,677 long tons (1,560–1,704 t)
Length	180 ft (54.9 m) (p/p)
Beam	44 ft (13.4 m)
Draft	9 ft 1 in (2.8 m)
Installed power	750 ihp (560 kW)
Propulsion	2 shafts, 2 compound steam engines
Speed	9 knots (17 km/h; 10 mph)
Range	1,400 nmi (2,600 km; 1,600 mi)
Complement	120
Armament	2 × 9 in (229 mm) muzzle-loading rifles
Armor	Belt: 4.5–6 in (114–152 mm) Deck: 1 in (25 mm) Gun turret: 8–10 in (203–254 mm)

ARA Los Andes was one of two El Plata-class monitors built in Britain in the 1870s for the Argentine Navy.

Description

The El Plata-class monitors were 186 feet (56.7 m) long overall, with a beam of 44 feet (13.4 m) and a draft of 9.5–10.5 feet (2.9–3.2 m). They displaced 1,535–1,677 long tons (1,560–1,704 t), and their crew numbered 120 officers and enlisted men.^[1]

The ships had two compound steam engines, each driving one propeller shaft, rated at a total power of 750 indicated horsepower (560 kW). This gave them a maximum speed of 9–9.5 knots (16.7–17.6 km/h; 10.4–10.9 mph). They carried 120 long tons (122 t) of coal which gave them a range of approximately 1,400 nautical miles (2,600 km; 1,600 mi).^[1]

History