Spanish Armada Destroyer D 25 Jorge Juan
by Luis Crespo

1/700 Jorge Juan D 25 (Trumpeter)

The real thing:

The Jorge Juan was launched as USS McGowan DD 678 in 1943. She fought her way troughout WWII, taking action in several Pacific Campaings, including Marianas, Guadalcanal, Phillipines, Kuriles, etc.

After the war, USS McGowan remained in reserve status until 1951, when she was recommisioned and again saw action in Korea. She was modernized in 1952.

In october 1960, she was selected to be transferred on loan to Spain and she was commissioned in the Spanish Armada as Jorge Juan, in memory of Don Jorge Juan y Santacilia (1713–1773), Spanish scientist and Commander of the Spanish Fleet, founder of the Real Observatorio de la Armada.

Jorge Juan meant, alongside the other four Fletchers transferred to the Armada from the US Navy, a desperately needed update in spanish antisubmarine capabilities, as most spanish escorts at that time were pre WWII designs and lacked the potential to confront modern soviet submarines.

As Jorge Juan, USS Mc Gowan sailed for 28 years more. When she was decomissioned in 1988, she was 45 years old.

Her statistics were:

• Displacement: 3.100 tons full load.
• Dimensions: 114'7 x 12 x 5'4 meters.
• Propulsion: 4 B&W boilers, 2 Allis Chalmers turbines, 2 screws, 60.000 hp, 35 knots
• Crew: 290
• Radar: SPS-6C 2-D air, SPS-10 surface.
• Sonar: SQS-4 hull mounted.
• Fire Control: Mk 37 + radar Mk 25 (5´guns), Mk 56 con radar Mk 35 (3´ guns), 2 Mk 63 con radar SPG-34 (3´guns), Mk 27 (torpedoes)
• Weapons: 4 127/38 mm Mk 30 DP, 3 twin 76'2/50 mm Mk 33 DP, 1 533 mm triple torpedo launcher for torpedoes mk 15 ASuW, 2 ASW Mk 32 torpedo launchers, 2 Hedhog Mk 11 ASW, 1 Mk 9 deph charge launcher.

The model:

I kitbashed de 1/700 The Sullivans Trumpeter kit. Trumpy The Sullivans is depicted in her WWII fit, but it was quite easy to add the new superstructures needed. The 3´ twins are fron Niko Model, as are the Hedgehogs. Radars are from GMM