The Ministro Portales was purchased by Chile in 1974 from the United States. Built and commissioned as the USS Douglas H. Fox (DD-779) in 1944, the ship was officially a member of the Allen M. Sumner FRAM II class of destroyers. Between 1975 and 1976, it was refited with an extension on the flight deck for Alouette-III Helicopters.
The Portales participated in the counteractive measures to the Operation Soberanía during the Beagle conflict in 1978. In this period, all the Chilean navy ships were camouflaged.
The vessel served the navy of Chile until it was taken off active duty and towed from Talcahuano to Port Williams, arriving at the wharf on September 18, 1991.
There, it was a static support vessel for the local torpedo boat fleet until their replacement by missile boats.
On November 11, 1998, the Ministro Portales was intentionally sunk during a target practice exercise.
Famous quotes containing the word destroyer:
“There is a concept that is the corrupter and destroyer of all others. I speak not of Evil, whose limited empire is that of ethics; I speak of the infinite.”
—Jorge Luis Borges (1899–1986)