Fighting Ships Of The World • Attempts by Ecuador to buy French ships in the 1930s

For those who have seen the latest issue of Warship World, there is an article on the Ecuadorian Navy.

In it, the claim is made that Ecuador attempted to buy new (second hand) warships in the 1930s, and missed out on buying the French sloops Inconstant and Papin.

Has anyone heard this before, or have any more information on this proposal?

In related data:

- A previous Inconstant and Papin were 1st class avisos built around 1883.  Ecuador had enquired about buying Papin in 1900, but nothing came of it and she was scrapped in 1902.  Inconstant was hulked in 1900.
- Oddly enough Ecuador was reported as having "Two old despatch vessels, Papin and Inconstant, of 891 tons." in the 1914-16 period at this site:  Miscellaneous Smaller Navies, 1914 (gwpda.org)
- A second Inconstant was built as a minesweeper/sloop in 1916.  She was reportedly sold to China in 1933, but I haven't found solid evidence to support that.
- A second Papin was a submarine built in 1908, stricken in 1919 and apparently scrapped.
- Not sure what Papin was around in the 1930s

It is all a bit of a mess.  If anyone has any information that might help unravel it, it would be gratefully accepted.

Regards

David

statistics: Posted by David Chessum — 8:09 AM - 1 day ago — Replies 0 — Views 59

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