The propeller will be permanently located at the junction of Xixo and Armada Española Avenues
Benidorm and the Navy make official in Poniente the transfer to the municipality of a propeller from the corvette 'Cazadora', which will be displayed on a roundabout
Benidorm City Council and the Spanish Navy have strengthened the historic ties linking both institutions. It occurred in the symbolic act of transferring a propeller from the corvette 'Hunter' (F-35) to the city of Benidorm, which was held in the same place where the propeller was installed, a recently built roundabout. construction in Poniente, at the confluence of Xixo and Armada Española avenues.
The propeller now looks after having been subjected to an exhaustive cleaning and polishing process and next to it a descriptive plaque has been placed with some of the most relevant data of the ship 'Hunter'. The event began with the raising of the Spanish flag on a mast installed next to the propeller, to then unveil the commemorative plaque of the transfer of the Navy to the city of Benidorm as a sign of the great bond and relationship of affection and admiration of our city with the Navy and everything related to the sea.
The mayor and members of the municipal corporation attended this event, as well as the general chief of the Special Operations Command, Francisco García Almenta; the admiral director of the Institute of Naval History and Culture of the Navy, Enrique Torres Piñeyro; the naval commander of Alicante, Joaquín Vegara, civil and military authorities, representatives of the State Security Corps and Forces, the parish priest of San Jaime, Juan Antonio González; as well as representations of local associations and groups.
After the formal signing of the transfer of the propeller and the blessing by the parish priest of San Jaime, Admiral Torres addressed those present to remember that “I have sailed many miles with this propeller and four decades later neither of us is in service anymore. ”. Torres has stated that the propeller will be “a symbol of the ideas of peace and the twinning of Benidorm with the Navy.”
Toni Pérez, for his part, pointed out in his speech that it is “an honour that such a fundamental piece of this unit remains among us, testifying to the existence of a Spanish-designed ship that managed, due to its capacity and performance, to be the “first modern combat ship that our naval industry exported.”
The mayor has also identified the propeller's principle of action and reaction to generate the thrust necessary to move a boat with “the principles that move us and have always moved us, the natives and residents of this land committed to the sea to continue moving forward.” Always showing our resilience.”
Pérez has emphasized the historical connection of Benidorm "with the issues of the sea" which he said, "are related to our founding milestone." “With the Mediterranean and together with it we have carved out our history and given Spain a long list of illustrious sailors who have stood out in privateering, the almadraba, the merchant navy and the military navy,” emphasized the mayor, who also recalled some of “the countless pages of facts that relate the conjunction of Benidorm and our military navy.”
Before concluding, Toni Pérez also alluded to the corvette 'Hunter', which “provided services in as many national and international missions, maritime security, surveillance and patrol, control and peace missions as it was commissioned; and always carrying and leaving the national flag high.”
The institutional event ended with the solemn interpretation of the anthem of Benidorm and Spain.
About “Cazadora” corvette
The corvette “Hunter” (F-35) was the fifth ship of the “Discovered” class that, along with five others, formed the 21st Navy Escort Squadron. It was built by the national company Bazán in Ferrol shipyards and launched on October 17, 1978, the godmother was Mrs Amparo Illana de Suárez, wife of the president of the government Adolfo Suárez.
It was delivered to the Navy on July 20, 1981, establishing its base in Cartagena. In 2004, it was converted into a patrol vessel, adopting the number P-78, moving its base to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and returning to Cartagena in 2012. Finally, it was decommissioned on April 26, 2018, in Arsenal, in Cartagena, after having sailed during its 37 years of service, more than 566,000 miles in 3,507 days at sea and having visited at a total of 83 national and international ports and 25 countries.
It participated in actions in Iraq, EUROMARFOR, Active Endeavor, Noble Centinela, UNIFIL, Indalo, Gulf of Guinea and numerous maritime surveillance and security operations. Since its conversion into a patrol vessel and until it was discharged from the Navy, it was part of the Maritime Action Force (FAM) which, within the Fleet, is made up of a set of units whose main task is to prepare to protect maritime interests. national rights and the control of maritime spaces of sovereignty and national interest, being responsible, with a comprehensive approach, for ensuring permanent cooperation with the various Administration bodies with powers in the maritime field, which constitutes the contribution of the Navy to the State action at sea.
