The Dioxippe class were the last World War One destroyers built for the Amazon Navy. They were to be improved in two areas, over the Aspidocharme class, the first was to increase the torpedoes from two twin 18" to two triple 21". The other was to improve the main armament from 4x4" to 5x4". This required an increase in size to compensate for the additions.
The need for AA weapons increased from 1915 onwards and the Dioxippe class were designed with an AA armament. This was 2 x 3" and 4 x 2 pounder. From 1940 these ships were supposed to be reconstructed into Long Range Escorts. It was decided that the money for that, and the dock space, would be better spent in producing new ships with a longer range inbuilt. These ships would still be useful in escorting convoys from Mu to Panama and up to North American ports and down to South American ports. With no enemy aircraft expected on these routes, the only changes to armament were the removal of the aft 4" to increase depth charge patterns. Asdic also added in the 1930's. The low angle 4" were kept.
These ships would plod around with their convoys or patrolling on the same routes. This went on till 1943 when some of the big new destroyers would need a crew which would require one of the Dioxippe Class to be tied up in harbour to become accommodation ships while their crews went on to fame and glory in the new ships. Fourteen of the class met this fate, the other six soldiered on escorting the Mu to Panama convoys. By the end of 1945, all twenty were tied up waiting to be deleted from the active list and sold for scrap.
