The HNLMS De Ruyter and De Zeven Provincien were the last single-hull cruisers armed with guns in the world. They were used by the Royal Netherlands Navy and the Peruvian Navy. The original design from 15 November 1937 was never realised. After the Second World War, the ships were still under construction, which led to a new design process. The De Ruyter was commissioned on 18 November 1953 and mainly served as the flagship of a task force. On 13 February 1972, the De Ruyter was transferred to Peru as BAP Almirante Grau and finally decommissioned on 26 September 2017 after 64 years of service.
