They were the first Spanish Navy ships to use only fuel oiil and could carry 276 tonnes (272 long tons) of oil, giving them a range of 1,500 nautical miles (2,800 km; 1,700 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph).

[8] Velasco and the light cruiser Reina Victoria Eugenia visited Lisbon, Portugal, in January 1925 for the celebration of the fourth centenary of Vasco da Gama.

[8] With the two light cruisers and the Royal Family present, Velasco and Alsedo each received a battle ensign acquired by popular subscription in Santander on 3 August 1925.

[8] On 20 May 1926, she departed Cartagena with the Training Squadron for exercises in the Mediterranean off Mazarrón with Alfonso XIII, Jaime I, Blas de Lezo, Méndez Núñez, and her sister ship Lazaga.

[8] On 20 June 1927, the three Alsedo-class destroyers got undderway from Cartagena to begin a training cruise in the Mediterranean Sea for Naval War College students that lasted almost a month.

[8] During October and November 1928, the three Alsedo-class destroyers were part of a squadron that also included Alfonso XIII, Jaime I, Blas de Lezo, Méndez Núñez, the light cruiser Almirante Cervera, the destroyer Sánchez Barcáiztegui, the submarines Isaac Peral, B-1, B-2, B-3, B-4, B-5, B-6, C-1, and C-2, the torpedo boats T-11, T-13, T-14, T-15, T-18, and T-22, the seaplane carrier Dédalo, and the tug Cíclope that conducted exercises in the Balearic Islands and off Spain's Mediterranean coast.

[8] Blas de Lezo, Méndez Núñez, and the three Alsedo-class destroyers called at Cádiz on 5 March 1929, but soon put back to sea for exercises in the Cíes Islands off Galicia with Alfonso XIII, Jaime I, and Almirante Cervera.

[8] However, the Dornier Do J Wal flying boat of Ramón Franco crashed into the sea during an attempted transatlantic flight, and they were ordered to instead steam to the Azores to join the search for the plane and its crew.

[8] The British Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Eagle rescued Franco and his crew, and the four destroyers returned to Ferrol during the first week of July 1929.

[8] After Sánchez Barcáiztegui embarked Naval War College students, the four destroyers put to sea with a squadron of torpedo boats for exercises.

[8] While the rest of the ships proceeded to Valencia, Velasco, Alsedo, Lazaga, Sánchez Barcáiztegui, and the destroyer José Luis Díaz anchored at Barcelona on the evening of 6 October 1929.

[8] On 16 October, part of the squadron returned to Barcelona for a stay of about ten days to rest the crews, repair damage, and take on supplies.

[8] First the destroyer Bustamante led the torpedo boats into the harbor; Velasco, Almirante Ferrándiz, Alsedo, José Luis Díez, Lazaga.

[8] On the evening of 27 May 1931, the battleships España (ex-Alfonso XIII, renamed by the new government) and Jaime I, the light cruisers Almirante Cervera, Miguel de Cervantes, Méndez Núñez, República (ex-Reina Victoria Eugenia, renamed by the new government), and a destroyer squadron composed of Velasco, Almirante Ferrándiz, Lazaga, Lepanto, and Sánchez Barcáiztegui arrived at Ferrol, where they took part along with the seaplne carrier Dédalo and a submarine division in a naval review in the presence of the Minister of the Navy, the captain general of the Maritime Department of the North, and the commander of the squadron.

[8] On the evening of 8 June 1931, the three Alsedo-class destroyers left Cadiz in company with Almirante Ferrándiz, José Luis Díez, Lepanto, and Sánchez Barcáiztegui bound for the Mediterranean.

[8] After visiting several other Spanish cities, the Moroccans departed Cadiz aboard the Civil Guard vessel Xauen on 27 May 1932 and, after a final stop in Málaga, boarded Velasco on 2 June 1932 for transportation to Ceuta.

[8] In company with José Luis Díez, Lepanto, Sánchez Barcáiztegui and the destroyers Alcalá Galiano (AG) and Churruca, the three Alsedo-class ships completed a voyage from Cartagena to Almería on 29 April 1933.

[8] At the beginning of 1934, Velasco became part off the 1st Destroyer Squadron, while Alsedo and Laaga joined the newly created torpedo training division based at Cartagena.

[8] In mid-February 1934, Velasco steamed from Cartagena to Ceuta with the transport Almirante Lobo to join Spanish naval forces in North Africa.

Velasco and Alsedo then began repairs, thus missing a naval review took place on 11 June 1934 at Alcudia in the Balearic Islands in the presence of the President of the Republic Niceto Alcalá Zamora, Minister of the Navy Juan José Rocha García, and other authorities after the maneuvers concluded.

[8] In mid-May 1935, Velasco, Alsedo, Almirante Cervera, Libertad (the former Principe Alfonso), and Miguel de Cervantes cofmpleted gunnery exercises at the Janer training ground and later steamed to the Mediterranean for maneuvers.

After two days of fighting that resulted in significant damage to the harbor and to Velasco, the crews of España and Almirante Cervera surrendered their ships to the Nationalists.

[8] On 19 September 1936, the Nationalist armed tugs Ciricia and Galicia were on blockade duty off Santander when they sighted the Republican submarine B-6 on the surface.

[12] The trawlers were steaming for Biarritz, France, to escort a cargo ship when Velasco sighted them 40 nautical miles (74 km; 46 mi) off Pasaia.

[8] Velasco entered the minefield and came alongside the sinking battleship, rescuing her entire crew except for three men killed in the explosion of the mine.

[15] On the afternoon of 22 February 1938, Velasco, Melilla, and Teruel escorted the merchant ship Pasajes, which was making a voyage in the Balearic Islands from Formentera to Mallorca.

[16] Departing Palma de Mallorca on the morning of 28 February 1938, Velasco and the minelayers Jupiter and Vulcano laid a minefield off Valencia, covered by the Nationalist cruiser division and its escorting destroyers.

[15] The destroyers and gunboats thus missed the Battle of Cape Palos, in which a Spanish Republican Navy force sank the heavy cruiser Baleares on the night of 5–6 March.

When British aircraft sank the German submarine U-755 northwest of Mallorca during World War II on 28 May 1943, a Spanish destroyer rescued her nine survivors.

[8] On the morning of 24 August 1948, Velasco and Lazaga arrived at Panxón, near Vigo, with a brigade of midshipmen from the Naval Military Academy aboard.