WesWorld

People could always complain that there was nothing to complain about!

Considering that the Ministry of Internal Affairs is investigating on the 14th, that means that the complaints would have come in at the end of the 13th, so people complaining that there was nothing to complain about would then definitely be the news of the 13th.

I guess that bit was inspired by the BBC's radio news bulletin of April 18, 1930: "Good evening. Today is Good Friday. There is no news."

Quoted from "Hood"

14 October
The Ministry of Internal Affairs is investigating claims that nothing happened at all yesterday. A spokesman said "we're sure something must have happened somewhere despite claims nothing happened anywhere."

Reminds me of Bulgarian news. :P

Or was it Irish news?
Perhaps its just a lull before the next party of Japanese and Bulgarian tourists arrive!

Ach, you're right - I did do something like that in Ireland, too. I just remember doing it first in Bulgaria. ;)

15 October
The Ministry of Internal Affairs is investigating an outbreak of activity today after a series of complaints from people across Argentina.

A Imperial Japanese Airways L4N2 pancaked onto the runway at Cordoba airport, it took out two fuel tenders and three fire engines before coming to a halt wreathed in flames after it smashed through the glass front of the main terminal. Everyone got off safely. Reports of crowds of Japanese tourists flocking around anything of slight importance with cheap cameras have increased 286% within the last 24 hours.
In Comodoro Rivadavia a visiting party of Irish relatives from the homeland have consumed the city's entire stock of Guinness.
At the beautiful sun-kissed sandy beaches of Bahia Blanca fights erupted between German tourists and local sun-worshippers, locals complained there were no beach towels or sunbeds left.
At the less beautiful and rain soaked rocky beaches of Terra del Fuego fights between Bulgarian tourists and local rain-worshippers erupted as the tourists demanded their money back at the local swimwear shop and tourist agency after claims they had been mislead over the claims of summer sunshine and warm seas. One Bulgar complained "even the Seals have woolly hats on!"
Residents inland reported a series of loud explosions described as "louder than most loud explosions but not as loud as the loudest ones we've heard."
Elsewhere in Comodoro Rivadavia, a lorry full of corned beef turned over and blocked the main road into the harbour for nine hours
In Cordoba the government quarter was swamped with masses of paperwork as in-trays overflowed. One official stated "where the hell does all this stuff come from?" The Department of Red Tape and Useless Triplicate Forms denied any involvement (it took us six hours and sixty forms to obtain this statement).
During anti-submarine exercises an unnamed destroyer spent six hours chasing an Asdic contact, only to find it was picking up echoes from cans and rubbish thrown overboard by the officer's steward and that in fact the ship had been sailing in circles all the time.
Noticias Argentinas couldn't explain why its first editions of today's newspaper had all the illustrations printed upside down.
Just before their daily siesta break, the Ministry of Internal Affairs declared its investigation over. It concluded that it was a normal day and that its sources revealed nothing unordinary or of particular interest and that they were taking the rest of the day off to "do something interesting."

People are never satisfied, although I would not be surprised if the people who complained about the outbreak of activity on the 15th are the same ones who complained about nothing happening on the 13th.

24 October
At FMA’s Cordoba factory a new bomber took to the air, piloted by test pilot Captain de Aero Edmundo Osvaldo Weiss. The second I.Ae.24 prototype has been converted with two 1,760hp Rolls-Royce Merlin XII V-12 engines during the summer and made its first flight with these new engines today. It is hoped to reach speeds above 350mph. If the performance tests go well, orders for 144 could soon be placed and the modified design, as I.Ae 28, could enter service during the summer of 1945.

27 October
The Ministry of Defence today announced a series of orders placed with various Italian firms to reequip several Army units within the next two years. The exact details have not been made public but the orders are believed to amount to; at least three hundred M34/44 Triarii medium tanks, eighty-five Velites armoured cars and over three hundred Armicustos armoured infantry carriers based on the Velites chassis. These will be in three variants and some are rumoured to carry the new Italian 57mm anti-tank rocket weapon, at least a hundred of which will be used in infantry units in its basic two-man form.

Aie! I guess it really is time for Chile to upgrade their armoured forces, isn't it?

Well this in response to RSAA 75mm armed tanks, the bulk of the Argentine tank force is armed with 47mm guns which just isn't going to be sufficient as we get further towards 1950. I am not buying the 90mm armed M34/45, I see no need for such weapons at this point in time and OOC it was a decision I took so to reduce the temptation for others to calibre-jump. As a loyal Italian customer, these tanks were always favoured by the Army. The Velites shares the same gun so that eases logistics and gives the wheeled recon some defensive punch too. The 57mm rockets are an added defensive precaution too.
The large numbers also reflect the formation of a third armoured division and the new mechanised infantry support for those divisions. Deliveries will stretch from 1945 to 1947/48. A proportion are for reserve stocks.

Chile faces a different threat in Peru to Argentina's threat from RSAA armoured formations, they have quality, good crews and modern equipment and Argentina's major ports and cities lie within reach of that force. Still, this order will eat up most of the procurement budget so don't expect much else to be brought during this time.

4 November
The veterantraining ship, ARA Fulton, has served our Navy gloriously since 1896 but today she was finally decommissioned. She has joined static reserve fleet to await scrapping but some veteran officers have called for her to be preserved as a memorial ship and a public charity has been formed to raise fund for her purchase and 500 people have signed a petition to save the vessel since last weekend.

16 November
Today sees the release of the first issue of the Rico Tipo comic book. Rico Tipo is a weekly Argentine comic magazine founded and directed by Guillermo Divito.

José Antonio Guillermo Divito joined the stable of artists at the Patoruzú weekly (launched in 1936) where he began drawing his first illustrations of Chicas (Girls). The magazine's director, Dante Quinterno, disapproved of the great sensuality of the Chicas, and suggested tweaks and longer skirts. Tired of this constant interference and unable obtain a raise of pay, Divito decided to create his own magazine Rico Tipo. Within a year Rico Tipo had a weekly print run of around 350,000 copies. In addition to the Chicas, Divito included a whole series of characters that portrayed aspects recognizable to the average citizen; Pochita Morfoni, an obese woman who only thinks about food; Fulmine, an ugly man dressed in black who brings bad luck and misfortune; Fallutelli, prototype sycophantic employee and traitor to his fellows; Bombolo, a fat good-natured and naive man who cannot understand figurative speech and always take things literally; Gracielita, a very modern, waspish girl. The most important character is Dr. Merengue who behaves as required by the more conservative social conventions, serious, formal, fair, accurate and dispassionate and never losing his composure. But in the last square of the strip, his alter ego reveals his true feelings or thoughts.

9 December
A prototype conversion of an I-01-IIB converted into a two-seat trainer was flown for the first time today. The cockpit is moved forwards and behind is inserted another cockpit with reduced instrumentation and a blown canopy for an instructor. The bomb racks, armoured bulkhead and two machine-guns are removed. A gun-camera was added to the starboard wing leading edge. Performance is almost identical to the standard fighter.
It is thought that thirty conversions as the TI-01-IIB will be made to fulfil the fighter training role. These conversions will be carried out by IMPA, rather than FMA, due to other production pressures.

The test pilot Major de Aero Campobasso after the first flight

10 December
Going largely unnoticed in the busy harbour, a small ceremony marked the commissioning of two new Project 711 tugs into the Bahia Blanca Base Support Flotilla. Other refit work in the harbour has included refurbishment of the internal fittings of the aging transport ARA Vicente Fidel Lopez and the vital crane ship Pilcomayo. The crane has been repaired and new navigation lights installed. It is rumoured that the Pilcomayo will be replaced by a new vessel before 1947.

18 December
Large crowds of sightseers and ship-spotters crowded the quayside and jetty at Bahia Blanca this morning as a visiting German task force of ships arrived. Sailing down the coast from Rio, the group arrived shortly before noon. The graceful ships include four heavy cruisers, the Graf Spee, Admiral Hipper, Admiral Scheer, and Prinz Eugen plus a large tanker, the Donau. The German fleet is commanded by Konteradmiral Hans Langsdorff.

19 December
Konteradmiral Hans Langsdorff and his staff spent most of the afternoon with the Chief of Staff of the Navy, Almirante Bouchard, and the Commander of Brigada Naval I, Almirante Moreno, discussing among other things technical developments, comparing notes on the parsimony of their treasuries and discussions on wider South American geopolitics and the events in the Far East.

26 December
After a jolly Christmas break in the sun and welcoming spirit of Bahia Blanca, the four cruisers and the tank of the German group have weighed anchor and set off for Chile, on the next leg of their South American goodwill tour.

29 December
The new light cruiser, ARA Moreno, commissioned and joined the 3rd Cruiser Squadron at Comodoro Rivadavia alongside her sistership Santisima Trinidad. This class of home-built cruisers are a powerful reminder of our nation’s industrial and naval strength. The third ship in this class, the Rivadavia, was launched from her slipway in Bahia Blanca on 1 November and the workers at the yard are busy readying the slipway for the fourth ship of the class, Fortaleza. The projected fifth and final ship will be named the Delante.

30 December
The last refitted ex-Brazilian destroyer has been commissioned as the ARA Santa today and she will join another of her sisters with the 3rd Escort Squadron at Puerto Santa Cruz.

30 December

Today, Defence Minister Vice Adm (ret). Juan Perez Benedicto Hood announced that a successful bid has been accepted by Italy for several destroyers. At a press conference today he said, "This deal strengthens the bond between our two nations and continues the long and fruitful associations both our navies have had since over the past twenty years. These destroyers of modern and powerful design will strengthen the defences of our nation from sea, submarine and aerial threats from our potential enemies. We hope the first of these ships will be with us within a few months."