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Noticias Argentinas

April 1
Today at the AFNE Paraguay shipyard two further gunboats were laid down. The Patria and Pilcomayo are the final two Project 616 class river gunboats for the Navy. The keel laying ceremonies were attended by two Argentine admirals, four industry officials and several Paraguayan politicians.

April 6
Today is the second vote on an amended Nationalisation Bill.
The votes are;
Aye: 53%
Nay: 40%
Abstain: 7%
This means that the Bill will now have to be passed by the Senate but because the coalition government parties only hold around a quarter of the seats in the Senate this could mean strong resistance and rejection by the powerful Conservative Party majority senators.

April 19
The Army has today placed an order for thirty-six Thornycroft Amazon 6x6 trucks (which can be converted into half tracks with flexible tracks over the rear wheels) from the British manufacturer.

Are there stats available for those gunboats?

Your mind must be slipping Hoo, you asked that in Q4/37!

Anyway here you go. Haven't got around to drawing her yet but I've something in the works.

Project 616 Parana, Rosario, Patria, Pilcomayo , Argentina River Gunboat laid down 1938

Displacement:
432 t light; 460 t standard; 501 t normal; 533 t full load

Dimensions: Length overall / water x beam x draught
231.09 ft / 229.66 ft x 26.25 ft x 6.56 ft (normal load)
70.44 m / 70.00 m x 8.00 m x 2.00 m

Armament:
2 - 6.10" / 155 mm guns in single mounts, 97.00lbs / 44.00kg shells, 1933 Model
Breech loading guns in deck mounts
on centreline ends, evenly spread
1 - 2.95" / 75.0 mm guns in single mounts, 13.67lbs / 6.20kg shells, 1933 Model
Breech loading gun in deck mount
on centreline amidships, 1 raised gun
2 - 1.46" / 37.0 mm guns (1x2 guns), 1.55lbs / 0.70kg shells, 1933 Model
Anti-aircraft guns in deck mount
on side aft, all raised guns
8 - 0.51" / 13.0 mm guns in single mounts, 0.07lbs / 0.03kg shells, 1930 Model
Machine guns in deck mounts
on side, evenly spread, all raised mounts
Weight of broadside 211 lbs / 96 kg
Shells per gun, main battery: 150

Armour:
- Gun armour: Face (max) Other gunhouse (avg) Barbette/hoist (max)
Main: 1.97" / 50 mm 0.79" / 20 mm -
2nd: 1.97" / 50 mm 0.79" / 20 mm -
3rd: 0.59" / 15 mm - -
4th: 0.39" / 10 mm - -

- Armour deck: 1.38" / 35 mm, Conning tower: 2.95" / 75 mm

Machinery:
Diesel Internal combustion motors,
Geared drive, 2 shafts, 1,000 shp / 746 Kw = 15.11 kts
Range 5,000nm at 10.00 kts
Bunker at max displacement = 73 tons

Complement:
52 - 68

Cost:
£0.251 million / $1.004 million

Distribution of weights at normal displacement:
Armament: 30 tons, 6.1 %
Armour: 116 tons, 23.2 %
- Belts: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Torpedo bulkhead: 0 tons, 0.0 %
- Armament: 15 tons, 2.9 %
- Armour Deck: 97 tons, 19.5 %
- Conning Tower: 4 tons, 0.8 %
Machinery: 27 tons, 5.5 %
Hull, fittings & equipment: 233 tons, 46.5 %
Fuel, ammunition & stores: 69 tons, 13.7 %
Miscellaneous weights: 25 tons, 5.0 %

Overall survivability and seakeeping ability:
Survivability (Non-critical penetrating hits needed to sink ship):
1,164 lbs / 528 Kg = 10.2 x 6.1 " / 155 mm shells or 0.8 torpedoes
Stability (Unstable if below 1.00): 1.38
Metacentric height 1.2 ft / 0.4 m
Roll period: 10.1 seconds
Steadiness - As gun platform (Average = 50 %): 50 %
- Recoil effect (Restricted arc if above 1.00): 0.28
Seaboat quality (Average = 1.00): 1.83

Hull form characteristics:
Hull has raised forecastle
Block coefficient: 0.443
Length to Beam Ratio: 8.75 : 1
'Natural speed' for length: 15.15 kts
Power going to wave formation at top speed: 38 %
Trim (Max stability = 0, Max steadiness = 100): 27
Bow angle (Positive = bow angles forward): 5.00 degrees
Stern overhang: 0.00 ft / 0.00 m
Freeboard (% = measuring location as a percentage of overall length):
- Stem: 16.40 ft / 5.00 m
- Forecastle (15 %): 16.40 ft / 5.00 m (8.20 ft / 2.50 m aft of break)
- Mid (50 %): 8.20 ft / 2.50 m
- Quarterdeck (15 %): 8.20 ft / 2.50 m
- Stern: 8.20 ft / 2.50 m
- Average freeboard: 9.43 ft / 2.88 m
Ship tends to be wet forward

Ship space, strength and comments:
Space - Hull below water (magazines/engines, low = better): 70.2 %
- Above water (accommodation/working, high = better): 114.9 %
Waterplane Area: 3,823 Square feet or 355 Square metres
Displacement factor (Displacement / loading): 114 %
Structure weight / hull surface area: 38 lbs/sq ft or 186 Kg/sq metre
Hull strength (Relative):
- Cross-sectional: 0.92
- Longitudinal: 2.09
- Overall: 1.00
Hull space for machinery, storage, compartmentation is excellent
Room for accommodation and workspaces is adequate
Excellent seaboat, comfortable, can fire her guns in the heaviest weather

Quoted

Originally posted by Hood
Your mind must be slipping Hoo, you asked that in Q4/37! :P

Sorry, must be a matter of age....

Nice little gunboats.

Colombia agrees, which is why they decided to purchase the design.

Heh, river gunboats are one thing Chile has absolutely no need for! Northern border? Atacama and Pampas. Eastern border? The summits of the Andes. The southern and western borders? Yeah - the Pacific. If I'm fighting on Chile's rivers, then something has gone traumatically wrong...

Chile likes it this way.

May 9
Today Tucan Aircraft’s Chief Test Pilot Capitan de Aero Estrada took the prototype Tucan T-17B ground-attack bomber on its first flight.
Total orders of this upgraded armoured ground attack bomber are currently 72 to equip one Regiment. Changes include an upgraded 8mm thick armoured ‘bathtub’, new wing-mounted 13.2mm Browning machine guns, bigger bomb-racks and an upgraded 675hp FMA RR-9-1-B single-row radial engine. The tests are mainly concerned with performance trials owing to the proven aerodynamics and Tucan hope production will begin soon and that the type should enter service later this year.

May 15
The two latest P-Class submarines to be built in home yards, the San Rafael and Santa Rosa, today officially joined the Submarine Squadron and will now begin six months training and working up with their new crews fresh from the Submarine School at Bahia Blanca.

May 26
The Army today confirmed it has placed an order with Vickers for 72 Valentine heavy tanks. These will be delivered during late 1938 and 1939 and will be armed with the standard Italian 47mm gun carried by the existing Argentine tanks.

The Valentine is a "heavy" tank?

For the Argentine Army, maybe.... Certainly it's bigger and heavier (though not more heavily armed) than the Pz IIs Argentina's buying from Germany.

If one ran over your foot you'd agree it was a heavy tank!

Vickers Valentine Infantry Tank: Based on the Cruiser Tank Mk II A10. The basic chassis and suspension is mated to an improved hull and new three-man turret. A co-axial MG is fitted. The four-man crew (driver, commander, gunner and loader) is protected by 65-8mm thick armour; the 150hp AEC Type A179 petrol engine gives a speed of 15mph (8mph cross-country) and a range of 180 miles. Weight is 39,000lbs, fording depth is 3 feet and trench crossing is 7.6 feet. 60 rounds of ammunition (47mm) can be stowed along with 3,150 MG rounds.

June 1
The fourth of the powerful Belgrano Class cruisers, and the second built in a home yard, the Almirante Domecq Garcia today officially joined the 4th Cruiser Squadron after its commissioning ceremony yesterday. It should now begin her working-up period and will become the backbone of the cruiser fleet with her sisters which saw extensive war service and have been upgraded to roughly match Almirante Domecq Garcia’s increased capabilities.

June 15
The new Project 414 torpedo destroyer Entre Rios today joined the 3rd Destroyer Squadron alongside her sisters. These torpedo destroyers offer tremendous striking power and would play a fully offensive role in wartime attacking enemy units with torpedoes.

June 17
The Senate today voted on the Nationalisation Bill.
The votes are;
Aye: 40%
Nay: 59%
Abstain: 1%
This is a major defeat for the government’s plans but under law the government can make the Senate vote up to three times before the Bill must be withdrawn and amended.